Theory/Praxis

To me, media literacy means being aware of the media you see and hear, as well as the messages that the media is sending you. Being media literate means being able to read the messages that you are exposed to and decipher which ones are true, which ones apply to you and which ones you should believe or at least give more thought to.

When I apply the concept of media literacy to my own life, I want to say that I am extremely media literate and I am able to apply a great deal of critical thought to the messages that I see and hear every day. I want to believe that being a Media Studies student, and having successfully completed a Diploma program in Public Relations, I have learned enough about the media and the dissemination of messages that I am able to critically assess what I see and hear. The problem is that I can’t honestly say that I do this.

When I am looking at media – whether it is the internet, television, radio or some other form – I am able to assess it with a critical, media literate mind; however, I believe that I take the messages in blindly most of the time, as long as I am seeing or hearing a medium that I am used to. For example: When I am reading the Toronto Star, I tend to take the information provided to be true and accurate. I read the Star almost every day and I find that my own views and beliefs are usually in line with those of the paper. I think that I put so much trust and belief into the Star because I am presented with the same format and similar information on a daily basis. Yes, the stories do change from day to day, but they are still the same general topics and are still presented in the same format.

When I am presented with a medium that I do not have that same level of belief in, I tend to be more media literate. As I am surfing the web – a medium that I am aware can be fake, contrived, misleading and biased – I am much more sceptical about what I am seeing and the information I am receiving. The same can be said about television, which is a medium that is often put under scrutiny for the messages that it disseminates.

I realize that there are other forms of media – like billboards, magazines, posters, etc. – that I am exposed to every day; however, I tend not to notice these messages because I receive them on a more subconscious level, without really noticing that I am seeing or hearing them at all. We all receive so many messages each day that most of them are subconsciously received.

In terms of media literacy, I think that I am media literate but only at select times when I feel that the medium is not very credible to me. This brings to mind Marshall McLuhen’s famous statement: “The medium is the message.” I guess, to me, the medium is the message. Why else would I blindly trust certain mediums, believing that they are in line with my beliefs and views? The message that I am ultimately getting is that certain mediums are always credible, while others deserve scrutiny.

I believe that I am media literate at times when I have a reason to distrust the medium that I am presented with; however, I don’t think this is enough. As I am writing this blog post, I am thinking more and more about my media practices. Maybe I’m not as media literate as I would like to believe. Maybe I should be more aware of all the media that I am exposed to, in all mediums. I think that McLuhan was right in saying that the medium is the message, but I also believe that we shouldn’t blindly trust any medium. I think that I am capable of being media literate, and I do practice media literacy, but I should start to question all of the messages I receive from all mediums if I want to truly practice media literacy.