Steps to Achieving Basic Media-Literacy Skills

6 Steps to Achieving Basic Media-Literacy Skills

1.     Ask yourself, what is the purpose of the media content?

2.     Consider the source

3.     Examine framing of media content

4.     What stereotypes are presented?

5.     Question the media ecosystem (who is impacted by stereotypes and framing)

6.     Make the media

In times where technology is everywhere and it is crucial to understand and to operate, practicing media literacy skills will help you identify stereotypes, framing, and media bias, and will ultimately prove you with a more clear judgment of what is going on in the world around you. These steps were presented in our book, Converging Media by Pavlik, and McIntosh.

More on Media Bias

Media Bias occurs when a particular medium, such as CNN, FOX News, etc., have and promote a particular worldview. As we discussed previously, the views that news media take can ultimately impact how we interpret information (depending on how the story is told).

What is Media Literacy?

To be media literate is to be able to look critically at media content, as well as have an understanding of the larger social, political, and economic forces that influence media content, production, and communication technologies in general.

Being media literate allow you to think critically and clearly about the content you consume, and ultimately allows you to better control your actions, opinions, and interpretation of news, rather than be fooled or mislead by large media companies.

Non-Mediated vs. Mediated Communication

What is the difference between mediated and non-mediated communication? It’s simple. Non-mediated communication occurs through face-to-face interaction- It has no medium or channel that the messages is sent through, and only occurs through some type of face-to-face communication. Mediated communication takes place over a medium, such as a phone, computer, chat room, text message, etc. The biggest difference between the two types of communication, in mediated communication, once the message is transmitted to the receiver, it is somehow altered and sent through wires or satellite, and then put back together.

Limited Visibility

Going back to the topic of convergence, media oligopolies/conglomerates control media content. Seven people own and distribute media content (through TV, phone, and Internet services), which, as I talked about before, ultimately shapes our perceptions of events and people based on how they are depicted. It is a daunting thought, that all of the media we consume ties back to the hands of so few, and such wealthy people. Beyond, that, to think that the news, TV shows, movies etc. that they stream almost always financially benefit themselves? Media bias and commercial forces have an incredible amount of control over both what information and the quality of information an entire nation receive and rely on.  This is why its important to be aware of what is really going on, and how information can be skewed by bias media and careful wording.

Just A Thought...

Isn’t it interesting how the grammar rules and sentence structure changes between mediums?

   

As you may be able to see here, there are a few different media platforms above. Notice how the format, sentence structure, and grammar differ between them. 

On the top, there are excerpts from a newspaper and a magazine. The tone, topics, and grammar are very different from tat of the Facebook post, Tweet, and Business Report and Scholarly article. You are likely to find shorter sentences on Facebook and twitter in comparison to the business report and scholarly article. Also, the language in the scholarly article and business report are much more complex and specific to the subject than the rest. 

Facebook posts, in contrast- don’t require a specific topic and, like Twitter, its purpose and format are more of a short blurb or memo, and do not need to have a set purpose. 

Media grammar is important because it adds to the context of your writing. Each style and medium has its own grammar rules, format, content, etc. Being able to understand, adapt to, and utilize the various forms of media grammar appropriately will help you become a better writer, worker, student, and all around more media literate.

Media grammar rules ultimately help us better understand media content across various contexts and channels.