MediaLiteracy Our Broad Goal: To become more active and critical consumers and producers of information From To In an effort to be more media literate, we want to: analyze the form and content of the messages sent through various media. manipulate various media and create their own form and content. Seeking Media Literacy from How Fantasy Becomes Reality by Dr. Karen Dill UNDERSTANDING the messages being transmitted by mass media UNDERSTANDING the messages being transmitted by mass media Seeking Media Literacy from How Fantasy Becomes Reality by Dr. Karen Dill And How those messages affect our culture and its members How those messages affect our culture and its members Keep in mind Literate members of a society are MORE POWERFUL & MORE LIBERATED Literate members of a society are MORE POWERFUL & MORE LIBERATED Seeking Media Literacy from How Fantasy Becomes Reality by Dr. Karen Dill How we analyze We first must understand Five CORE CONCEPTS about media messages, and their corresponding Several KEY QUESTIONS to ask when analyzing these messages Core Concept #1 All media messages are CONSTRUCTED All media messages are CONSTRUCTED Question #1a 1a. What is the MESSAGE ? Question #1b 1b. Who created this message? Media Cycle Core Concept #2 Media messages are constructed using a CREATIVE LANGUAGE WITH ITS OWN RULES Media messages are constructed using a CREATIVE LANGUAGE WITH ITS OWN RULES Consider a Newspaper What does font size imply? What does font size imply? Where would you expect the largest font? Where would you expect the largest font? What else would you expect in a feature? What else would you expect in a feature? What usually accompanies a photo? What usually accompanies a photo? How many stories are on the front page? How many stories are on the front page? Question #2 What CREATIVE TECHNIQUES are used to attract my ATTENTION? Core Concept #3 Different people experience the same media message DIFFERENTLY. Different people experience the same media message DIFFERENTLY. Question #3a 3a. Who is the INTENDED AUDIENCE of this message? Demographics The characteristics of a certain audience The characteristics of a certain audience For instance AgeGenderRaceLifestyle Question #3b 3b. How might DIFFERENT PEOPLE understand this message DIFFERENTLY from me? Core Concept #4 Media have embedded VALUES & POINTS OF VIEW Media have embedded VALUES & POINTS OF VIEW Question #4 4. Is the message FAIR, ACCURATE, and COMPLETE? Core Concept #5 Media messages are constructed to gain PROFIT and/or POWER Media messages are constructed to gain PROFIT and/or POWER Question #5 5. WHY is this message being sent? Question #6 What will I do with the MESSAGE? Lets practice Now try a commercial Super Bowl 2005 "Thank You" Anheuser-Busch "Thank You" Anheuser-Busch Question #1a 1a. What is the MESSAGE ? Question #1b 1b. Who created this message? Question #2 What CREATIVE TECHNIQUES are used to attract my ATTENTION? Question #3a 3a. Who is the INTENDED AUDIENCE of this message? Question #3b 3b. How might DIFFERENT PEOPLE understand this message DIFFERENTLY from me? Question #4 4. Is the message FAIR, ACCURATE, and COMPLETE? Question #5 5. WHY is this message being sent? Question #6 What will I do with the MESSAGE?