What+is+Media+Literacy

 I n the age of "paper" when print was the most common media format, achieving literacy meant being able to decode, comprehend and communicate in a variety of ways through the medium of print. However, the world has changed and we now find ourselves in a world of electronic media where we are bombarded with messages from a variety of sources. Whether it be T.V., music videos, radio, electronic billboards, films or Web environments, we are saturated with messages intended to entertain, inform or sell us something. As such, we need to develop the skills required to effectively analyse and evaluate the plethora of media messages we encounter on a daily basis. To be literate in today's world we must be able to:-
 * 1) decode, understand, evaluate and write through, and with all forms of media.
 * 2) read, evaluate, and create text, images and sounds, or any combination of these elements.



**Why teach Media Literacy?** T he world of our current student population, and indeed our future generations, can not be understood without considering the profound influence of the amount of exposure from mass media to which they are subjected. Becoming media literate empowers our youth to be positive contributors to society and to challenge cynicism and apathy. It also provideds them with the skills required to be agents of social change (Considine, 2002). Further reasons for considering the importance of teaching media literacy are:-


 * 1) We live in a media environment
 * 2) Media literacy emphasizes critical thinking
 * 3) Being media literate is part of being an educated citizen
 * 4) Media literacy promotes active participation in a media-saturated envirnoment
 * 5) Media education helps us to understand communication technologies.