Media and Information

Literacy
Message can be classified by purpose:
⚫To inform
⚫To persuade
⚫To entertain

Purpose of Communication
Media – is the means of coomunication that
reaches or influences people, such as
radio and television, newspapers, and
magazine
Mass Media – same as media but with goal
of reaching much larger numbers people

Mass Media
⚫Promote shallow values
⚫They often misinform people
⚫That they encourage people to consume
so much that the environment is
threatened.
⚫Social observers worry that people are
being bombarded by too much
information.

Criticisms about Mass Media

⚫An awareness of the impact of media
⚫An understanding of the process of mass
communication.
⚫Strategies for analyzing and discussing
media messages.
⚫An understanding of media content as a
text that provides insight into our culture
and our lives.

Characteristics of Media Literacy

⚫The ability to enjoy, understand and
appreciate media content.
⚫An understanding of the ethical and moral
obligations of media practitioners.
⚫Development of appropriate and effective
production skills.

Characteristics of Media Literacy

⚫Data – raw facts
⚫Information – processed data

Data vs Information
⚫as a set of skills, which requires an
individual to
⚫recognize when information is needed and
have the ability to locate, evaluate, and
use effectively the needed information.

Information Literacy
⚫Determines the nature and extent of
information needed.
⚫Accesses the needed information
effectively and efficiently.
⚫Evaluates information and its sources
critically and incorporates selected
information into his or her knowledge
base and value system.

Importance of an information
literate
⚫Uses information effectively to accomplish
a specific purpose.
⚫Understands many of the economic, legal,
and social issues surrounding the use of
information, and accesses and uses
information ethically and legally.

Importance of an information
literate
⚫ we are surrounded by a growing ocean of
information in all formats.
⚫ not all information is created equal: some is
authoritative, current, reliable, but some is
biased, out of date, misleading, and false.
⚫ the amount of information available is going
to keep increasing.
⚫ the types of technology used to access,
manipulate, and create information will
likewise expand.

Why information literacy

important?
Information Literacy vs Information
Technology Literacy
Information Literacy vs Information
Technology Literacy
Information sources are the various means by which
information is recorded for use by an individual or an
organization. It is the means by which a person is
informed about something or knowledge is availed to
someone, a group of people or an organization.
Information sources can be observations, people,
speeches, documents, pictures, organizations.
Information sources can be in print, non-print and
electronic media or format.

Information Source
Types of Information Sources

- Primary

- Secondary

- Tertiary

Information Source
 Primary
Primary sources are original materials on which other
research is based. This is information before it has
been analysed, interpreted, commented upon, spun or
repackaged. They are usually the first formal
appearance of results in physical, print or electronic
format. They represent original thinking, unedited,
firsthand, access to words, images, or objects by
persons directly involved in an activity or event or
speaking directly for a group.

Information Source
 Primary
Examples include:
• Artifacts (e.g. coins, plant specimens, fossils,
furniture, tools, clothing, all from the time under
study)
• Audio recordings (e.g. radio programs)
• Diaries
• Internet communications on email, list serves
• Interviews (e.g., oral histories, telephone, e-mail)
• Journal articles published in peer-reviewed
publications
• Letters
Information Source
 Primary
• Newspaper articles written at the time
• Original Documents (i.e. birth certificate, will,
marriage license, trial transcript)

Information Source
 Secondary
Secondary sources are less easily defined than
primary sources. Generally, they are accounts written
after the fact with the benefit of hindsight. They are
interpretations and evaluations of primary sources
written significantly after events by parties not directly
involved but who have special expertise. They may
provide historical context or critical perspectives.
Secondary sources are thus not evidence, but rather
commentary on and discussion of evidence. However,
what some define as a secondary source, others
define as a tertiary source.
Information Source
 Secondary
Examples include:
• Bibliographies (also considered tertiary)
• Biographical works
• Commentaries, criticisms
• Dictionaries, Encyclopedias (also considered
tertiary)
• Textbooks (also considered tertiary)
• Web site (also considered primary)

Information Source
 Tertiary
Tertiary sources consist of information which is a
distillation and collection of primary and secondary
sources. They are twice removed from the original
source and their main purpose is to list, summarise or
simply repackage ideas or other information.

Information Source
 Categories of information sources
Books

These are works written on widely varying themes and they

range from documentary to technical books to novels and
nonfiction books. They are written by researchers or experts
and are only published after passing through editors or
publishers. Therefore books can be considered a source of
information wherein assignments of responsibilities for the
quality of that information are relatively clear. Books can be in
print or electronic (e-books).

Information Source
 Categories of information sources
Periodicals

These are publications such as journals, newspapers, or

magazines published on a regular basis - daily, weekly, bi-
weekly, monthly, bimonthly, quarterly or yearly. The information
in periodicals covers a wide variety of topics and is very up-to-
date. Periodicals are available in both print and electronic
formats. Common examples of periodicals include popular
magazines (or general interest magazines), professional and
trade magazines, scholarly journals, newsletters, and
newspapers.
Information Source
 Categories of information sources
References Sources

These are authoritative works that provide specific answers or information.

There are many types of reference sources, including atlases, dictionaries,
encyclopedias, thesauri, almanacs, manuals, biographies, and handbooks,
among others. Each type is available either in print, on CD-ROMs and the
Internet. Reference information sources can be general or subject specific. For
example, The Encyclopedia Britannica is general while The Encyclopedia of
Mammals, The New Encyclopedia of Birds and The Gale Encyclopedia of
Medicine are subject encyclopedias. Other reference sources such as
dictionaries, atlases, directories also have both general and subject categories.
References are a good information source for an overview of a subject area as
well as for facts, figures, addresses, statistics, definitions and dates.

Information Source
 Categories of information sources
Databases

A database is a collection of information in electronic form that is organised in a

manner that allows a user to easily retrieve information about its individual
entries. They are usually collections of citations of articles in journal,
magazines, newspapers, dissertations, reviews and abstracts. The content of
databases has undergone a review process and the information is more reliable
than information found on the Internet. Often databases provide access to full-
text magazine and journal articles whilst some contain abstracts or brief
summaries.

Information Source
 Categories of information sources
The Internet

The Internet is a network of computers which inter-connects computers globally.

By interconnecting computers globally, the Internet has made it possible to
share information with others globally. Information found on the Internet goes
beyond plain text as it includes sounds, fixed and moving images and video.

Information Source
 Categories of information sources
Bibliographies

These are publications that consist of a list of books, articles and other works
on a particular topic. Sometimes bibliographies are annotated, that is they
include brief abstracts summarising the important features of the works

Information Source
 Categories of information sources
Abstracts

An abstract is a brief synopsis or summary of the most important points that the
author makes in the paper. It is a highly condensed version of the paper itself.
After reading the abstract, the reader knows the main points that the authors
have to make. The reader can then evaluate the significance of the paper and
then decide whether or not she or he wishes to read the full paper.

Information Source
 Categories of information sources
Indexes

Indexes are a finding guide to the contents of particular journals. They provide
subject, author, and/or title indexing to a particular set of periodicals and give a
full citation for each article. The citation includes the title of the periodical, date,
volume, pages, as well as the author and title of the article. Some indexes
include abstracts

Information Source
 Categories of information sources
Theses and Dissertations

These are research projects submitted by former students, presenting their

research findings in support of their academic degrees or professional
qualifications.

Information Source