1.What is media literacy
Media literacy is the combined skill of comprehending and creating media messages which include a framework to access, analyze, evaluate and create messages in a variety of forms (Trilling & Fadel, 2012). Master media literacy skills can help you distinguish reliable resources from invalid content and create effective communication media products such as Web pages, graphics, animations, videos, and games (Trilling & Fadel, 2012).
2.Why is it important?
In my opinion, media literacy is the ability that we can develop along our experience using or engaging in social media. It’s also a very necessary skill to remain subjective while receiving a huge amount of information from media throughout our everyday lives. As Smith mentioned in the interview, there’s a “shield” between us and the media. It distributes information that we want from the media rather than what we need. And news industry is a business that manipulates people’s perspectives and mindsets by exaggerating information or minimalize what the audience unwilling to see to boost their profit. Armed yourself with media literacy skills can help you distinguish Biased news or information while surfing on social media and it also helps you to be subjective and bias-free while creating content on media.
3. Why is it dismissed?
Media literacy requires professionalism within the context of the Internet social media platforms. Sometimes it requires time and effort to ensure decent media literacy when creating content. Casual users on social media tend to avoid time-consuming management when they come across information or creating content. Another factor that has a potential influence on media literacy is different audience targets or different content producers. Smith has referred to the big News companies which have specified strategies for the target audience, sometimes media literacy will not be applied if news media want to draw attention to a particular topic.
4.What is the benefit of having a PLN that values media literacy?
If a PLN applies media literacy skills, it will become more effective when delivering messages around the network and increase fluency. It helps to examine whether the resources in PLN are valid and factual. It creates a better and more professional learning environment for members to participate in. Smith has shared the inspiring story of her career that a friend in her PLN helped a lot in publishing her book. The very friendly atmosphere she has created with the same embracement on media literacy with her colleagues brought potential benefits to her PLN.
References
EDCI 338 (2020, Nov 1). Smith, Julie . Retrieved from YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_T9RghwJlI&feature=youtu.be
Trilling, B., & Fadel, C. (2012). Digital Literacy Skills. In 21st century skills: Learning for life in our times. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
zimengl
March 22, 2021 — 11:28 pm
Hi,
I quit agree with some of your views on news industry . Some journalists will make greater profits by exaggerating some information. Such behavior will subtly change people’s thinking. As professional information disseminators, journalists play a pivotal role in information transmission and rumors response. Therefore, more than ever, we need journalists to have media literacy to curb the breeding and spread of rumors.
callim10
March 24, 2021 — 8:36 pm
Issac I enjoyed reading your post. I totally agree with you about why Media Literacy is dismissed. It does take time and effort to ensure decent media literacy. People also may also fear the unknown. It could be more like ” you don’t know what you don’t know”. The problem with this is that those people who can not analyze and critically examine the information that the media provides can take that information as face value.