Media Literacy Project medialiteracyproject.org

Introduction to Media Literacy
Media literacy is a set of skills that anyone can learn. Just as literacy is the ability to read and write, media literacy refers to the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and create media messages of all kinds. These are essential skills in today's world. Today, many people get most of their information through complex combinations of text, images and sounds. We need to be able to navigate this complex media environment, to make sense of the media messages that bombard us every day, and to express ourselves using a variety of media tools and technologies. Media literate youth and adults are better able to decipher the complex messages we receive from television, radio, newspapers, magazines, books, billboards, signs, packaging, marketing materials, video games, recorded music, the Internet and other forms of media. They can understand how these media messages are constructed, and discover how they create meaning – usually in ways hidden beneath the surface. People who are media literate can also create their own media, becoming active participants in our media culture. Media literacy skills can help children, youth and adults: • Understand how media messages create meaning • Identify who created a particular media message • Recognize what the media maker wants us to believe or do • Name the "tools of persuasion" used • Recognize bias, spin, misinformation and lies • Discover the part of the story that's not being told • Evaluate media messages based on our own experiences, beliefs and values • Create and distribute our own media messages • Become advocates for change in our media system Media literacy education helps to develop critical thinking and active participation in our media culture. The goal is to give youth and adults greater freedom by empowering them to access, analyze,