Media Literacy in an Interactive Age

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Media Literacy in an Interactive Age

Art Silverblatt

Overview

Literacy -- defined as the ability to read and write --is a traditional and fundamental part of school

curricula to prepare students to make sense of theirworlds. Media literacy builds on that definition of

literacy and its place in the curriculum byrecognizing the ways in which media shape

students' understanding of their environment. Over

the past 5 years, interactive media have emerged asan important area of study in the discipline of media

literacy. This article suggests some ways in which

media literacy can help students gain perspective onthe impact of interactive media, and particularly the

Internet, on individuals and culture, and providesstrategies for deciphering content conveyed through

this powerful medium.

Related Postingsfrom the Archives

Students

DeconstructingAdvertising byRob Williams

Exploring

Literacy on theInternet(columnsreprinted fromThe ReadingTeacher)

Technology(columnsreprinted fromtheJournal of

Adolescent &Adult Literacy)

In 1995, the first edition of my Media Literacy: Keys to Interpreting Media Messages was

published. It included a definition of media literacy that encompassed the study of print,photography, film, radio, and television. Since 1995, the emergence of the Internet has

transformed our media landscape. Extending the definition of media literacy to include theWorld Wide Web and online communication venues (e-mail, chat rooms, and the like) can

furnish valuable perspectives and make the content conveyed over the Internet moreaccessible and understandable. Below I identify some key principles from the discipline of

media literacy and discuss their applications to the Internet.

Principle 1: Media literacy empowers individuals to make independent judgments about

media consumption.

A primary goal of media literacy is to address the indiscriminate use of the media.

Individuals who study media literacy learn to develop a critical distance from what theyreceive through the media, so that they can make independent choices about what to

watch, read, or listen to. Rather than tuning to a specific program, audiences all too oftensimply watch the medium (I'm gonna watch TV). In order to become media literate,

individuals must assume responsibility for the programming they consume.

Individuals can also learn to make independent judgments about the information they

receive and communicate on the Internet. Before a user logs on, it is important that she orhe recognizes the function of the interactive media activity. Initiating communication may

serve a variety of functions, including commerce, information, expression, persuasion,entertainment, establishing or maintaining community, exploration, or surfing. If an

individual decides to surf for the next 2 hours -- fine. However, going online without a

defined function -- and time frame -- can lead to a situation in which the user is up all night
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and suffers the consequences the next day. Consequently, defining function can preventindividuals from turning to interactive media out of boredom or habit and can help them use

their time more productively.

Furthermore, Internet users are increasingly targets of unsolicited communications thatfulfill functions not immediately apparent to their receivers. Questions to ask in the analysis

of an unsolicited message received on the Internet include

What is the purpose behind this messages? What is the manifest function behind this communication? Are there any latent functions behind it? Does the sender of this unsolicted message want individuals to act in a particular

way as a result of receiving this information?In addition, Web sites often fulfill latent functions. For instance, while the ostensible purposeof many children's sites is to provide entertainment or information, they frequently collect

personal information from site visitors, which is then used for commercial purposes.

Consequently, questions to pose in the analysis of a Web site include

What is the purpose of the site? Is there a latent function? Does the site make an individual take action that he or she may not normally have

taken?

If the site asks an individual to provide personal information, is it clear who will use

it and how?Principle 2: Media literacy focuses attention on the elements involved in the media

communication process.

Like no other mass medium, interactive online communications approach the dynamics of

interpersonal communications. In interactive media, communication is two way; we both

impart and retrieve information. Consequently, as with interpersonal communications, wemove from media communicator (the person initiating the dialogue) to audience (the

recipient of information, both solicited and unsolicited).

Successful media communicators

Understand the communication process Recognize the purpose of the communication Are self-aware Understand the message and know what they want to say

Understand the characteristics of the channel used to communicate Can identify their audience Use feedback to ensure that the audience comprehends the message

The distinctive features of this new form of interactive, online, mass communication add to

the complexity of the communication process. Because many of its messages are unsolicitedand anonymous, identifying the media communicator has become an enormous challenge.

At present, it is nearly impossible to determine the identity of a person who initiatescommunication on the Internet. Even if a name (or nickname) is provided, it is difficult to


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verify whether the individual is telling the truth about his or her identity. Related concernsinvolve determining the credentials of the author and the orientation of a Web site (i.e., who

sponsors it, the sponsor's agenda, and the site's mission).

In addition, interactive online communicators can now identify their audiences at anunprecedented level -- including information on backgrounds, finances, lifestyles, and

buying habits -- and tailor the message to them. For instance, a Web site for a retailbusiness that has access to financial information about a certain user could only show thatuser items he or she could afford. A quick and automated credit check as the user enters

the site is all that would be required.

Interactive online communicators can also adapt their communications strategies by

identifying ways to attract the intended audience to the Web site. For instance, personalizede-mail messages and banner ads can be gauged to lure potential audience members to the

site. The Internet communicator can also individualize the style of presentation to engagethe audience once the Web site has been accessed. By using production elements such as

color, graphics, music, and links, the interactive media communicator can create a look andfeel that reflects the audience member's tastes and interests. For instance, a Web site

might present a conservative appearance for one visitor and a trendy look for another.

Finally, the Internet communicator can adapt the content to suit the individual audience

member, based on information about that individual that the communicator collects. For

example, a fifth grader writing a report on the house fly would not need the comprehensiveinformation required by a doctoral student. The Internet communicator can also provide

different components of the topic to satisfy the interests and expectations of the audiencemember.

Consequently, a useful way to identify the intended audience is to examine the

communications strategy, style, and content of the interactive media presentation. In thecase of a message that has been tailored to an individual, examining the presentation can

provide perspective into what the interactive media communicator knows (or thinks sheknows) about that particular member of the audience.

Principle 3: Media literacy fosters an awareness of the impact of the media on the individualand society.

Interactive technology is having a profound influence on the ways we spend our time,process information, and think about our world. On many levels, interactive technology adds

to the quality of our lives (at the same time, however, privacy and computer sabotage have

emerged as serious concerns). Indeed, the interactive environment is redefining our veryconception of being human. Already, silicon chips have been successfully implanted in

human brains to alleviate symptoms of Parkinson's disease. And futurist Ray Kurtzweil

predicts that within 30 years, direct links will be established between neurons in the human

brain and computer circuitry. Reporter Rob Fixmer (1999) comments on Kurtzweil'spredications,

The implications are mind-boggling. Such links would mean that the entire contents of a

brain could be...copied (and preserved) in an external database. Not only would the brain'sbiological capacity be supplemented with enormous amounts of digital memory, it would

also be linked to vast information resources like the Internet at the speed of thought.
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Media literacy focuses not just on the technological innovations of the medium, but on theimpact of these advances on individuals and society. This can generate a number of issues

for discussion. For example,

Privacy has emerged as an ethical issue in the age of interactive media. How haveinteractive media affected the privacy of individuals? In what ways does this affect

our lives? What steps can be taken to ensure individual privacy in onlineenvironments?

Interactive media communicators are now able to set up alternative realities using

computer technology. What are some of the benefits of this mass-mediated reality?What ethical questions are raised by the construction of virtual realities?

Principle 4: Media literacy develops strategies with which to analyze and discuss mediamessages.

Media literacy involves critical thinking skills that enable individuals to decipher informationconveyed through various media channels. The discipline offers a range of approaches for

the systematic analysis of media messages contained in any media presentation, including

those available through Internet technologies. Some of these avenues for inquiry include

Structure: What patterns of ownership are emerging on the Internet? What is the

impact of these patterns on the content that appears on the Internet? Content: How can an individual evaluate the information that is available on the

Internet? (Criteria for evaluating content include verifiable documentation, currency

of information, use of reliable sources, objectivity, and consistency.) Historical context: Which historical events discussed on the Internet are of interest

and concern to the public? Do patterns emerge in Internet discussion venues thatreveal prevailing attitudes toward these historical events?

Homepages: What is the function of the homepage? Does the homepage succeed inestablishing the identity, or personality of the host? How would you describe the

personality of the site as reflected in the homepage? What information does thehomepage provide? What information does it omit? What does the homepage reveal

about the values of the host? What does the homepage reveal about the intendedaudience?

Production: Do the production values employed in interactive media serve a clear

purpose appropriate for the intended audience? (Production elements to consider

include Web page composition, inclusion and omission of information and theselection of links, the combination of media such as print, graphics, audio, and video

to convey messages.)

Principle 5: Media literacy promotes awareness of interactive media content as a text thatprovides insight into our contemporary culture and ourselves.

Because of its interactive properties, the Internet (including Web sites, discussion venues,and e-mail) can provide unique insight into the attitudes, values, behaviors, preoccupations,

patterns of thought, and myths that define a culture. And, conversely, an understanding ofculture can furnish perspective into media messages.

Within this context, critical analyses of interactive presentations can focus on world view.Questions that further these analyses include


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What kind of culture or cultures populate this virtual world? What kinds of people

populate this world? What is the ideology of this culture? What does it mean to be a success in this world? How does a person succeed in this

world? What kinds of behavior are rewarded in this world? What embedded values can be found in productions on the Internet?

Principle 6: Media literacy cultivates enhanced enjoyment, understanding, and appreciationof media content.

Media literacy should not be understood merely as an opportunity to bash the media;rather, it can enhance an individual's enjoyment and appreciation of media at its best -- for

example, when the Internet offers insightful information, entertainment, discussion venues,and media arts (e.g., music and independent films and video). Media literacy also results in

more efficient and productive research by offering tools to identify the most credible sourcesof information on the Internet.

Principle 7: Media literacy challenges interactive media communicators to produce effectiveand responsible media messages.

In order to be successful, professionals in the field of interactive media must demonstratean awareness of the mass communication process, as well as a mastery of production

techniques and strategies. But in order to truly improve the media industry, mediacommunicators must also recognize the challenges and responsibilities involved in producing

content that serves the public interest. Many students will pursue careers that involve eitherinteractive media production or some application of these communications technologies.

Students can conduct research to identify what they consider to be responsible andirresponsible use of these media.

One of the central goals of education is to help students understand the world they live in.Because so much of this world is shaped by the media, it is imperative that classroom

teachers and literacy educators expand the traditional definition of literacy to include anunderstanding of channels of mass communication. Interactive media, in particular the

Internet, have emerged as an important area of study in the discipline of media literacy,pursued so that we can learn to take full advantage of their wondrous possibilities.

Reference

Fixmer, R. (1999, November 6). The soul of the next new machine: Humans; how the

wedding of brain and computer could change the universe. New York Times, Arts & Ideas;Cultural Desk.

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About the Author
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Art Silverblatt is a professor in the Department of Communications and Journalism atWebster University (470 E. Lockwood, St. Louis, Missouri 63119, USA; e-mail

[email protected]). He is the author ofMedia Literacy: Keys to Interpreting MediaMessages (Praeger, 1995), Dictionary of Media Literacy(with Ellen M. Enright Eliceiri,

Praeger, 1997), andApproaches to Media Literacy(with Jane Ferry and Barbara Finan, M.E.Sharpe, 1999). The second edition ofMedia Literacy: Keys to Interpreting Media Messages

will be available in 2001.
mailto:[email protected]://info.greenwood.com/books/0275948/0275948315.htmlhttp://info.greenwood.com/books/0313297/0313297436.htmlhttp://www.mesharpe.com/65601842.htmhttp://www.mesharpe.com/65601842.htmmailto:[email protected]://info.greenwood.com/books/0275948/0275948315.htmlhttp://info.greenwood.com/books/0313297/0313297436.htmlhttp://www.mesharpe.com/65601842.htmhttp://www.mesharpe.com/65601842.htm

Media Literacy in an Interactive Age

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