The Importance of Media Literacy

By Doria Montfort on 06/25/2009

Category: Access, Awareness

Before the protestant reformation and the invention of the printing press, feudal control and religious corruption kept information very tightly sealed through dictating who could receive education. Without the ability to critically analyze the information being presented to them, illiterate peasants could not distinguish mental nutrients from poisons and they only received controlled amounts of both from those who could interpret Latin. As a result, they could also not distinguish what information should be absorbed versus what should be flushed away. This allowed for little personal, political, or religious freedom, in addition a complete lack of social mobility. Ultimately, a great deal of power was placed in the hands of the few, specifically those of the papacy.

In relation to contemporary Western culture, literacy of the written word is generally an essential element in the daily survival of everyone, regardless of wealth, power or stature. However, the influx of visual, electronic information is a less understood development, existing only within the last century and suddenly wielding a tremendous amount of power. Its birth has raised questions over whether or not the tangible paper printed word will be eradicated in favor of technological advancements such as that of the Kindle. These visual forms of information have caused controversy over the psychological effects that television, advertising, and film have on society at large. Unrealistic expectations of beauty, the emphasis on consumerism, and even which politician elected each term seems to be directly correlated with the stance that mass media takes, and once again the masses find themselves at the disposal of those few that control information. 

Despite the manner of consumption, it seems that visual information is no different than print in the matter of literacy. It is a requirement that everyone be exposed to education so they can learn to not only read, but to understand different styles of writing, and interpret the personal biases, misinformation, propaganda, or other forms of attempted manipulation that can exist in print. Why should visual and electronic information be different? Without an adequate understanding of the content being consumed, masses have been swallowed themselves into a spectacle focusing on idealized wealth, youth, and sex that do not exist in reality the same way they do on the screen.

In that sense, history is repeating itself. Illiterate peasants were fed specific information in the same way contemporary viewers of mass media experience visual knowledge. However, the contemporary media has built its own value structure based around instant gratification and the accumulation of wealth, power, and sex as consumable necessities for leading what has become the standard for fulfillment. Without knowledge of how to interpret this information from a young age, it is easy to be enraptured with this invented value system as an example of truth. An education in how film, television, and advertising are constructed seems crucial in creating a society that can progress beyond the couch, the obsession with this week's dysfunctional underage sexpot, and the current trendy political stance. After all, the true reality is that all of these images are created in a room full of video editing equipment perhaps manned by an aging bald man that fits none of the specifications created within the product. 

[Additional Photos: "Head Case", Information Literacy Project at Beloit College, 2007]

Tags: Media Literacy