Media Literacy in the 21st Century

Over the course of the past year, students have witnessed one of the most significant global pandemics in history. COVID-19 has led to inevitable school closures and social distancing measures, as well as less foreseeable outcomes, including economic and social turmoil. 2020 was a year of political riots, grassroots movements, record-breaking losses on the stock market, and general weariness of what the future will hold. The media’s impact on the events of 2020 is undeniable — while it may not have created the coronavirus, it was instrumental in spreading information about it, along with fear, anxiety, and a fair bit of false information. What we’ve experienced is not just a pandemic, but what has come to be known as an infodemic: a surplus of information that has provided the public with more content than they can process.

Defining “Media Literacy”

Media Literacy involves the ability to interpret various forms of media, and understand the message communicated by each media form. The fundamentals of media literacy involve comprehending information presented in different forms of graphic texts ( flow charts, infographics, statistical displays, etc.) Media literate readers must also be able to identify the characteristic features of particular media sources, including headlines, cross-references, publication dates, and citations.

Once readers have mastered the fundamentals, the next level of media literacy involves metacognition: readers must also think critically about information and its purpose. This critical analysis involves asking a number of questions, including:

• Who is the source of this information?
• What is the intention of sharing this information?
• Where has the source gathered their information?
• Is this secondary source trustworthy?
• What bias might this source hold?
• What is the context in which this information was published?
• Who is the intended audience of this information?

Only when readers instinctively consider these questions — and successfully answer them — can they begin to read media with fluency.

“Fake News” and the Illusion of Truth

With the expansion of the media comes the erosion of media — long are the days when journalism was carefully curated, cross-referenced, and scrutinized. The majority of us have fallen for fake news, with polls reporting percentages of respondents who have mistakenly believed falsified claims to be as high as 90%. Given that this number reports on respondents who have knowingly fallen for misinformation, we could safely bet that at some point everyone has mistaken fiction for truth.

One culprit for this is circular referencing: multiple accounts of a single false fact can lead to the illusion of truth. There are several examples of false claims that have been upheld by external references, including the “shocking” discovery of human meat at McDonald’s, or claims that Donald Trump murdered a woman named Carolyn Gombell. Under close examination, many of these external references have been discredited; however, to an untrained eye, the inclusion of external sources appear to be indications of credibility in and of themselves.

Another culprit is media bias. There is more than one side to every story, and the truth can be presented in several different ways. Media bias can prevent audiences from drawing their own conclusions about the stated facts, and can simultaneously leave out important information.

All of these factors can lead our students to mistrust the media. Fortunately, strengthening our students’ skills in media literacy can empower them to identify misinformation and to navigate the media with a healthy balance of skepticism and logic.

Mastering Media Literacy

Many of the skills we acquire in life are taught to us in one way or another — media literacy is no different. We tend to take the skill of media literacy for granted, and often overlook the fact that some populations are not as apt in deciphering between truth and fiction. Research indicates that children are not the only population that have lower levels of media literacy — in the United States, adults “who are not [media] literate are, on average, less educated, older, and more likely to be Black, Hispanic, or foreign-born” (National Center for Education Statistics). This gap suggests the fact that media literacy is not inherent, but rather relies on socio-economic factors, as well as access to resources like technology and education. With this information in mind, it is important to advocate for the prioritizing of media literacy within the curriculum. With the propagation of mass media also comes the need to master media literacy, and engrain an additional sense of digital citizenship and responsibility.

Resources for Teaching Media Literacy

There are so many opportunities to build a media literacy program within your current framework. Here are some great resources to support media literacy in your classroom:

• TED-Ed Lessons: TED-Ed offers a collection of videos and articles that cater to students of all ages. Some of my favorite lessons include “How False News Can Spread,” “The Key to Media’s Hidden Codes,” and “Factchecking 101.”
• Common Sense Media: This non-profit organization hosts a wealth of knowledge catered to parents and advocates. Their website offers suggestions for the best books, apps, streaming services, and other media sources for kids. They also provide research, professional development, and educational resources for teachers.
• CrashCourse: In understanding the complexity of media literacy, CrashCourse has created a whole series of educational YouTube videos on this topic. This series explores important subtopics of media literacy, including Media Ownership and Online Advertisement.

Read more about media literacy in the classroom here [article retrieved from the Mondays Made Easy blog].