What’s Media?

Medium = mediator of communication; a channel; e.g., a cell phone transmitting a message from the sender to the receiver, then reversed with the response

Media = multiple ‘channels’ of communication: T.V., internet, radio, etc.

What’s Media?

Mass Media = media sending messages directed to diverse and very large receiver audiences; the receiver is not in the same place as all the other receivers of the same message, or receiving the same message at the same time (e.g., movie audiences, magazine readers)

What’s MEDIA LITERACY?

The ability to to access, analyze and create media in a variety of forms.

What’s MEDIA LITERACY?

The ability to interpret the symbols,

techniques and meanings of the multitude of messages sent out daily through T.V., radio, billboards, internet, etc. (particularly in advertising).

6 Key Questions

1. Who created this message?2. What techniques are used to get my

attention?3. What lifestyles, values, viewpoints are

represented or omitted?4. How might different people understand

this message differently from me?5. Why was this message sent?6. What, of significance, was left out?

1. Who created this message?

Who sponsored it? (hint: it’s a company!)

Why?

magazines.com/magcom/covers/

Cosmopolitan Magazine

Owner:

The Hearst Media Corporation

2. What techniques are used to attract my attention?

And to persuade, inform, entertain me.

magazines.com/magcom/covers/

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_p3feBYwNs2I/SG0xjUCM7uI/AAAAAAAAHW4/G3InRj_2CFc/s400/scarlett-cosmo.jpg

http://fashaddix.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/jessica_alba_cosmopolitan_magazine.jpg

3. What values, lifestyles and points of view are represented in this message? (“worldview”)

Which/ whose are left out?

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0006MT314.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

http://www.onetreehillonline.com/

http://www.amazon.com/One-Tree-Hill-Complete-Season/dp

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/

4. How might some people understand this message differently from me?

Also, who is the targetted audience? How is the message tailored to them?

http://www.cwtv.com/photos/gossip-

5. Why was this message sent?

Who paid for it? Who profits?

60% magazines

The percentage of revenue comes from advertising and marketing:

80% newspapers

100% TV

Seventeen magazine reaches over 14.5 million 12+ year olds Seventeen magazine reaches over 1.9 million 17-18 yr olds

*Advertorial Monthly 1/3 column

in Seventeen magazine can be used to promote your message.

http://www.seventeen.com/about/pop/

—from Seventeen Magazine media kit

—from Seventeen Magazine media kit

6. What is left out of this message that might be important to know?

Real consequences? Based on morality & justice?

CRITICAL THINKING Q.

Q. What determines the cost of an ad?

A. The demand for the medium by

the consumer. (as demonstrated by distribution record or by show’s Nielsen ratings) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nielsen_ratings

Empowerment Process of MEDIA LITERACY

Based on the work of Brazilian educator, Paulo Friere, author of Pedagogy of the Oppressed

4 Steps of MEDIA LITERACY (p. 104, G)

1. AWARENESS

2. ANALYSIS

3. REFLECTION

4. ACTION

1. Raising AWARENESS:

• What am I seeing? hearing?

reading? understanding?

• What are the concepts, techniques,

strategies, media shapers and

owners?

(What we’re doing right now)

AWARENESS - Keys to Media Interpretatioin

1. FUNCTION

2. COMPARATIVE MEDIA

3. MEDIA COMMUNICATOR

4. AUDIENCE

2. ANALYSIS: Deconstructing Media

• Who paid for it? Who profits?

• Who is being targetted?

• What techniques are used to attract my attention?

• What is the message and why is it being sent?

Deconstructing Media

• What is the message?

1. What is the text? Manifest Message

2. What is the subtext? Latent Message

Deconstructing Media

• Who paid for it?

• Who profits?

magazines.com/magcom/covers/

Owner:

Hearst Corporation

Deconstructing Media

• Who is being targetted?

(What text/images lead you to this conclusion?)

Deconstructing Media

• What techniques are use to attract attention?

www.magazines.com/magcom/covers

3. REFLECTION:

Asking questions like,• “So what?” • “How does this media influence teens, women, persons of color, etc.?”• “What values does this media support or ignore?”

• What “story” is implied? (i.e. What values, lifestyles & points of view are represented?)

• What “story” is not being told? (i.e. What is omitted from this message? Why was it left out?)

http://www.amazon.com/One-Tree-Hill-Complete-Season/dp

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/

http://www.tv.com/photos/viewer.html

4. ACTION:

• What should we do, if anything, in response to what we learn?

• What response seems appropriate in light of my own beliefs?

PROCESS of Communication (p.16,Silverblatt)

1. Communicator

INTERPERSONAL

2. Message

3. Channel

4. Audience

PROCESS of Communication

1. ChannelMASS COMMUNICATION

2. Communicator

3. Message

4. Audience