Blog Post #9 Why Media Literacy matters in your PLN

What Is Media Literacy And Why Is It Important?

Media literacy is the ability to identify different types of media, such as newspapers, TV, tweets, videos, web sites, etc. and understand the message or information they are intending to convey. However, media literacy means not only to be able to analyze and evaluate the media that surrounds us but also to be able to create media in a variety of forms. In an article written by Trilling and Fadel about 21st Century Skills, they suggest that media literacy consists of having two skills: the ability to analyze media, including comprehending how and why media messages are constructed and examining how media can affect our behaviors and second is the skill of creating media products, such as how to use appropriate media tools (Trilling & Fadel, 2012). In other words, to be media literate is to have the ability to think for oneself and ask the right  questions.  In the interview with Julie Smith this week, she shared her views on media literacy and she suggested asking questions such as who the sender is, what is their mode of intent, who does this profit, and who the target audience is(Smith, 2020). By asking the right questions, we can confirm the accuracy of the information and then make our own judgements about its accuracy.

 It is apparent that being media literate is becoming more and more important as our lives revolve around technology. The internet has given people the ability to use social media platforms and websites to share information or spread awareness about certain issues. However, this doesn’t always mean that the information is factual. People can deliberately fabricate information to mislead the public and so it is important that we have the skills to be able to distinguish right from wrong. “Because of the speed of access to information, people do not have time to process and to validate the kind of information they receive, so there are a lot of biases that interfere”(Owens, 2020). The information that is on social media produced by individuals that we may like, trust or that we may directly know, should not give them more credibility, BUT we think it does. “In the 21st century, everyone’s level of information literacy and fluency will need to rise. Whether at work, in school, at home, or in the community, there will be increasing demands on our ability to access information efficiently and effectively, evaluate information critically and competently, and use information accurately and creatively”(Trilling & Fadel, 2012). The goal of media literacy education is not to become amateur producers but rather to engage the media in our lives, to evaluate its messages and techniques and then to choose, ultimately, whether to accept or reject the values conveyed. Attention to media literacy is essential more than ever as we are consuming media all the time.

Why can Media Literacy sometimes be dismissed?

In my opinion, media literacy is dismissed because people don’t really know what it is or how important it is. I also think some people steer away from it because it can be time consuming to fact check etc. When it comes to our parents, they grew up without the same internet access that is available to us. Technology has changed the way we do everything and this can cause parents to worry about their safety. For example, when it comes to my parents, sometimes they don’t want to know what they don’t know. I am not sure if this makes sense but if you bury your head in the sand, you don’t have much to worry about.

Why Should We Aim For Varied views but the factual consensus in your PLN?

We should aim for varied views but factual consensus in our PLN’s to ensure that we continue to learn from others thoughts and opinions. Being open minded and learning to accept various viewpoints and different perspectives, can trigger new ideas and make our PLN more diversified. As Julie Smith states, “news is a business and we as people like to be affirmed, so we choose media outlets that suit our perspectives and opinions. When we selectively choose certain outlets to obtain ‘news’ from, we often cheat ourselves from learning all the facts”(Smith, 2020). Sometimes we may not know all of the story so when you can come to a consensus that all the facts and perspectives have been analyzed effectively, then you can be reassured that the whole story has been told.

Why can Media literacy and factual information can create conflict?

 Conflict can arise in media literacy and factual information because some individuals may be so determined about their own point of view they won’t take the responsibility to understand the other side. Smith explains that one reason media literacy can create conflict is a “familiarity backfire” effect (2020). This means that sometimes people will ignore what they don’t want to hear. In the past, we have been limited to certain media sources and we didn’t have as much freedom in choosing who to listen to, but now we have thousands of media sources at the click of a button. As humans, we don’t like to be told we are wrong. We tend to seek out information that justifies our opinions. Because of this, people tend to look at only like minded media sources.

What is the benefits of having a PLN that values media literacy?

Some of the benefits of having a PLN that values media literacy is that it encourages critical thinking, it allows me to see differing points of view, it encourages sharing of media sources in a collaborative and responsible way, it gives me the skills to know how to create my own content, it encourages me to actively participate in public affairs as a citizen, and it fosters the skills to communicate in a respectful way.

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.