CONTENT 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. 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.

1. Elements of Media
Literacy
Ms. Thilini Rajaguru
Department of Languages and Communication Studies
Faculty of Communication and Business Studies.

2. Media literacy can mean somewhat different things to different observers.
In general ; Media consumers must develop the “ability” or “facility” to
better interpret media content.
Media literacy is the ability to effectively and efficiently comprehend and
utilize mass media content.

3. Media scholar Art Silverblatt (1995) identified five
fundamental elements of media literacy. Two
more elements have added to that.

4. 1. An awareness of the impact of media.
2. An understanding of the process of mass communication.
3. strategies for analyzing and discussing media messages.
4. An understanding of media content as a text that provides insight into our culture
and our lives.
5. The ability to enjoy, understand, and appreciate media content.
6. An understanding of the ethical and moral obligations of media practitioners.
7. Development of appropriate and effective production skills.
CONTENT

5. 1. An Awareness of the Impact of Media
•If we ignore the impact of media on our lives, we run the risk of being
caught up and carried along by that change rather than controlling or
leading it.
Writing, Printing press
Mass Media
Change the world and the people in it.
Change the world and the people in it.

6. Ex:

8. 2. An understanding of the Process of
Mass Communication
•How do the various media industries operate?
•What are their obligations to us?
•What are the obligations of the audience?
•How do different media limit or enhance messages?
•Which forms of feedback are more effective and why?

9. 3. Strategies for analyzing and discussing
media messages.
•To consume media messages thoughtfully, we need a foundation;
EX: Understanding the content and impact of films and video
conventions such as camera angles and lighting, placement of photos
on a newspaper page.
•Otherwise, meaning is made for us, the interpretation of media content
will then rest with its creator not with us.

10. High Angle Shot Law Angle Shot
Ex:

11. 4. An understanding of media content as a text that
provides insight into our culture and our lives.
•We know a culture, its people, attitudes, values concerns & myths through
communication.
•Media messages increasingly dominate and shape our understanding of
and insight into our culture.

12. 5. The ability to enjoy, understand and appreciate
media content.
•Multiple points of access- to approach media content from a variety of
directions and derive from it many levels of meaning.
•We control meaning making for our own enjoyment or appreciation.

13. 6. An understanding of the ethical and moral
obligations of media practitioners
•To make informed judgements about the performance of the media;
—We must aware about the competing pressures on practitioners as they
do their jobs.
—We must understand the media’s official and unofficial rules of operation.
—Their legal and ethical obligations.

14. 7. Development of appropriate and effective
production skills.
•Media literate individuals should develop production skills that enable
them to create useful media messages.
•Presentation skills, internet, world wide web, keep in contact with clients,
customers, narrative home video.