MEDIA AND

INFORMATION
LITERACY
COURSE MATERIAL NO. 1

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LITERACY
 WHAT WILL YOU
LEARN?

This module has been designed

to help you:

• define key concepts
(media, information,
technology literacy, and
media and information
literacies);
• describe how much
media and information
affect communication;
and
• create an e-portfolio
(personal online page).

INTRODUCTION TO
MEDIA AND
INFORMATION
LITERACY

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 WHAT’S INSIDE
INTRODUCTION
THIS MODULE?

TO MEDIA AND
¨ Introduction to Media and
Information Literacy
INFORMATION ¨ Media and Information
Design Framework

LITERACY ¨ Five Laws of Media and

Information Literacy
¨ Roles and Functions of Media
in a Democratic Society

Media and technology have become increasingly

indispensable in today’s information age. Apart from
all the necessary reading we have to do to obtain
needed information, we also have to navigate
increasingly complex media and technology platforms.
And while life without the Internet, smartphones, TV,
and radio may be bearable, it hardly seems like a fun
life at all, especially for today’s Gen Z students.

Imagine, for example, that we are living in 1918,

the year the Spanish flu pandemic raged, infecting 500
million people all over the world. What would
lockdown life have been like in those days, without
Internet and cell phones? How would we be informed
and still stay in touch with each other?

Compare that to our situation in 2021. Even

though we have those devices to make our quarantine
more bearable, how did the use of those devices affect
What are the differences
the way we live in such restraints? What did society
lose and what did it again with regard to media and between media literacy,
information? information literacy, and
technology literacy?
Those questions may be a bit heavy, but they
need to be asked. And those are exactly the kind of What is the media and
questions that we will have all throughout this term as information design
we use different media platforms. framework?

What are the roles and
functions of media in a
democratic society?

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KEY POINT
Our media and information literacy
equips us with the necessary skills to
better navigate an increasingly tech-
savvy world.
3rd Term, AY 2022-2023
But before we explore such platforms, let us unpack the heavy
concepts first, courtesy of UNESCO:
• physical objects used to communicate with, or the
mass communication through physical objects such
as radio, television, computers, film, etc.
• any physical object used to communicate messages.
• a broad term that covers processed data,
knowledge derived from study, experience,
instruction, signal, or symbol.
• ability to identify, understand, interpret, create,
communicate, and compute, using printed and
written materials associated with varying contexts.
• involves a continuum of learning, where individuals
can achieve their goals, develop their knowledge
and potential, and participate fully in their
community and wider society.
In other words, we get our information from various media and
whether we do it well or not is a measure of our literacy.
However, literacy is a trickier thing since there are many kinds of it.
For example:
• ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media
in a variety of forms
• aims to empower citizens by providing them with the
competencies (knowledge and skills) necessary to
engage with traditional media and new technologies
• ability to recognize when information is needed,
and to locate, evaluate, and effectively
communicate information in its various formats.
• ability of an individual, either working
independently or with others, to responsibly,
appropriately, and effectively use technological
tools
• using these tools an individual can access,
manage, integrate, evaluate, create, and
communicate information
• essential skills and competencies that allow
individuals to engage with media and other
information providers effectively, as well as
develop critical thinking and life- long learning
skills to socialize and become active citizens
MEDIA AND INFORMATION Page 4 of 17
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 LEARNING ACTIVITY BRIEFER
Differ with Me Traditionally, media are source of credible
information in which contents are provided
List three (3) online activities that you do every day. Discern through an editorial process determined by
how you use media literacy, information literacy, and journalistic values and where editorial
accountability can be attributed to an
technology literacy in these activities.
organization or a legal person. In more recent
years, the term ‘media’ is often used to include
The first one is already done for you. new online media.

ONLINE MEDIA INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

ACTIVITIES LITERACY LITERACY LITERACY

Sending an As platform Content Tools (mobile,

online (text, email, (appropriateness, computers,
message etc.) tone, etc.) etc.)

Great! You might not have known it when you were doing
those things, but you were practicing your literacy skills
already. Now, based on your samples, answer the questions
below in 2-3 sentences.

1. How are media literacy, information literacy, and

technology literacy similar in terms of form? In
terms of use?
2. How do media literacy, information literacy, and
technology literacy differ in terms of form? In terms
of use?

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 KEY POINT MEDIA AND
The media and information design INFORMATION DESIGN
framework are a basic step in
exercising media and information FRAMEWORK
literacy by helping you send an
appropriate message properly.

So, what makes an individual literate in media and

information? How do we know if we are indeed savvy in these
things?

These questions might help.

Component Guide Questions

Target Audience Who is the intended audience?
Sender / Author Who is the producer?
Purpose What is the purpose?
What is the topic?
Key Content
What are the facts?
How can I present this
information?
Form / Style
How would this affect my
audience?
Medium / Format What platform will I use? Why?

The first three components of target audience, sender/author,

and purpose are quite familiar to you already. After all, they
are the basic components of any message we deliver. Our
course, Media and Information Literacy, focuses on the last
three: key content, form/style, and medium/format.

You use your information literacy in dealing with the facts

about a certain subject. Media literacy comes into play when
you consider how to present that information and what the
possible effect to the audience may be by choosing that form or
style of presentation. Finally, using your chosen platform or
medium will require a considerable amount of technological
literacy.

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Say you are a journalist tasked to write an informative
article on the medical (sender/author) knowledge
available on COVID-19. Your purpose is information
dissemination for general consumption, but most
especially for indigenous people living in rural areas
(target audience). Since the information you gathered
around with technical terms that lay people may not
understand, you then tailor-fit your article down to its
key content: what is the core topic, and what are the
most important facts that you need to get across and
that needs to be received?

After deciding on those, your options now are on form

or style. Of course, you will publish your article in the
dailies and their online sites for maximum coverage
(medium/format). But is this enough? How about
using social media networks? What about the language
you use in your article? Does it need to be translated to
the community’s mother tongue? Maybe you could
also use an infographic to go with your article, so that
information can be seen in a more visual (and therefore
more memorable) way.

As McLuhan (1964) puts it memorably, “The medium

is the message.” How you say things is as important as,
if not more important than, what you say.

Canadian communications thinker Marshall

McLuhan.

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 LEARNING ACTIVITY
To Post or Not to Post

Say you have a friend who was a victim of online bullying. Your
friend asked you for advice on whether to post about it to warn
others.
Use these components and guide questions to determine the
specifics of your post.

Component Guide Questions

Target Audience Who is the intended audience?
Sender / Author Who is the producer?
Purpose What is the purpose?
What is the topic?
Key Content
What are the facts?
How can I present this
information?
Form / Style
How would this affect my
audience?
Medium / Format What platform will I use? Why?

o Target Audience:
o Sender / Author:
o Purpose:
o Key Content:
o Form / Style:
o Medium / Format:

Now that you’ve decided on those details, of course there are

bigger questions to ask.
1. Is the post still worth it, considering that in baring details of your
friend’s life they also lose some measure of their privacy? Why or
why not?
2. What could be the effects to both parties, considering that the
platform you chose is the Internet?

Decisions like these are never easy, especially since the web has
dark areas, but being aware of the possible consequences can
help you in what course to take.

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 UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization) have launched their Five Laws of Media and Information
Literacy. Their strategy aims to being together the fields of information
literacy and media literacy into a combined set of knowledge, skills and
attitudes required for living and working in the 21st century.

Media and Information Literacy recognizes the primary role of

information and media in our everyday lives. It lies at the core of freedom
of expression and information – since it empowers citizens to understand
the functions of media and other information providers, to critically
evaluate their content, and to make informed decisions as users and
producer of information and media content.

The rules of media information literacy cover all types of media and other
sources of information: libraries, archives, museums, and the Internet,
regardless of the technology they use. Special attention should be paid to
the training of teachers to involve them in the introduction of media and
information literacy in the learning processes, providing them with
appropriate teaching methods, curricula, and resources.

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 Five Laws of Media and Information Literacy

¨ Law One
Information, communication, libraries, media,
technology, the Internet as well as other forms of
information providers are for use in critical civic
engagement and sustainable development. They are
equal in stature and none is more relevant than the
other or should be ever treated as such.

¨ Law Two
Every citizen is a creator of information/knowledge
and has a message. They must be empowered to
access new information/knowledge and to express
themselves. MIL is for all – women and men equally –
and a nexus of human rights.

¨ Law Three
Information, knowledge, and messages are not always
value neutral, or always independent of biases. Any
conceptualization, use and application of MIL should
make this truth transparent and understandable to all
citizens.

¨ Law Four
Every citizen wants to know and understand new
information, knowledge and messages as well as to
communicate, even if she/he is not aware, admits or
expresses that he/she does. Her/his rights must
however never be compromised.

¨ Law Five
Media and information literacy is not acquired at once.
It is a lived and dynamic experience and process. It is
complete when it includes knowledge, skills and
attitudes, when it covers access,
evaluation/assessment, use, production and
communication of information, media and technology
content.

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Roles and Functions of Media in a Democratic

Society:
Channel - Provides opportunities for people to
communicate, share ideas, speculate, tell stories, and
give information

Watchdog - Exposes corrupt practices of the

government and private sector, creating a space where
governance is challenged or scrutinized by the
governed

Resource Center - Acts as a gateway of information for

societal consumption. Also, becomes a keeper of
memories of the community, preserver of heritage,
and source of academic knowledge.

Advocate - Bridges the digital divide through its

diverse sources or formats

DID YOU
KNOW?

We perform all these roles and functions in our social media

accounts. Your Facebook wall and feed, for instance, are very
powerful things. You use those to post something on your friend’s
timeline or comment on a post, or simply to send a message
(channel). When you share posts from online entities of institutions,
say the FB page of the city you are in, for announcements regarding
cancellation of classes, or for promotional tourism videos, your feed
acts as a resource center. Or, when you comment on your city’s FB
page because of its late announcement, and other non-transparent
public transactions, your feed now becomes a watchdog. And though
sometimes your data allocation runs out and you are forced to
continue using free data, even the limited features that you can use
still allow you to somehow bridge the digital divide (advocate).

You’ll notice, although we may not all be media practitioners, we are

already exercising these roles as users of media. It behooves us,
therefore, to use these roles and functions wisely.

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 LEARNING ACTIVITY
Laws and Gains

Look back at the Laws of Media and Information Literacy outlined

by UNESCO along with the roles and functions of the media.

Which of the law/s correspond with which role/s?

LAW 3

LAW 2 LAW 4

LAW 1 LAW5

That’s good! Now that you were able to identify those

associations, let’s consider our own communities.

1. Which of these functions/roles and or law/s are not

fully practiced in your community?
2. What do you think could be the reasons for those?

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 LEARNING OUTPUT
E-Portfolio
For this learning output, you are going to create the first part of your
e-portfolio: a media and information literacy blog. This blog must
have at least three posts about what you have learned in this lesson.
Here are some questions and rubric that may guide you in creating
your blog posts.

1. What was your perception of media before this lesson? What is

your view of media now?
2. What is the most relevant function of media to you? Why?
3. Recall a recent situation where in media and information literacy
could have been useful and how.

Don’t forget to make an introduction of your personal online page in

the homepage.

4 3 2 1
Purpose
My blog has a clear The purpose of my My blog is mostly My blog appears to
purpose to share blog is to share about one topic, but be about
and collect opinions information and my sometimes I get off unconnected topics
and information opinions about an the subject. and events.
about an important important topic.
and interesting
topic.
Content
My blog is fair and My blog is fair. I I try to be fair in my I present one
balanced. I refer to refer to information blog, but the viewpoint on my
information from a from more than one information I topic. I do not draw
variety of viewpoint and draw present is missing conclusions about
viewpoints and conclusions based critical content. I try the research, but
draw original on my research. to draw conclusions, just repeat what
conclusions based but sometimes my other sources have
on my research. conclusions are not said about the topic.
based research
Sources
I gather extensive I gather information Most of the The information on
information from a from some reliable information on my my blog is my
variety of reliable sources outside the blog comes from my opinion, without
sources outside the classroom. I cite all opinions. I cite only any sources to back
classroom. I cite mu my sources with no one or two sources, it up.
sources correctly. or very few minor or my citations have
errors. numerous errors.
To use the Creative Commons Audience
License, you can put this statement My writing engages I think about what I try to think about I rarely think about
my readers. I ask my readers want to my readers and how my readers will
in the footer of your page. good questions and know and write my answer their respond to my blog.
describe interesting blog entries to questions, but most I write about what is
“Title of E-Portfolio” by “Your Name” ideas to get my answer their of the time I just interesting to me or
readers to respond. questions and write about what I is easy to find.
is licensed under a Creative Commons concerns. am interested in or
Attribution 4.0 International License. what is easy to find.

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 Here are some additional resources that can help you
learn more about the lesson:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHAApvHZ6XE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FwCUCquFsE

“Through practice, gently and gradually we can collect

ourselves and learn how to be more fully with what we do.”
– Jack Kornfield

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LESSON SUMMARY

What are the differences between media literacy,

information literacy, and technology literacy?
• Media, information, and technology literacy are
different skills which can and should be used
simultaneously. Media is an empowering form of
technology which we need to use responsibly and
appropriately especially in engaging with its
different platforms, all the while forwarding an
agenda where information can be accessed,
located, evaluated, and effectively and ethically
communicated to audiences.


What is the media and information design framework?
• The Media and Information Design Framework is
a basic step in exercising media and information
literacy by helping you send an appropriate
message properly.


What are the roles and functions of media in a
democratic society?
• The media serves as channel, watchdog, resource
center, and an advocate. These are the roles and
functions of media in a democratic society.

TERMS TO
REMEMBER
§ Advocate
§ Channel
§ Information
§ Information Literacy
§ Literacy
§ Media
§ Media Literacy
§ Technology Literacy
§ UNESCO
§ Watchdog

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REFERENCES



TEXTBOOKS
Ø Commission on Higher Education. (2016.) Media and
Information Literacy: Teaching Guide for Senior High
School. Quezon City.
Ø McLuhan, M. (1964). Understanding Media: The
Extensions of Man. McGraw-Hill. Canada.

ONLINE RESOURCES
Ø http://en.unesco.kz/

CONTRIBUTORS
David Kelvin M. Banaag III
Ma. Carmie Flor I. Ortego

This course material is made possible through the collaboration of the

NU MOA Senior High School Faculty, AY 2022-2023.

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