Media Literacy What is it Media Literacy Week

Media Literacy- What is it? Media Literacy Week One

Structure of the Course �Monday- Planning, script writing, organizing, delegating �Tuesday- Filming �Wednesday- Rotate Editors, Lesson on one aspect of the media �Thursday- Project Days

What is Media Literacy? �Media literacy is the understanding of the structure and function of media messages and the organizations that create them. Broadly defined, media is a term for anything that communicates, such as books, magazines, computers, radio, film, television. Media literacy is the ability to interpret and create personal meaning from the hundreds, even thousands, of verbal and visual messages we are exposed to every day. The goal of media literacy education is to enable the individual to select, to challenge and question, and to use media actively and consciously for one's own purposes.

Why is Media Literacy Important? �Young people are living in a media-rich environment where they receive most of their information and entertainment through the electronic media of television, radio, and the Internet, but also from newspapers, magazines, and film. Media literacy education helps students to critically evaluate the incredible variety of information to which they are exposed, to understand the power and influence of the media, and to become informed, discriminating and active media consumers.

Free Press & Democratic Citizenship �In our system of democratic government, power resides in the people. Abraham Lincoln referred to it in his Gettysburg Address as a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people". We exercise our power through representatives at the national, state and local level, whom we choose through free and open elections every 2 -4 years. At all times, we are free to express our pleasure or displeasure regarding the actions of our elected officials and our thoughts regarding policies of local, state and national governments. We can do this through such things as letter writing, public forums, petitions and demonstrations

Questions to Consider � 1. What does a citizen need to know in order to participate in the democratic process, i. e. , in order to exercise his/her power as a citizen? 2. How can someone become an informed citizen? 3. What is role of the press or news media in a democratic society? How can the news media support the "work" of citizens? �Do you consider yourself an informed citizen?

Ways you Receive Information �Where do you get your information? SNL? Reno Gazette? 102. 9?

Thomas Jefferson �Jefferson was a great believer in the ultimate triumph of truth in the free marketplace of ideas. He felt that a press that is free to investigate and criticize the government is absolutely essential in a nation that practices self-government and is therefore dependent on an educated and enlightened citizenry

Choose One Quote �Type up the quote on your weebly �Explain what the quote means �Do you agree or disagree with the quote? How does the quote make you feel? �How does the quote apply to today’s media? �Find one picture that you think represents the quote to post on your weebly next to your write up