Why bother with media literacy?

I’ll admit, when I signed up for this class, I really didn’t know what media literacy was. I had a few ideas (understanding when advertisers use media to sell you something, understanding point of view/bias in news and other organizations, etc.), but I really didn’t know that it encompassed as much as it did. It is definitely more than just technology and tools – it is understanding those tools and the role they play in today’s society. It is the ability to “read” and think critically about print, films, photographs, paintings, YouTube videos, and more.

This all leads to my question – why bother with media literacy? Why should I, someone who isn’t planning to be a school library media specialist but rather a children’s librarian, worry about whether or not the kids I see are media literate? I’d like to try to answer that question, especially since we talked a bit about it in class this week. Also, I think it would be a good exercise to help me justify putting together some sort of series of programs designed to teach kids about media literacy. Any thoughts or additions you have would be greatly appreciated.

On page 196, Tyner introduces the concept of “a democratic education that improves the life chances of all children” through critical literacy, experiential education, and critical pedagogy. This really caught my attention – even though I think that all students have a right to have access to the same education, I had never thought of “democratic education” as a specific thing. It’s more than just public school; it’s access to equal opportunities for learning, and it doesn’t have to be in school. It can be in the public library, it can be at home, and it can be in an after school program.

As someone who grew up with well-educated parents in a very poor community (60% free and reduced lunch – my mom is a teacher and considered rich in the town), I have seen the disparity between the “haves” and the “have-nots” firsthand as far as the preparation and opportunities many children have been given at home. However, I have also seen the results of what I would consider democratic education based on Tyner’s definition in a school system that somehow manages to attract good teachers despite relatively low pay compared to some of the wealthier towns nearby supported by tourist dollars and ski resorts.

I introduce all of this to explain why it is important that public institutions, whether schools, libraries, community centers, or after school programs, provide media literacy instruction. It is not something that kids naturally just “know,” nor is it something that all children experience at home; we must level the playing field as best we can without simply letting those already familiar with the medium continue to dominate in the classroom (see Jenkins p. 13 for a brief discussion of this issue – the students who have access to technology at home seem “naturally” superior to those who don’t, but it’s really just because they have the access and are more comfortable).

I want to talk further about some of the things that Jenkins said. In particular, on pages 3-4, he states: “Educators must work together to ensure that every American young person has access to the skills and experiences needed to become a full participant, can articulate their understanding of how media shapes perceptions, and has been socialized into the emerging ethical standards that should shape their practices as media makers and participants in online communities.” Instead of a discussion about access to technology and tools, he wants to focus attention on opportunities to fully engage with the technology. Beyond having the technology, schools, parents, and after school programs need to teach kids to think critically about it. Like Jenkins, I think it’s important to differentiate media literacy from simply acquiring the tools. While we need tools and it is difficult to teach about some aspects of media literacy without them, if we focus simply on tools, our purpose may be lost.

So anyway, what can media literacy do for our students?

It teaches the understanding of all types of “text,” from video to print, which we all encounter every day. The internet is currently heavily text-based, but videos and images play an important role, and their prominence will continue to rise. There are charts and graphs to read in magazines, newspaper, and journal articles, there are video billboards, there are photographs and paintings, and there is traditional text. To be literate in today’s society means understanding how to read all of these texts, not just books and other traditional print media.

Teaching media literacy rather than how to use this tool or that tool is also the same idea as teaching someone to fish rather than giving him/her a fish. This is the concept behind the liberal arts computer science major, where you learn the concepts behind programming and learn to solve problems rather than focusing solely on programming in one language or format (obviously you do have to use one programming language when doing your actual programming, but professors usually try to teach broader concepts rather than simply how to program in this language). Teaching someone how to make a video and put it on YouTube is not media literacy – teaching someone to create a digital story and think critically about the process from start to finish is teaching media literacy. (For more about the educational possibilities and benefits of digital storytelling, see the project website my group – including Nell from this class – made for LIS 506 last fall.)

I’m sure there are more reasons, and maybe I need to be more specific, particularly with the paragraph about understanding all types of text, but this post is really long now, so I’ll conclude:

So why bother with media literacy education? In short, because everyone needs to be media literate to participate in society. If we, as librarians and teachers do not teach media literacy skills, not all children will have the same opportunities to become media literate. The ALA Code of Ethics states that we have an “obligation to ensure the free flow of information and ideas to present and future generations.” If we provide access to that information, we also have to teach people how to use and understand that information. We all need media literacy skills.