Reflection on Media Literacy Course

Learning Letter Reflection from Graduate Course on Media Literacy.

High Points of Learning:

There is a real and concrete problem that is addressed in media literacy. In Dr. Fox's book, Harvesting Minds, it's the exploitation of children in schools by companies trying to make a profit with adverstising dollars. Along those lines, advertising companies use propaganda techniques to deceive consumers into thinking the products they sell have bigger promises to make, promises that they can't possibly fulfill. Companies want you to think they have altruistic motives and/or a genuine concern that extends beyond their profit margin. These points were very well covered and discussed in this course, and I learned a lot from these discussions and readings.

Questions that Linger:

What are the applications of media literacy beyond television and commercials? How do we apply the deconstruction techniques we use so successfully in examining television and commercials to other mediums or when the unspoken bottom line is abstract ideology (influence, power, social change) instead of tangible monetary profits? I believe the implications we talked about extend far beyond the relatively narrow focus we have maintained, and I am eager to take the information we have learned and apply it with a broader brush. I think we've shown that media-literacy goes beyond a simple propaganda-busting technique, but what are it's boundries and limitations, or does it have any? Does media-literacy have value beyond labeling and dismissing perceived anti-"progressive" sentiments in our media, and how do we tap into that value?