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ZAMORA NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

Media & Information Literacy
Quarter – 2 Module 2
Media and Information Literate Individual
MEDIA LITERACY AND ITS IMPACT
“Media and Information Literacy recognizes the primary role of media in 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 producers of information and
media content.” (UNESCO) With the flooding information that technology offers, weighing the validity, accuracy, and
reliability become a burden to an individual who doesn’t know how to use it.
Who are media literate individuals? From the framework of Aufderheide (1992 as cited in Koltay, 2011): A media literate
person can decode, evaluate, analyze and produce both print and electronic media. Emphases in media literacy training
range widely, including informed citizenship, aesthetic appreciation and expression, social advocacy, self-esteem, and
consumer competence. In other words, media literate individual cannot only use media platforms but, able to analyze and
evaluate information that was taken from it.
Being able to evaluate media information leads an individual to explore the use of technologies in various fields such as
businesses, commerce, and communications.
The use of technologies in promoting these economic aspects creates an impact on media users and most especially to
society.
The components of Media and Information Literate to an Individual are the following:
PERSONAL/EDUCATIONAL
 Doing research have become very convenient
 Communication has been made easier
a. Improved quality of life  Information has become widely accessible
GPS (GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSYTEM)- space-based satellite
navigation system that provides location and time information in all
weather condition.
 Media serve the people by informing public about subject they need or
they want
b. Greater political participation
 Informing the public of the political affairs in the country
Encourage the public to take more active role in the government
 Influx of media offerings has led to the creation of more jobs in the
media.
c. Better economic opportunities
 New jobs like social media managers or multimedia specialists have been
created
Source of information
 Made learning a choice
 Social Learning Environment
d. Improvement learning environment
 Equips learners with the tools necessary to collaborate and
participate with teachers and peers both inside the classroom
and beyond the walls of the school.
 Social technologies are changing the way we collaborate and
e. More cohesive social unit communicate with each other.
 Media may play a hand towards holistic development of the society.

Implication of Media and Information

Media and information literate individuals have the ability to find, evaluate, and use reliable information, and
communicate it through various formats and media. Such literacy is important for learning, making sound decisions and
solving problems.
The following are some of its effects on the individual and society:
Personal
 It improves the quality of life.
 Communication has been made easier.
 Information has become widely accessible.
 Conducting research has become more convenient
 Long-distance communication between family members have become possible through video calls or instant
messaging.
 It provides entertainment through various cable channels and internet access.
Political
 It generates greater political participation.
 In the fields of public service, the media and the government have a longstanding relationship.
 Media keep the public and even the government informed on what is happening in the country, helping both sectors
make political decisions.
 Through media reports of government activities and issues, the public are informed of the political affairs in the country
and are further encouraged to take a more active role in the government.
Economic
 It promotes economic opportunities.
 The new media have made it possible for ordinary individuals to offer their materials for consumption, whether free or
paid.
 YouTube, a free video host, is also an advertising medium. Advertisers pay to display their ads with the videos. YouTube
then pays video contributors if their videos get enough views or if their channels have a high subscriber rate.
 It creates new job opportunities. For example, new positions like social media managers or multimedia specialists are
now indemand. Likewise, programmers for various platforms can easily find projects or permanent jobs. More specialized
jobs lead to higher pay and therefore result in a better economy.
Educational
 Media and information literacy improves learning environment through different interactive media platforms.
 Reinvention of learning modalities makes knowledge accessible to more people.
 Information can be easily accessed and assessed, thus, making studying convenient for students.
 Learning resources can be easily improvised and customized to suit the aptitudes of different types of learners.
Social
 Media and information-literate individuals form groups that are said to be more cohesive units than those formed by
people who are not, creating a bond that does not only have relational implications but also create social impact.
 People are being connected in ways that weret possible before.
 Media and information literate people would rarely, if ever, fall victim to fake news and consequently react to it in a
way that would destroy social relationship.
 It allows people to develop camaraderie and interaction.
 Different social networks sites like Facebook and Instagram can be used to build support groups engaging in different
advocacies.
Professional
 It builds professional networks.
 Looking and applying for a job becomes easy by checking different websites.
 Job hunting becomes convenient for applicants who can share their personal profiles and other credentials to
prospected companies.
 An individual can conveniently work from home through the use of different media.