Media Literacy

Hi again,
Today in class we discussed and learned about media literacy, what it is, how it affects people, and how it’s used in class. I think using media literacy is a skill that everyone should be familiar with and really understand its purpose. I feel strong about this topic because I find that people often times misinterpret the meaning and purpose of certain types of media literacy, which alters the true meaning and message. For example, people watch something on TV, the internet, or any kind of media source for that matter and get a certain message that they think may be true, when in fact the creator meant something different. From there the person may share their view or message they got from that media source and can possibly create rumors or give altered meanings. For this very reason, I think that teaching media literacy is an important part of being an analytic, attentive, and informed student.

I think that the one piece in particular that stuck with me the most about the presentation in class is a video showing an African American man and describing a criminal that was accused of robbery, murder, assault, and rape. While watching the video, people generally said that they thought that the man in the video was that very person being accused of all of the crimes, when in fact he is the police lieutenant that apprehended the suspect being described. This example alone shows how people’s views can be manipulated in a way to think of something other than reality. This altered perception is exactly what should be corrected, because we will continue to see similar things in life in the same manner. We should teach students how to be aware of the meanings, the purpose of that particular piece, and overall to be better educated on media literacy.