Introduction to Media Literacy

In 2010, a television station in Los Angeles aired an “exclusive” three-part series called “The View from the Driver’s Seat” during the evening news. The series focused on the “dramatic turnaround” of the Ford Motor Company, praising the automobile manufacturer for its perseverance and innovation in the face of a failing economy. At the end of the series, a disclaimer appeared on-screen. It said that Ford had paid a sponsorship fee to the station in connection with the series.

This story shows how the line between news and promotion can be blurred. Consider a viewer who missed the disclaimer at the end of the series. Would seeing the disclaimer change the viewer’s opinion of the series? Did the television station deceive its audience? Was the series legitimate news or self-promotion? Was the series unethical? These are the types of questions you need to consider as consumers of today’s media.

After all, media rely on advertising to stay in business. And advertisers are constantly innovating new ways to reach target audiences through news and entertainment media. Passive media consumers are vulnerable in this media-saturated environment, especially when an advertisement or a biased message is packaged cleverly, say as an “exclusive” report on the evening news. And when you contemplate the numerous new forms of media joining the marketplace, it is clear that developing media literacy skills has never been more important.

Media Literacy Defined

Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create communication in various media formats. Media-literate consumers have the following skills: