What Is Media Literacy?

What Is Media Literacy?

Media literacy “empowers people to be critical thinkers and makers, effective communicators and active citizens [or community members]”. ¹ Media literacy is the ability to reflect on, access, analyze, create, and take action using a variety of media content. Media literacy skills help people evaluate content they encounter and make decisions on who/what they trust and why, and can ensure they avoid falling prey to false information, both that is shared intentionally and unintentionally. This critical reflection can help people make effective decisions and participate in the democratic process, free from manipulation.

Media literacy skills help people assess different situations and understand the complexity of the world. They also help protect people from hate and manipulation. This understanding can stop people seeking out simple solutions and can facilitate problem-solving. A media-literate population can shape the world for the better.

Media literacy can involve the following types of skills: ²

1. Reflecting on content: Considering the impact that media content has on your own life and our society. Determining what ethical principles you want to guide how you consume, create, and share media content.
2. Accessing content: Finding and filtering content that meets your purposes.
3. Analyzing content: Determining the benefits or drawbacks of content by considering who or what created it, why they created it, what type of information it contains, and whether it is seeking to misinform or manipulate you.
4. Creating content: Responsibly generating content to express yourself or share information (e.g., by commenting, posting, remixing, or producing media content).
5. Taking action: Sharing information and using media to collaborate with others in order to raise awareness, solve problems in your communities, or participate in democracy.

Reflect:

• What are the benefits of media literacy?
• What are some examples of how you already use these media literacy skills in your own life?

Teach a Facing History lesson featuring this resource.

• 1“Media Literacy Defined,” Namle.
• 2These skills are adapted from Media Literacy in Action by Renee Hobbs