Understanding Media Literacy and Messages

• Media is a communication channel for disseminating news, entertainment, education, data, and promotional messages.
• Media encompasses broadcasting and narrowing mediums like newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, billboards, direct mail, telephone, and the internet.
• Media is the method by which something is communicated, through examples such as books, movies, songs, paintings, video games, social media, photos, podcasts, and TV.

Media Literacy

• Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and act using all forms of communication.
• Media messages are the values and ideas that are promoted.
• Media effects are the influences and consequences on the audience.

Media Message Interpretation

• Audience members individually interpret a media message based on their own experiences and opinions.
• The creator’s intended message may not always be how the audience perceives it; each person can find a unique meaning in the same message.

Information Literacy

• Information literacy encompasses the ability to find, evaluate, and effectively use information from sources like books, websites, video, podcasts, and people.
• Gaining information literacy enables learning, helps to build knowledge, enhances safety, and helps to evade false or misleading information.

Technology Literacy

• Technology literacy is the ability to safely, effectively, and responsibly use, comprehend, manage, and analyze technology
• Technology literacy includes using technology to evaluate, create, and integrate information.

Technology Literacy Skills

• Adaption: Tech-literate people acquire new skills to effectively use new technology as it evolves.
• Communication: Creating original content for sharing with others.
• Comprehension: The ability to understand information in the context of technology.
• Evaluation: Critically analyzing information to determine accuracy, authority, validity, and reliability

Communication

• Communication involves using words, sounds, signs, or behaviors to express or exchange information, ideas, thoughts, and feelings.
• Communication is the exchange of information and expression of feelings that leads to understanding.

Two Basic Types of Communication

• Oral communication is verbal.
• Written communication is non-verbal.

Components of Communication

• Source: The originator of the message.
• Message: The information conveyed.
• Channel: The medium used to transmit the message.
• Receiver: The recipient of the message.
• Feedback: The response from the receiver to the source.
• Environment: The physical and psychological setting of communication.
• Context: The setting, scene, and expectations of the communication interaction.
• Interference: Anything that distorts the intended meaning of the message.

Types of Media

• Print media uses printed materials to communicate information.
• Print media relies on paper and ink for news, ads, educational content, and entertainment.
• Examples include newspapers, books, posters, magazines, and pamphlets/brochures
• Print media ensures information reaches offline audiences.
• Print materials are tangible and easily distributed.
• Posters capture attention in public areas.
• Digital media content is created, distributed, and consumed through electronic devices and digital platforms.
• Digital media uses the internet, software, and electronic technologies to provide information, entertainment, and communication in real-time.
• Digital media is highly interactive and accessible, integrating text, images, audio, and video.
• Examples include websites, social media, streaming platforms, e-books, mobile apps, and online advertising.
• Digital media reaches a larger, tech-savvy audience through social media and websites.
• Targeted ads on platforms are more affordable than traditional campaigns.
• Digital media allows customer interaction through likes, reviews, and content sharing.
• Broadcast media uses transmission signals to distribute content to a wide audience.
• Broadcast media includes television, radio, and sometimes film, broadcasting information, entertainment, or advertisements.
• Broadcast media operates on platforms where the audience receives the same message simultaneously for mass communication.
• Examples include television, radio movies/films, public service announcement, and life events
• Television and radio quickly reach millions, even in remote areas.
• Live updates are delivered instantly about evolving situations.
• Outdoor media consists of advertising and communication tools in public spaces.
• Outdoor media targets a large audience.
• Outdoor media is typically non-digital and relies on physical formats to capture attention in busy locations, and is designed to leave a strong impression quickly.
• Examples include billboards, transit advertising, LED displays/digital billboards, posters, and street furniture ads.
• Outdoor media reaches travelers and commuters.
• Frequent passersby are repeatedly reminded of the campaign.
• Highway and transit ads directly target those likely to take trips.

Classification of Media Content

• Informational Content examples are news articles, documentaries, and podcasts.
• Educational Content examples are online courses, e-books, and tutorials
• Entertainment Content examples are movies, music, games, and memes.
• Advertising Content examples are commercials, sponsored posts, and banners

Media Convergence

• Media convergence is the merging of different media platforms and technologies to deliver content through a unified channel.
• Smartphones exemplify media convergence as they combine print (news apps), broadcasts (live streaming), and digital media (social media).
• Streaming services converge media by offering movies, TV shows, and documentaries on one platform.
• Social media platforms serve as tools for news, entertainment, and communication.
• The effectiveness of media depends on the purpose; digital media excels in interactive content, while print is suitable for detailed analysis.
• Media convergence allows access to news, entertainment, and communication from one device.
• Disadvantages of media convergence include overdependence on technology, misinformation, and privacy concerns.

Media and Information Sources

• Media and information sources are channels/platforms for obtaining, sharing, and consuming information, helping people gather knowledge, form opinions, and stay informed.
• Indigenous media comprises traditional communication forms used by local communities to share knowledge, culture, and values through oral traditions, folklores, rituals, or community gatherings.
• Examples include folk songs, storytelling sessions, village assemblies of town criers, and tribal art/symbols.
• Library resources are curated sources of trustworthy information, providing access to books, research papers, academic journals, and archival materials.
• Examples include physical books/encyclopedias and academic journals.
• Government sources share official information, documents, and data from government entities or agencies.
• Examples include government and census reports, policy documents, and public service announcements.
• Scholarly and academic sources are research-based materials created by experts/academics to contribute to specific fields of study.
• Examples include peer-reviewed journals, research theses/dissertations, and academic conference proceedings.
• Entertainment media delivers content for leisure and enjoyment with informational or educational elements.
• Examples include movies/TV shows, video games and Streaming services

Media Evolution

• Prehistoric Age: Communication occurred through cave paintings and oral traditions.
• Industrial Age: The printing press enabled mass production of books/newspapers.
• Electronic Age: Radio, television, and the telegraph revolutionized information dissemination.
• New Information Age: Enables instant communication and global connectivity with the internet, social media, and digital platforms.

Legal, Ethical, and Societal

• Legal actions are permitted or enforced by law.
• Ethical actions accord with moral principles governing behavior or decisions.
• Societal actions adhere to norms, values, and expectations within a community or society.

Copyright and Fair Use

• Copyright grants exclusive control over the use and distribution of original work.
• Copyright protection applies to literary, artistic, musical, and other intellectual properties, preventing unauthorized reproduction, modification, or distribution.
• Copyright Violation: Using work without permission or credit.
• Fair use: Using limited copyrighted material for education, commentary, or news reporting purposes.
• To avoid copyright issues, use royalty-free content or create original work.

Plagiarism and Academic Integrity

• Plagiarism is copying work without giving proper credit.
• Netiquette refers to the proper behavior online .
• Digital divide: Separates people with and without access modern technology and the internet.
• Digital addiction: Over dependence on digital devices and the internet, affecting daily life.
• Cyberbullying: Harassment, threats, or embarrassment of others using digital platforms.
• Virtual self: A digital identity which may be differ from real-life personality.

Explore media as a communication channel for news, entertainment, and education. Learn about media literacy, which encompasses the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create using various communication forms. Understand how audiences interpret media messages based on their experiences.