What do we mean by Media Literacy?
(Excerpt from NY Homeland Security and Emergency Services)
Media iteracy refers to the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and act using all forms of communication, from the printed word to the Internet. (NY Homeland Security)
More broadly, media literacy is an interdisciplinary approach to navigating the complexities of the 21st century information environment. Over the last twenty years, the way we read, write, learn, understand, and communicate has completely transformed. Today, the classification and transmission of media is far more complex, requiring the development of a broader set of literacy skills that enable us to both understand the messages we receive, as well as effectively create and disseminate our own. At its core, media literacy:
- Encourages curious inquiry, while emphasizing reason, logic, and evidence.
- Emphasizes critical thinking skills while evaluating all types of media content.
- Strengthens the ability to evaluate the credibility of information from multiple sources.
- Promotes recognition of the media’s influence on beliefs, attitudes, values, behaviors and the democratic process.
Media literacy is the fundamental ability to critically consume and create information. It empowers students to play an active role in their media experiences, maintaining a critical sense of autonomy in a world of influence.
Further, media literacy is about facilitating a conversation about the media we interact with every day. Ask questions. Reflect on your answers. Challenge your own bias. It is about opening the floor to discussion and encouraging the exchange of different thoughts, ideas, and opinions.