Tag Archives: Media Literacy
Media Literacy Resources
“The basic news literacy argument is that you can’t get the vaccine in someone’s mouth until you get the idea in that someone’s head that the vaccine is good for you.” – Eric Newton, senior adviser to the president, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
News is everywhere. But sometimes “news” is nothing more than propaganda. This is true not only in authoritarian states, but also in states where freedom of speech and press were long ago institutionalized. The digital revolution the world has undergone intensifies the need to be discerning when consuming news. New technology has changed the flow of information across borders and cultures, influencing how we use material to inform and interact with each other. How do we wade through the oceans of information with which we are bombarded on a daily basis? We must learn how to sift through and analyze this information to become media literate.
The term “media literacy” refers to a person’s ability to understand, analyze, and use the media, as well as their ability to differentiate between quality, unbiased news and opinion. In the media development community, media literacy is still a low-profile topic, but its importance is growing, especially in the age of citizen journalism, community radio, and digital media.
Here are some resources on media literacy:
- CIMA has produced three reports about media literacy. Dr. Susan Moeller, director of the International Center for Media and the Public Agenda at the University of Maryland, has written two reports for CIMA: Media Literacy: Understanding the News and Media Literacy: Citizen Journalism. Paul Mihailidis, professor of journalism, media and public relations at Hofstra University, wrote Media Literacy: Empowering Youth Worldwide.
- The Salzburg Academy on Media and Global Change is an initiative that provides curricular materials, training, and support for journalism schools and educational programs across the globe. The academy’s Global Media Literacy curriculum includes lessons on framing theory, agenda setting, social media, civic participation, covering conflict, and freedom of the press.
- Internews conducts media literacy programs, including a four-year program in Armenia in partnership with Yerevan Press Club.
- The Center for Media Literacy (CML) is an educational organization that provides leadership, public education, professional development, and educational resources across the world. CML’s mission is “to help children and adults prepare for living and learning in a global media culture by translating media literacy research and theory into practical information, training and educational tools for teachers and youth leaders, parents and caregivers of children.”
- The European Charter for Media Literacy supports the establishment of media literacy across Europe. Signatories of the charter form a network across the continent and are contained in a searchable database on the charter’s website.
- The Russian Association for Film and Media Education maintains a list of resources in English about media literacy in Russia.
- The Canada-based Association for Media Literacy provides a range of resources on literacy and supports an international network of media literacy organizations.
- Medialiteracy.com contains links to other media literacy organizations and resources.
