Bullying in schools has been a problem for many years, and the media especially has seized upon these stories, to share with their viewers, the heartache and loss that bullying has led to. Typically, audiences who watch television newscasts, have simply been consumers of the bullying problem, by witnessing the professional media show images of children becoming violent in schools, or of hearing stories about how young kids have been taking their own lives.

KSDK, the St. Louis, Missouri NBC affiliate, recently decided to take a different approach to bullying. Besides producing their own video stories of character education in schools, and showing personal stories of students who have been bullied, KSDK decided to ask local teenagers to produce and create their own anti-bullying videos, and submit them to their station website, through their “Bullying: Enough is Enough” campaign.

I am a high school broadcast and film instructor, a digital media advocate, and a proud member of the Gateway Media Literacy Partners (GMLP), which empowers citizens to think critically about media messages. Therefore, I have been especially struck in a couple of ways by this KSDK initiative.

First, I am a firm believer that media literacy, and in particular digital media literacy, is as important as writing or reading literacy, to the education of our children. According to the Pew Research Center, “As of May 2011, 71% of online adults reported watching videos on a video-sharing site such as YouTube or Vimeo.” So if almost three-quarters of adults are watching videos online, how many teenagers are actually watching online? Recent studies show that, “87% of U.S. teens aged 12-17 now use the Internet” (MacArthur Foundation). And as educators, if we aren’t teaching our students to critically analyze the media material they are watching, or helping them learn ways to deconstruct the media messages they watch in a productive manner, how will they learn?

My second thought stems from the belief by many that all media is sensationalized, and that the public doesn’t have a voice in the news they watch. Wrong. We are living in a digital age, where the public is not only consumers, but also creators of messages, who have a loud voice. Simply surf over to YouTube to view the millions of hits home videos are garnering, and understand that “…. the latest statistics from YouTube are that 48 hours of content are uploaded every minute to the site and the range of contributions is striking….” (Pew Research).

I applaud KSDK for taking a different approach to news, by recognizing that teenagers have a voice, a big voice. Maybe it will take this collective, passionate effort by kids helping kids to help get rid of bullying at school or online. How great would it be for a teen to positively impact another young person’s life. Thank you KSDK, for taking part in a terrific media literacy lesson for us all.

By Art Silverblatt

Increasingly, students across the U.S. are developing a passionate interest in the field of media literacy. But although these students clearly understand the value of this area of study, they are faced with a practical consideration—namely, what careers are available for those who study media literacy.

Generally speaking, this discipline prepares individuals for any profession requiring critical thinking, research, and writing skills. But more specifically, media literacy students may pursue careers in the following fields:

Education

In the U.S., media literacy is included in the educational standards–what students are expected to know by graduation–in all fifty states. However, relatively few elementary or secondary schools actually teach media literacy, for a variety of reasons:

• With requirements like “No Child Left Behind,” teachers feel overwhelmed.
• Media literacy content does not appear on the state standardized tests—and, consequently, isn’t taught.
• Teachers are not prepared to teach the material.

However, in this era of educational accountability, it is reasonable to expect that media literacy will become part of the curriculum of elementary and secondary schools in the foreseeable future. As a result, there will be a growing demand for teachers who have a background in media literacy.

Faculty positions at the college level should be opening up as well. Currently, over 180 schools of higher education (community colleges, colleges and universities) throughout the U.S. offer coursework or programs in media literacy.

Most media literacy courses can be found in departments of communication. However, as more elementary and secondary school districts begin to implement their media literacy requirements, require media, there also will be an increasing demand for faculty members in departments of education to teach the teachers. Further, schools such as Morehead State University and Wesley College have added media literacy courses to their general education requirements for all of its students. If this trend catches on, the additional number of course offerings will increase the demand for instructors in this field.

Numerous organizations promote media literacy education in the United States, including:

• The Center for Media Education
• The National Alliance for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE)
• Media Education Foundation
• American Society of Educators (ASE)
• The National PTA – Children First & Media Programming
• Media Workshop New York
• Michigan Association for Media in Education
• National Association for the Education of Young Children
• Project LOOK SHARP

In addition, enterprising media literacy graduates may work as educational consultants. Career opportunities include:

• Introducing media literacy to groups that are not reached through the conventional school system. Speaking to parents’ groups such as Parent/Teacher Organizations (PTOs) about the value of media literacy education has the added benefit of enlisting support for the implementation of the mandate for media literacy education in the schools. Administrators may not be attentive to the recommendations of teachers, but they are extremely responsive to parental concerns.
• Conducting professional development workshops for teachers. School districts routinely offer professional development programs to enhance their teachers’ instructional skills. Since most current teachers haven’t been exposed to media literacy curricula, professional development sessions provide an opportunity to introduce teachers to the principles of media literacy and assist them in developing classroom lessons.
• Developing classroom materials for teachers. Media coverage of news events, new films, advertising campaigns, and Internet developments provide innumerable “teachable moments” that illustrate and extend the principles of media literacy. However, teachers frequently lack the time to develop these relevant and timely lesson plans and curricula. These teaching materials could be distributed over the Internet on a subscription basis.
• Preparing parents to help their children contend with media-related issues, such as messages in video games and violence in the media. To illustrate, Parents as Teachers is an organization designed to equip parents to work with preschool children, so that they can become sensitive to the impact of the media, as well as learn some of the basic approaches to media literacy analysis. Significantly, even young children can become aware of the influence of production values such as music in a media presentation. And in the process, both young children and their parents become more critical consumers of media.

Business

In 2009, the average American consumed approximately 34 gigabytes of data and information each day — an increase of about 350 percent over nearly three decades At the same time, however, the amount of time that individuals spent reading actually declined.1 Consequently, many companies now place a value on employees who have the ability to interpret and construct messages, using the different “languages” of media, such as film & television, audio, and the Internet.

Elizabeth Daley, Dean of the School of Cinema-Television at the University of Southern California explains, “The greatest digital divide is between those who can read and write with media, and those who can’t. Our core knowledge needs to belong to everybody.”2 To illustrate, 60 academic courses at U.S.C. now require students to create term papers and projects that use video, sound and Internet components

In addition, premier business schools such as Harvard, Stanford, and The Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto have redesigned their curriculum to emphasize critical thinking—the foundation of media literacy. Garth Saloner, Dean of Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, declares, “If I’m going to really launch you on a career or path where you can make a big impact in the world, you have to be able to think critically and analytically about the big problems in the world.”3

Steve McConnell, a managing partner of NBBJ, an architecture firm based in Seattle, has noticed a distinctly different approach in the Rotman students he has hired. “They seemed to be naturally free of the bias or predisposition that so many of us seem to carry into any situation. And they brought a set of skills in how you query and look into an issue without moving toward biased or predetermined conclusions that has led to unexpected discoveries of opportunity and potential innovation.”4

Recognizing this connection, Business and Management majors at Webster University can supplement their program of study with an 18-hour Certificate in Media Literacy.

Graduate Study

The discipline of media literacy is an excellent preparation for graduate study in a variety of disciplines. First, an undergraduate degree provides a solid foundation for continued study in media literacy and media studies (e.g., journalism, media studies, film studies production programs in video, film, and interactive media). In addition, coursework in media literacy is also valuable for students interested in graduate programs requiring research and critical thinking skills, such as public policy or law school.

Research

Media literacy students have become proficient at conducting research. A number of research centers affiliated with universities provide ongoing analysis of the media industry and media content, including:

* The Black Film Center Archives at Indiana University

* Media Hyperlinks: Northwestern University

* Media Lab at MIT.

* Television and Violence- Kansas State

* Yale University Family TV Research and Consultation Center

In addition, privately funded organizations examine media coverage, including:

* The Center on Blacks and the Media (CBM)

* Center for Research on the Effects of Television

* The Center for Research on the Influences of Television on Children

* Mediascope.

* Media Study

* Media Watch

* The On Television Project

* Television Information Office

* UNESCO International Clearinghouse on Children and Violence on the Screen

In addition, media literacy students can apply these research methodologies in a variety of other fields requiring qualitative and quantitative research skills, such as marketing and advertising.

Writing

A number of publications, both print and on the Internet, focus on media analysis, including:

• FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Media)
• Media Reality Check
• American Journalism Review
• Project for Excellence in Journalism
• Media Literacy for Prevention, Critical Thinking, Self Esteem
• The on-line project—University of Oregon

Surprisingly, media literacy analysis also appears throughout the popular press. To illustrate, many newspapers and magazines include media critics on their staff. Many of these critics have a narrow conception of their role, providing superficial reviews of films and television programs. However, others have broadened their discussions to examine cultural trends, as reflected through media programming. In addition, feature stories and entertainment journalism can also reflect cultural attitudes, values, behaviors, preoccupations and myths.

Media Literacy Organizations

The mission of media literacy organizations is to promote the field of media literacy, as well as collecting and disseminating media literacy information. They also sponsor programs and conferences throughout the country. Examples of media literacy organizations include:

• Center for Media Literacy
• Center for Media Education
• About Face
• The National Alliance for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE)
• National Telemedia Council
• Gateway Media Literacy Partners (GMLP)

Other organizations promote goals associated with media literacy. These organizations include:

• Children Now
• Action for Children’s Television
• Children’s Advertising Review Unit
• National Alliance for Non-Violent Programming

In addition, organizations formed by the newspaper, film, and television industries have instituted programs that promote critical understanding of the media. These programs are a very powerful and effective voice for media literacy outreach, lending valuable expertise and legitimacy to media literacy. Professional media organizations include:

• The Newspaper Association of America Foundation
• Creating Critical Viewers (National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences)
• Show Coalition
• The Taos Film Festival

Media Activism

Media reform activities are designed to democratize our communications environment. Organizations have been formed that analyze the political and economic impact of the media industry and identify strategies to implement change. In some cases, public policy organizations work in partnership with educational institutions, community organizations, and media literacy associations to promote changes in media policy. Organizations involved in media literacy activities include:

• Center for Media and Public Affairs (CMPA).
• The Consumer Federation of America,
• The Center for Digital Democracy
• The Media Access Project.
• The Annenberg Public Policy Center University of Pennsylvania.
• Center for Commercial-Free Public Television
• Center for Democracy and Technology.
• Center for Living Democracy (CLD)

Media activism also includes activities such as lobbying state and federal educational agencies. Identifying funding agencies willing to lend its support is an ongoing challenge facing these groups. But successful programs can make a significant contribution to the culture.

Community Media Activities

Religious organizations, public access groups, and privately funded organizations have established media literacy programs in their communities. These outreach efforts reach audiences typically not reached by academic institutions. Examples include:

• Community Media Workshop
• The Southern New Mexico Media Literacy Coalition (SNMMLC)
• Media Literacy Working Group
• Media Network
• Northwest Media Literacy Institute (NMLI)
• Alliance for Community Media
• Media Aware
• Media Center for Children (MCC)
• Davis Community Television
• Plugged In
• Public TV Outreach Alliance
• American Center for Children’s Television.
• Children’s Music Network (CMN).
• New Mexico Media Literacy Project
• Taos County Media Literacy Network
• National Foundation to Improve Television (NFIT)

Media Production

The study of media literacy in combination with production areas, preparing students for careers in broadcast and print journalism, advertising, radio, television, film, and interactive media. Applying the principles of media literacy helps media professionals produce responsible and informative programming. For instance, news and documentary programs such as Frontline and On the Media heighten awareness of the impact of the media on our culture.

In addition, independent video producers promote media literacy by producing programming that focuses on media literacy issues. Production companies include:

• The Association for Independent Video and Filmmakers
• The Foundation for Independent Video and Film
• Boston Film and Video Foundation
• The Northwest Film Center.

Another avenue for media production consists of media arts programs, which provide insight into the construction of meaning by combining production with critical analysis. Examples of media arts programs include:

• The National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture
• Southwest Alternate Media Project (SWAMP)
• Minnesota Center for Arts Education
• MediaRites
• Media Working Group Inc,
• 911 Media Arts Center
• L.A. Freeway.

Other media production opportunities involve developing media literacy curriculum materials for classroom use. Examples of production companies that specialize in media literacy classroom materials include: Educational Video Center, Listen Up Network, and Intl Telcom Services Inc.

Conclusion

This article is an effort to identify trends that can help media literacy students look for professional applications for their interests and skills. The organizations identified in the article are merely intended to serve as examples and by no means represent a comprehensive list.

It should also be made clear that I am not posting jobs, nor am I suggesting that the organizations that I cited have current job openings. The article should serve as a springboard for students to conduct further investigation into careers in media literacy.

It is quite possible that this article presents an overly-optimistic scenario with respect to one career path or has overlooked another area entirely. I welcome feedback from media literacy professionals and job seekers, so that I can update the article to make it as accurate as possible.

Art Silverblatt, Ph.D

Professor, Department of Communication and Journalism

Webster University

St. Louis,, Mo.

Silveram@webster.edu

1 Nick Bilton, “Part of the Daily American Diet, 34 Gigabytes of Data,” New York Times, December 9, 2009

2 Elizabeth Van Ness, “Is a Cinema Studies Degree the New M.B.A.?” New York Times, March 6, 2005

3 Lane Wallace, “Multicultural Critical Theory. At B-School?” New York Times January

4 Lane Wallace, “Multicultural Critical Theory. At B-School?” New York Times January 10, 2010

http://www.dundee.com/events/hackerspace-myth-making.html

http://www.place.uk.net/place_events/2012/03/176

What is it about advertising? We either love it, ignore it, or we can’t stand it.  And to top it all off, many young people believe that, despite the constant bombardment by marketing messages, they are impervious to it.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about advertising.  (Yes,… Read full article     http://usatodayeducation.com/teacherslounge/index.php/2012/03/advertising-literacy-another-important-media-literacy-lesson/

by Frank W. Baker, Media Literacy Clearinghouse

I wouldn’t be surprised if voters in the early primary and caucus states have thrown their televisions out the window– after being bombarded by political campaign commercials on TV, not all of them produced by the candidates. A recent analysis of the tone of the ads finds them to be not only more frequent, but also decidedly more vicious.

News reports, quoting political insiders, claim the Super PAC spots have definitely influenced voters. You might recall that it was a 2010 Supreme Court ruling that literally opened the doors to all of this seemingly unlimited spending. Two SCOTUS judges recently suggested that this ruling will be reconsidered. All of this has not gone unnoticed in DC, where some US senators say the campaign finance system is broken and needs fixing.

As a media educator, I see these slickly-produced spots perfect material for teaching media literacy, propaganda and production techniques—whether that’s in an English, Social Studies, or Arts classroom. (In fact, The Center for Civic Education specifically recommends: “Students should be able to evaluate, take, and defend positions on the influence of the media on American political life”).  Teaching students how to see through the spin and understand the techniques used in these commercials is one of the most important media literacy skills today.

A great question for your students to consider is: “who benefits when campaigns bombard us with advertising?” They might overlook that one of the major beneficiaries is the broadcasters themselves. Your students might also need to know that political campaign advertising is considered “free speech,” and as such they cannot be censored and broadcasters cannot refuse to air them.

Years ago, I was pleased to have found The Spot (Diamond/Bates)—the quintessential text for understanding the history and development of the 30-second campaign ads. (Two other highly recommended books are Tony Schwartz’s The Responsive Chord and Joe McGuiness’ The Selling of The President.) I built workshops and created a web site around using these ads with teachers and students.

Later, entire television programs were broadcast in order to help the electorate see through the production techniques: The Living Room Campaign (A&E) and Sell & Spin: A History of Advertising (The History Channel) come to mind. Web sites like The 30 Second Candidate; The Living Room Candidate and EASE History are some of the “go to” sites for studying previous campaign ads.

As part of my media/politics web site, I developed the Political Ad Analysis Worksheet: a one-page handout for analyzing and deconstructing the 30-second campaign ad.  Most students have not been taught how to critically view (question/deconstruct) commercials, so this handout provides some of the guidance they will need.  It asks students to consider symbolism, color and music, just to name a few.

In 2008, I attended one of the nationally televised GOP presidential candidate debates in Myrtle Beach—taking my camera along so I could document the media covering the action. You can see the results of my work in a book I wrote for students: Political Campaigns and Political Advertising: A Media Literacy Guide. In it, I explore how the media work during presidential campaigns. I focus on photography’s role during Lincoln’s time; the rise of radio during FDR’s tenure; televisions’ historic coverage of debates and conventions; and of course the advertising.

Today, web sites like Factcheck.org, Politifact.com, Truthsquad
and columns such as the AP’s Adwatch, are helping news consumers understand the techniques used in these fast-paced campaign messages. Recently, Flackcheck.org premiered using “parody and humor to debunk false political advertising, poke fun at extreme language, and hold the media accountable for their reporting on political campaigns.”

Today, teachers now have more tools than ever to help their students be more visually and media literate: both important and relevant 21^st century skills.

Frank W. Baker is the author of three books; his most recent “Media Literacy In The K-12 Classroom” (ISTE, 2012). He maintains the nationally recognized Media Literacy Clearinghouse website and he conducts media literacy workshops at schools and districts across the US.  He is a consultant to the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).  He can be reached at: fbaker1346@aol.com

It is slowly becoming apparent to educators around the world, that the 21st Century learning model must be different that the 20th century. I certainly believe this to be true. And in the past seven years, I have worked hard to help my students become media literate, which I believe parallels the necessary skills of a 21st Century learner.

Read article in full at http://ladue-frontenac.patch.com/blog_posts/media-literacy-a-necessary-21st-century-skill

Dear Media Literacy Proponents and Enthusiasts,

GMLP’s  2011 Media Literacy Week has come to a close.    Again, we’re  both exhausted and elated.   Our celebration of Marshall McLuhan’s centennial birth date was full and memorable.  Our partners performed in exemplary fashion.  The conversations were lively and thought-provoking, especially given our media climate, today.

You may recall last year’s debut of our special Guest Contributors section, during our Fourth Media Literacy Week:  “Media Literacy: Truth or Consequences.”  At that time, numerous citizens underscored the importance of media literacy.  Of  particular note was  GMLP Member Paul Guzzardo’s thoughtful and powerful call to action.  Guzzardo, designer,  digital artist, attorney AND… longtime McLuhan “student”/devotee,  gave us  a serious “heads-up”   re:  upcoming worldwide celebrations of Marshall McLuhan’s centennial birth date.    He underscored the importance of St. Louis, specifically,  paying tribute to the  McLuhan heritage, and urged us to recognize and honor the rich media history for which McLuhan and St. Louis University scholar Father Walter J. Ong, S.J.  are responsible.  As is said by many scholars today, that history–McLuhan’s and Ong’s scholarship at St. Louis University—is an inextricable part of our world’s  rich media history.   And, today, McLuhan/Ong theory and scholarship have prompted new discussions and theories, given their  great bodies of work are now more easily accessible; certainly these works may be even more meaningful, useful and viable, now, given our rapidly-changing media landscape.

Two years ago, someone intimately connected to Marshall McLuhan—McLuhan’s son, Eric—was here at St. Louis University when the institution,  appropriately, hosted the Media Ecology Association’s Tenth Convention.  At that time, simply and directly, he  reminded the international audience:   “It all started here.”    (Check out my 2009 story on that meeting and on Eric McLuhan, specifically. )  He  delighted us with a look back and forward regarding his Dad’s work, creating  greater anticipation—whether he intended to or not—for the myriad celebrations  we’d probably see, in  his Dad’s memory, back home in Canada,  and around the world.

So, it was befitting that Gateway Media Literacy Partners,  a St. Louis-based organization focused on media literacy and media literacy education, take to heart these calls to action, preserving that spirit of space, as McLuhan, himself, might have said,  and provide the commemoration of  our unique St. Louis media history– from the opening session at St. Louis University,  where scholar Jerry Harp acknowledged McLuhan’s history with the revered Father Walter J. Ong, S.J, to the closing  academic symposium, where John Knoll, head of St. Louis’  Interfaith Partnership and someone who actually knew  Marshall McLuhan, acted as moderator for the event.  Everyone participating in our week themed “Media Literacy is the Message: The Legacy of Marshall McLuhan, considered McLuhan, yesterday, today and tomorrow!  And, actually, reading up on McLuhan, again, I found he actually popularized weekly seminars, back in the fifties, to discuss  his theories and media, as it was unfolding.

Our THANKS go to a larger and ever hard-working committee,  headed by Art Silverblatt of Webster University and Eric Meyer of St. Louis Community College-Meramec, and to all the enthusiastic GMLP members,  new partners and contributing columnists,  in Missouri and Illinois, who gladly accepted their assignments.

In closing, our Fifth Media Literacy Week is certainly  a milestone for our organization, and you’ll enjoy more related stories and pictures in the coming weeks.   But isn’t it a delicious coincidence that our fifth such week  would coincide with McLuhan’s centennial?  All these re-considerations of McLuhan’s myriad theories that have been brought back to the table by a community where it all got started…. well, THAT  is SWEET indeed!

Thank you, ALL!

Jessica Z. Brown

President and Founder

Gateway Media Literacy Partners, Inc.