LNC-MAC-111:

Mass Communication
Topic: Media Literacy
Prepared by: Murendehle M. Juwayeyi, PhD
Extracted from: Turow, J. (2011). Media Today: An Introduction to Mass
Communication. New York: Routledge.
Literacy

The ability to effectively comprehend and use

messages that are expressed in written or
printed symbols, such as letters.
Media Literacy

• The ability to apply critical thinking skills to

the mass media, thereby becoming a more
aware and responsible citizen—parent,
voter, worker—in our media driven society
Principles of Media Literacy
• Principle 1: The Media Construct Our Individual Realities.

• Principle 2: The Media are Influenced by Industrial Pressures.

• Principle 3: The Media are Influenced by Political Pressures.

• Principle 4: The Media are Constrained by Format.

• Principle 5: Audiences are Active Recipients of the Media.

• Principle 6: The Media Tell Us About Who We Are as a Society

Media as Social Currency

• The idea: How much do media really

influence what people discuss with you?
THANK YOU