Media Literacy Resources (a.k.a "You Are What You Know")
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.
Media Literacy Organizations & Sites
Action Coalition for Media Education http://www.acmecoalition.org/
Free of any funding from Big Media, ACME champions democratizing the media system through education and activism, and by positioning media literacy as a tool for media reform.
Association for Media Literacy http://www.aml.ca/home/
The Association for Media Literacy is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting media education as a means of understanding media and technology's influence on culture.
Adbusters http://www.adbusters.org/
Adbusters is a Canadian-based journal that focuses on the erosion of society caused by commercial forces.
BBC School News Report http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/school_report/resources_for_teachers/default.stm
Using lesson plans and materials from this website, and with support from BBC staff, teachers help students develop their journalistic skills. In March of 2009, British school children will take part in a News Day in which they will create video, audio and text-based news reports, which they'll then publish to their school websites.
Center for Media Literacy http://www.medialit.org/
The Center for Media Literacy is dedicated to promoting and supporting media literacy education as a framework for people to access, analyze and interact with media.
Center for Media & Public Affairs http://www.cmpa.com/
The Center for Media and Public Affairs (CMPA) is a research organization that conducts scientific studies of the news and entertainment industries.
Center for Responsive Politics http://www.opensecrets.org/
The Center for Responsive Politics is a nonpartisan organization that tracks the effect of money on the American political system.
Center for Public Integrity http://www.publicintegrity.org/
The Center for Public Integrity's mission is producing original investigative journalism about significant public issues in order to make institutional power more transparent and accountable.
Common Cause http://www.commoncause.org
Founded in 1970, Common Cause is a nonpartisan advocacy organization, which aims to give citizens a voice in the political process.
Common Sense Media http://www.commonsensemedia.org/
The Common Sense Media site features reviews of current entertainment and digital media aimed at children and youth.
Core Principles of Media Literacy Education http://www.NAMLE.net/core-principles
The Core Principles site provides tools to help educators create media literacy education programs for students at every level.
Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma http://www.dartcenter.org/
The Dart Center is a global network of journalists, journalism educators and health professionals dedicated to improving media coverage of trauma, conflict and tragedy.
Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting http://www.fair.org
FAIR offers well-documented criticism of media bias and censorship, working to invigorate the First Amendment by advocating for greater diversity in the press and by scrutinizing media practices that marginalize public interest, minority and dissenting viewpoints.
Federal Communications Commission http://www.fcc.gov/
The Federal Communications Commission was established as part of the Communications Act of 1934, an is an independent government agency charged with regulating interstate and international radio, television, wire, satellite and cable communications.
Free Press http://www.freepress.net/
Free Press is a national, nonpartisan organization that advocates for diverse and independent media ownership, strong public media, and universal access to communications.
The Media Access Project http://www.mediaaccess.org/
The Media Access Project is a non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to promoting everyone's First Amendment right to access diverse ideas in today's (and tomorrow's) mass media landscape.
Key Facts: Media Literacy http://www.kff.org/entmedia/upload/Key-Facts-Media-Literacy.pdf
This fact sheet from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) reviews the emerging body of research, which suggests that media literacy education can be used a tool to address a wide array of public health issues including body consciousness, nutrition and substance abuse.
The Media Education Foundation http://www.mediaed.org/
The Media Education Foundation produces documentary films and other educational resources designed to inspire critical reflection on the social, political, and cultural impact of American mass media.
Media Education Lab at Temple University http://mediaeducationlab.com
The Media Education Lab at Temple University is a research center offering graduate education programs in media literacy education. The center also provides free access to information on scholarships and educational programs as well as research reports, multimedia resources, and curriculum materials for educators.
Media Literacy 101 http://www.ciconline.org/medialiteracy101
Cable in the Classroom offers an online media literacy primer for both parents and teachers. Become active and critical thinkers about media, develop criteria for making decisions about media use in the home, and find and identify quality media resources.
Media-L listserv
The Media-L listserv is an online network where educators and activists can exchange ideas and share resources. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to listproc@nmsu.edu. Leave the subject line blank and, in the body of the email, format your text so it reads like this: subscribe Media-L subscribe Media-L your name, your title, your organization (e.g. subscribe Media-L John Smith, Research Coordinator, XYX Research Center).
Media Literacy Marketplace http://www.NAMLE.net/marketplace
The Media Literacy Marketplace is basically a "one-stop-shop" where you can find all the best online media literacy resources ranging from books, to curriculum materials, to videos and more.
My Pop Studio http://mypopstudio.com
My Pop Studio is an interactive online experience, geared for middle-school girls, and designed to strengthen critical thinking skills about television, music, magazines and online media.
National Association for Media Literacy Education http://www.NAMLE.net
The National Association for Media Literacy Education is dedicated to advancing the media literacy education throughout society.
News Trust http://newstrust.net
This online community promotes quality journalism for the purpose of helping people make more informed decisions. News Trust reviewers evaluate news stories using core journalistic principles of journalism, and site users can create a customized widget to receive daily news stories.
Pew Center for the People & the Press http://people-press.org/
The Pew Center is an independent group that studies attitudes about the press and politics.
Project New Media Literacies http://newmedialiteracies.org/
Project New Media Literacies (NML) highlight methods for equipping young people with the social and cultural tools needed to truly be full participants in today's emergent media landscape.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame http://www.rockhall.com/teacher/sti-lesson-plans/
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame offers development programs for teachers who seek to create lessons plans designed to build critical thinking and communications skills about popular music among their students.
Stop Big Media http://www.stopbigmedia.com/
Stop Big Media is a coalition of interested parties, from across the political spectrum, who've have banded together (in their words) "to fight the FCC's efforts to further consolidate the media industry."
