MEDIA INFORMATION

LITERACY
LESSON 2
ROLES OF INFORMATION
& MEDIA
 What do Media
and
Information
Literacy recognize?
 Module 1: Introduction to Media
and Information Literacy
Lesson 2: Media and Information Literacy
Overview:

According to UNESCO, Media and

Information Literacy recognizes the
primary role of information and media
in our everyday lives.
Where does the recognition of
media and information literacy lie?
.
 Purpose of Media Empowerment
 since media empowers citizens
For what purpose why people are
empowered by media?

 to understand the functions of media and other

information providers
 to critically evaluate their content
 to make informed decisions as users and producer
of information and media content.”
 FUNCTIONS OF MEDIA
1. Sending and sharing of information
 information is knowledge and knowledge is power.
 media offer
authentic and timely facts
 opinions about various event and situations
 …to mass audience as informative items.
 Information provided by mass media can be
opinionated
objective, subjective, primary and secondary
 Informative functions of media
 allows the audience knows about the
happening around them and come to the
truth.
 Media disseminates information mostly
through news broadcast on radio, TV, as well
as columns of the newspaper or magazine and
social media.
2. Media provides education and information.
 provides education in different subjects to people
of in all levels.
 educate people directly or indirectly using different
forms of content.
 For example, distance education program is a
direct approach. Dramas, documentaries,
interviews, feature stories and many other
programs are prepared to educate people
indirectly.
 in the developing country, mass media is used as
effective tools for mass awareness.
3. Other important function of media is the
entertainment.
 Entertainment is a kind of performance that provides
pleasure to people.
 Media fulfill this function by providing amusement to
people.
 Newspaper and magazines, radio, television and
online medium offer stories, films, serials, and comics
to entertain their audience.
 Sports, news, film review, art and fashion are other
examples.
 It makes audience recreational and leisure time more
enjoyable and fun.
4. Persuasion is another function of mass media.
 involves making influence on others mind.
 Mass media influence audience in varieties of ways.
 Media content builds opinions and sets agendas in the
public mind.
 It influences votes, changes attitudes and moderates
behavior.
 Using editorials, articles, commentaries and among
others, mass media persuades audience.
 Many of the audience become influenced or motivated
unknowingly towards it.
 Advertisement is the example which is designed to
persuade.
5. Surveillance denotes observation
 Observation means to watch the society closely.
 Mass media observe the society closely and continuously
and warn about threatening actions
 likely to happen in future in order to decrease the possible
loss.
 Mass media also informs about the misconducts happening
in the society to the concerned authority and discourage
malpractices among mass audience in the society.
 Warning or beware surveillance occurs when the media
inform us about threats from
…hurricanes, erupting volcanoes, depressed economic
conditions, increasing inflation or military attack.
6. The mass media do not supply just facts and
data but also explanations and interpretation of
events and situations.
 Media offer various explanations correlating
and interpreting information to make the
reality clear.
 Unlike normal reporting, interpretation
functions provide knowledge.
 News analysis, commentaries, editorials, and
columns are some examples of interpretative
contents.
7. LINKAGE…The function of media is to join
together different elements of society that are not
directly connected.
 For instance: mass advertising attempts to link
the needs of buyers with the products of sellers.
 In this way, media become bridge between
different groups who may or may not have
direct connection.
Source: https://medium.com/@saltandpaper/the-
media-and-its-function-8ce5adc4f426
8. Socialization is the transmission of culture.
 Media are the reflectors of society.
 Media socialize people, especially children and
new-comers.
 Socialization is a process by which, people are
made to behave in ways that are acceptable in their
culture or society.
 learning how to become a member of our society
or human society in greater sense. T
 Media help to shape our behaviors, conducts,
attitudes and beliefs.
 The process of socialization brings people close and
ties them into single unity.
“it lies at the core of
freedom of
expression and
information...”
 It is the reason why critical to
 study and understand Media and Information
 become proficient in using it especially today
 more and more people have access to increasing
technologies faced with challenges like
1. identity theft
2. phishing (the fraudulent practice of sending
emails or other messages purporting to be
from reputable companies in order to induce
individuals to reveal personal information, such
as passwords and credit card numbers.)
3. plagiarism
4. fake news and many others
 Objectives:

1. Define the key concepts (media, information,

technology literacy, and media and information
literacies).
2. Compare and relate the media and
information literacy framework to their own
understandings and competencies
 UNESCO defines Media and Information
Literacy and its purpose
 a set of competencies that empowers citizens
1. To access information
2. To retrieve information
3. To understand information
4. To evaluate information
5. To use information
6. To create information
7. To share information
 media content in all formats, using various tools, in a critical,
ethical and effective way, in order to participate and engage in
personal, professional and societal activities.
Media and Information Literacy course
 introduces the learners to basic understanding
of media
 information as channels of communication
and tools for the development of individuals
and societies.
 Freedom of expression is fundamental to
democracy
 a necessary precondition to the exercise of other rights such as
1. the right to vote
2. the right to freedom of assembly
3. to freedom of association with others
4. and it is essential to ensure press freedom.

 media as stewards and arbitrators of freedom of expression.

 media are vital to democratic social systems.
Free and independent media are presumed
provide access to information
mediate daily life,
hold the powerful accountable
provide platforms for open and factually informed discussions and dialogues – 9 a public space
for the democratic conversation

(Dewey 1927, Habermas 1989).

 Roles of media
1. media as stewards and arbitrators of freedom of
expression.
2. media are vital to democratic social systems.
 Free and independent media are presumed
a. provide access to information
b. mediate daily life
c. hold the powerful accountable
d. provide platforms for open and factually informed
discussions and dialogues –for the democratic
conversation
 Media are physical objects
 used to communicate including mass media
 radio
 Television
 computers
 Film
 traditionally, media are source of credible information
through
1. editorial process determined by journalistic values
2. editorial accountability can be attributed to an
organization or a legal person.
In more recent years the term ‘media’ is often
used to include
new online media.
 Media as physical objects used to
communicate with, or the mass
 refers to any physical object used to
communicate messages.
 WHAT LITERACY IS
Literacy
 the ability to identify, understand, interpret,
create, communicate and compute, using printed
and written materials associated with varying
contexts.
 involves a continuum of learning wherein
individuals are able to achieve their goals, develop
their knowledge and potential, and participate
fully in their community and wider society.
Media Literacy
 the 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
 WHAT INFORMATION IS
 a broad term that covers processed data,
knowledge derived from study experience,
instruction, signals or symbols.
 Information Literacy isthe ability to
recognize when information is
needed, and to locate, evaluate, and
effectively communicate information
in its various formats.
 The Essence of Media and Information
Literacy
Therefore, Media and Information Literacy is
 the essential skills and competencies that
allow individuals to engage with media and
other information providers effectively
 develop critical thinking
 life-long learning skills to socialize and
become active citizens.
 What UNESCO said about Information
Literacy and Media Literacy
Information Literacy and Media Literacy are
traditionally seen as separate and distinct fields.

 However, they see these two fields as a combined set of

competencies (knowledge, skills and attitude) necessary
for life and work today.

 MIL considers all forms of media and other information

providers such as libraries, archive, museums and
Internet irrespective of technologies used.
 Activities and Assessment
1. Essay (500 words):
- What makes an individual literate in media and
information?
- Assess your activities, habits, and practices in
using media and information. Do you
think you are using media and information
correctly?
- Are you media and information literate?