Never before has so much media been available to so many people, on so many different platforms. And yet despite how much information we have access to, more and more of it is controlled by fewer and fewer corporations. That means it's our responsibility to make sure we understand how we consume, produce and share media - be it email, our favorite show or a Facebook page. After all, educated people are the backbone of a healthy democracy.
With this in mind, we've put together this handbook with three goals in mind. First, we want to introduce you to some of the key terms used in media. Second, we're giving you media literacy links and information so that you can be as informed as possible. Don't take our word for anything! See what others are saying about media literacy. And finally we've highlighted a few key milestones in media history that have brought us to where we are now. We hope this information is useful and we hope that you enjoy it.
SECTION ONE:
TERMS
In this section we'll highlight some of the most commonly-used catchphrases, buzzwords and insider lingo used by corporate and independent media interests alike. These terms run the gamut from examples of coded language used by the political and pundit class, to notable terms any driver on the information super highway should definitely know.
SECTION TWO:
RESOURCES
As we stated in the introduction our primary objective has been to give you a few tools to help you be a better media consumer. That said, we urge you NOT TO TAKE OUR WORD FOR ANYTHING! After all, our parent company Cablevision is one of the largest media companies in the country (not as big as Viacom but big nonetheless). We encourage you to go out and seek divergent opinions and learn as much about media literacy as possible. That in mind, we thought we'd give you a little help. Below is a list of some of the most notable media literacy organizations, along with a compilation of the most influential books on the subject and, finally, a few blogs and sites that you may enjoy.
SECTION THREE:
MILESTONES
Like most things in life, there is both a good and a bad side to media. That means the responsibility lays on each and every one of us to gather the requisite knowledge needed to cut through the clutter, and make informed decisions of our own. Whatever your opinion may be of the modern media industry, we didn't get where we are today in a vacuum. Over the course of the last century many key moments have contributed to the creation of the current situation. Below are FIVE important milestones from the past century that helped shape the modern American media landscape.
