#in media literacy and critical thinking in general because people are viewing media through an incredibly narrow view

[redysetdare]

I always find it interesting that homosexual coded main characters don't really get shipped with every single side character of the opposite gender. And people get told off for shipping lesbian coded characters with men or gay coded characters with women by the rest of the fandom. But it's always aroace coded main characters getting shipped with every single side character that exists. And aroace fans getting told to "not generalise the entire aspec community" and "let people ship whomever they want!! It's just fiction!!!" as if we don't deserve to see characters living happy lives not being in relationships. And my biggest pet peeve is the trope of an aroace coded character "growing up and maturing" by... getting in a romantic/sexual relationship. Really shows what these people think about non-partnering aspec people irl. It's not just about fictional characters but they'll never admit it 🤷

I will say that there are some idiots out there who do ship gay characters with the opposite sex because they believe in people being able to ship whatever they want (which can lead to some disturbing places but I digress) But those kinds of ships do get a lot more push back and the same people who get after people for changing characters from gay to straight do not have the same energy when it happens to aro /aroace characters.

These same people are the ones calling for representation and how we treat characters identities in fiction does reflect how we view those identities in the real world EXCEPT when it comes to aspec characters. Suddenly then it's "fiction doesn't effect reality!!!" there's some double standards happening and it's beyond frustrating that no one seems to even notice and get mad at us for pointing it out.

Not to mention it's incredibly funny to hear them cry "Don't generalize the community" while they generalize the community by acting like every aro/ace/aroace person can date and have sex - which like you said ignored the existence of non-partnering identities and I'd like to add it also erases repulsed identities.

None of these people actually care about the aspecs who date or have sex. they don't actually care how those identities work or those experiences at all. they're using them as a get out of jail free card. a loop hole. a "I can't be homophobic because I have a gay best friend" card. They don't care about QPRs and how those relationships can be experience in wildly different ways. All they care about is if they get to have two characters kiss without having to genuinely look at themselves and their biases and possibly have the revelation that they might hold bigoted beliefs about aspec people.

And at this point I'd rather them admit that they don't actually care about aspec identities or experiences instead of tying themselves into knots to try and prove "I'm not aphobic!!!!" because they actively tried to find a loop hole to make it so that they could feel superior and in the right for being able to erase an entire identity of people.

[howlsmovinglibrary]

Hello! I saw your response to the "5 things you could talk about for an hour" tag game, and I just wanted to say that I am in fact very interested in your perspective on how fandom/fanfic has impacted media literacy and the publishing industry, if you'd ever like to yap on Tumblr about it!

hmmm... other people have said it better than me in various different tumblr posts but I'm a yapper why not?

(under the cut to save a long post)

fandom/fanfic impacts on media literacy:

media is viewed through shipping goggles first and a critical lens second (both of them are allowed! i love my shipping goggles! but i also like having multiple tools of analysis in my arsenal!)

this also sometimes means that media devolves into relationships and 'fan service' moments, above plot or delivery of a good and satisfactory story (I'm not saying OFMD but I kind of am. I'm not saying BG3 additional content that has focused on popular characters and ships above incomplete and underwritten narratives... but I kind of am)

because fandom now also has a big purity culture kick back, and fandom has become mainstream, that means mainstream media also has a purity culture kick back (for instance, everyone performing scandalised and 'disgusted' reactions to Saltburn, when actually all that is is a... psychological thriller)

fandom/fanfic impacts on the publishing industry:

the Locked Tomb's popularisation of fic-ish writing, alongside the reylo fanfic boom (Ali Hazelwood serial numbers filed off -> romance pipeline) kind of coincided perfectly with the pandemic. as did the success of Travis Baldree's coffeeshop AU, Legends and Lattes. people wanted comfort media, but at the other end, publishing industry professionals were working from home and likely spread thin. I think this created a perfect storm for 'fast fiction' (like 'fast fashion') where basically a fanfic can be quickly changed into a book with minimal editing that doesn't matter anyway bc it provides a dopamine hit. None of this is inherently bad. I don't dislike fanfic-to-published-novel on principle. What I *hate*, is bad editing. Extremely high quality editing is what trad publishing has, in a way fic doesn't. Bc fic can be as long as you want it to be, and can linger, and can have fun - it's not designed for efficiency or quality control bc that's not the point. that being said... quality control can, in fact, improve a work's quality. but trad publishing doesn't have good editing anymore, bc the pandemic proved it didn't necessarily need it, and publishing companies love to not spend money on things, especially if it will make them a profit without that care or attention.

what i will also say, is there is a reason it's easy to file the serial numbers off. reylo fics are very far from canon, for a number of reasons. Legends and Lattes is a coffeeshop AU, without any character work. This doesn't mean they are bad. It just means they feed into a general trend of 'fic as tropes' - rather than 'fic as character study', for instance - which in turn means that romance in particular has also become 'romance as tropes' (or even 'romance as smut' which is another thing I have feelings about, bc bad editing + fiction as smut = really, really bad smut actually lads)

in general 'fiction as tropes' has then obviously been aided by tiktok as the primary marketing platform. rather than provide an explanation of your story, providing an explanation of its tropes encourages your book being read this way

another thing that has happened as a result of fic is 'queer rep' as being 'there is queer people in it' or 'there is queer romance in it'. again, not inherently a bad thing. i love a gay book. but gay and queer experiences exist on a spectrum. a book with queer MCs for the sake of having queer MCs may end up feeling tokenistic, if the writer has included queer rep for the sake of queer rep, or (and we need to admit this happens!) to be trendy!! to hit on the 'queer rep' zeitgeist!!! similarly, a queer book without any romance in it can still be queer, but gods forbid we have *that* conversation.

As I said, all of these things have been discussed in tumblr posts far better than mine. In terms of my personal experience - teaching undergraduate literature classes, this is what I've noticed:

because of fandom or social media with fandom lite edges, a lot of my students are very up-to-date on things such as intersectional feminism, gender performativity, compulsory heterosexuality, queer coding, etc. I don't need to define these terms, whereas they were defined when I was an undergrad.

however, the flipside of this is they often approach the texts I teach only with a contemporary mindset. The biggest example I have of this is Jane Eyre. Jane Eyre actually benefits from a contemporary mindset - after being heralded as feminist in the 1960s, intersectional criticisms in the 1980s/90s by postcolonial critics called out its racist treatment of Bertha Mason. BUT if I have to read another essay about Jane Eyre's relationship with Rochester being 'problematic', I will scream. Not bc I don't agree, but because criticisms of this novel need to also acknowledge that in the victorian era, such a blatant discussion of female sexual desire was radical for its time. That class and sexism was a big enough issue in the 19th century that for Jane to get to marry a man from the landed gentry on equal footing was a big deal at the time. It's fine if you decide Jane Eyre isn't feminist! but you need to prove that through multiple critical lenses and not just a jezebel-article style treatise. (for instance, one essay critiqued the male gaze in Jane Eyre... Jane Eyre was written by a woman looking very disrespectfully actually, and also... film hadn't been invented yet. while the male gaze existed in art, the normalising of female objectification, sexually, required film. also... the male gaze is a term that requires a man with eyes to be making that piece of art.)

the other biggest problem I have when teaching, is the 'queer character as queer representation' thing, and ESPECIALLY "good queer representation means morally good queer characters'. I teach Giovanni's Room. Anyone who has read Giovanni's Room, knows that the main character is both gay... and a bad person. That book isn't just talking about being gay, but about being closeted, trapped in compulsory heteronormativity, and also... 1950s racism. One of the biggest challenges for me as a teacher is to ask students "don't just tell me there's gay people in it, look at what those gay people are doing. is queerness portrayed positively or negatively? what aspects of the experience are being represented? do these aspects have value, especially when it is a queer artist making the art?"

(people also feel like they can't call a gay character mean or bad, because of the whole 'gay is inherently virtuous' part of fandom's mindset. spoilers: gay people can suck too. and are allowed to be portrayed as such in fiction, once you have a tool in your toolkit known as nuance).

anyway, aside from the fact it means i occasionally struggle to find good romance books bc I want not just well written sex but character development - which fanfic has! I'm not saying fanfic doesn't have it! but the fanfic that gets published sometimes doesn't, and certainly very rarely has both! - my teaching is absolutely where I see fandom's impact most clearly.

[jezreelrogelio]

IMPORTANCE OF BEING MEDIA AND INFORMATION LITERATE INDIVIDUAL

INTRODUCTION:

Media and information literacy empowers people to think critically about information and use of digital tools. It enables people in making decisions regarding their participation in the promotion of peace, equality, freedom of expression, information access and sustainable development. It is about giving people the knowledge and abilities they need to interact with media and information systems in a responsible and productive way. As a result, individuals can develop into informed, engaged citizens who can take part in community life and democracy. Media literacy is essential because it helps people understand the messages that are being communicated to them. With so many sources of information today, media literacy can help people identify reliable sources and filter through the noise to get at the truth.Analyzing the material and comprehending the underlying messages critically are two skills that are included in media literacy. The way social media is used to spread news is a major source of concerns. The need for critical content evaluation has increased as a result of the spread of news on social media platforms. A fundamental skill in media literacy is the ability to identify. Additionally, in the age of imitations and AI-generated information, media literacy requires not only understanding but also evaluating the content's validity. Furthermore, people who are media literate are better able to identify media biases and how they may influence how they view a situation or problem.

BODY:

Our world uses media to send information or in other words technologies are greatly used especially in developing the world and our country. But, this is useless if it is not used appropriately. For this reason, we do have what is referred to as media and information literacy.

If i'm a media and information literate, i can contribute to my country by providing everyone with legitimate and reliable informations that would help them in any way and also by spreading awareness about certain important topics that affects a lot of our community members. Im addition, as a media and information literate person, I can contribute something to my community and country by being updated to what is happening around the nation and informing neighbors and people in my community or country through the use of social media. I can claim that what I accomplished contributed to our nation's development. Another effective way of developing a nation would be to educate everyone on how to deal with the media and information. Start by explaining to some of your neighbors how to analyze internet news sources and media. Informing the residents of your community that media is not limited to television and the internet might change on how they interpret media.

For me I would say I am an Media and Information Literate, cause I spend a lot of time on social media platforms. The time that I spent on social media can help people in any different ways. For example I can teach begginers or new in social media, I can teach them how to know if something is legit or not. Because a lot of thing in social media is fake or not legitable and there's a lot of scammer in social media. First thing they need is to confirm if its legit, only follow legitimate source like GMA, ABS CBN and NEWS ARTICLE. I can teach them how to avoid scammer. You need to stalk the user if its his/her legit account, be careful when talking someone you don't know, be cautious.

For me media literacy education provides tools to help people develop receptive media capability to critically analyze messages, offers opportunities for learners to broaden their experience of media, and helps them develop generative media capability to increase creative skills in making their own media messages. Education for media literacy often uses an inquiry-based pedagogic model that encourages people to ask questions about what they watch, hear, and read. Media literacy moves beyond the traditional no print text and moves to examining more contemporary sources. Some examples of media literacy include, but are not limited to television, video games, photographs, and audio messages.

CONCLUSION:

The protection of free expression is greatly aided by media literacy. The ability to critically assess, evaluate, and decipher information gives people the power to choose what they consume and share with confidence. This capacity to spot bias and false information, as well as to discriminate between dependable and unreliable sources, improves the standard of public discourse and protects the democratic norms of free expression. In summary, media information literacy provides a basis for people to exercise their right to free speech in the digital age ethically and successfully.

[technicallysuperwizard]

Media and information Literacy as expression of Freedom of Speech

Media and information literacy are expressions of freedom of speech because people feel more at ease speaking in their own community. It is also a desire to express whatever feelings you keep hiding in your heart that need explanation. And to be able to contribute new ideas to others. Freedom of speech allows us to express ourselves in a way that communicates in ways that benefit those around us. It is very valuable to use media forms to access information and communicate with one another. In media and information literacy, as an expression of freedom of speech, we should first understand and communicate with one another because a lack of understanding and communication will lead to individual development in judging the media content that people post online. This kind of freedom of speech is part of the process of communication.   According to Calvin Clyde Palicte, communication is a natural skill that we’ve learned from our parents when we’re young because they teach us to speak, read, write, and use communication just to communicate with other people at an early age. And communication is a process that involves the transmission of messages and the attention of people, directly to the people who will receive the message from the sender. The media have different types of media for the expression of freedom of speech, like newspapers, radio, television, and the internet. It can be used to communicate with others.   Many people have no freedom of speech because of fear and judgement.Freedom of speech allows the people of our country to express themselves and share their ideas, views, and opinions openly.Before making a choice, all aspects and angles of the topic should be taken into consideration. Informational expertise and media expertise have generally been seen as different and distinct fields. In reality, many ancients believed in the right to free speech. The fact that one has the right to say and believe is the foundation for democracy if people dare to express their opinions.They will help improve the society in which one lives. Freedom of speech gives one the responsibility to consider what fits into different contexts, and it will make us better people. People will feel safe in the society they live in. We can contribute to our community if we are media and information literate individuals by providing our audience or community with legitimate and important information that would help them in any way and by spreading awareness about certain important topics that affect a lot of our community members. For us, it is a process that involves the transmission of messages, individual performance, and social attention. The location and destination of the messages are determined by the context and culture of the people, which affect how they express and feel toward society. I believe that media information literacy is crucial for us since it may improve our daily lives, our ability to communicate with others, our ability to socialize, and the growth of our critical thinking and long-term learning. A person with poor self-confidence may also benefit from it because they have the flexibility or freedom to express their opinion. Being a student, I want my positive perspective on our society to be considered and spread. I will ask the people for their thoughts on how they could improve our country and community in order to demonstrate both our own and their collective expressions of freedom. Then post it online in the form of a documentary or a video compilation and share it with others. Utilizing media as a tool to showcase our country's beauty through images, videos, and blogs uses the visual arts and graphics to educate and inspire the populace to create a better world. These small steps may not amount to much, but they can encourage not only young people but also adults who care.

[evidence-based-activism]

Mass Media vs Porn

So, a series of comments made me interested in the relationship between sexualized mass media and pornography. My views on porn are already well fleshed out (I’ve made and reblogged a few posts about it, and have more I haven’t posted yet), so I decided to look through the literature and try and form some kind of an opinion about mass media.

Unfortunately, but unsurprisingly, considering “media” is far more broad than “porn” the data is less clear. 

For starters, while harm is inherent to the production of the porn (I and others have made/reblogged several posts about this but you can start here and here), production of movies or television shows (even when they contain horror or action scenes) does not usually cause harm to the actors/those involved in the creation. 

(Of course, there are exceptions and accidents where actors are hurt doing stunts or because of negligence. There’s also a very significant sexual harassment and assault problem in the entertainment industry. However, these problems are not, for lack of a better term, endemic to the entertainment industry, while rape and exposure to STDs (for example) are endemic to the porn industry.)

So, that’s a main difference between the two. But what about the consumption of mass media?

That’s where things got...fuzzier. 

Looking through the research, some studies concluded that there was no evidence at that time of a relationship between violent media and violent behavior:

A meta analysis in 2009 indicated their results “do not support the conclusion that media violence leads to aggressive behavior” [1]

Another meta analysis in 2008 concludes that “he evidence is not adequate to claim that exposure to violent TV is a significant source of violence in U.S. society” [2]

A meta analysis in 2004 concludes that there is “the body of published, empirical evidence on [media violence] does not establish that viewing violent portrayals causes crime” [3]

A review from 2007 indicates that “when integrated with other long-term studies on the development of crime, it is concluded that the link between media violence and crime is weak after other environmental factors are taken into account” [4]

Another study from 1986 finds no association between rates of violent crime and prevalence of violent media in a population based study** [5] 

Another study from 2009 found “television violence exposure was not predictive of any form of youth aggression” [6]

**This result should be interpreted with caution as attempts to isolate specific causes of crime or violence on a population level are generally full of confounding factors. I included this study because it helps complete a picture, not because it definitely determines any particular relationship. 

However, these were primarily concerned with violent behavior, which doesn’t necessarily give us the full picture, for example:

The studies complied in [1] either measured violent behavior or used unreliable scales for aggression

Studies [2] [3] [4] and [5] looks specifically at criminal aggression/violent crime

Only study [6] looked past overt criminally violent behavior

Note: This is another place where mass media effects diverge from effects of porn, as there is significant evidence linking porn use to criminal behavior (start here and here).

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Other studies found some relationship between media violence and aggression:

One study found individuals with high trait aggression (a predisposition) were (1) more likely to select a violent film when given a choice, (2) reported a greater increase in anger than individuals with low trait aggression after viewing the violent film, and (3) displayed more aggressive behavior on a lab specific task [7]

Another study documents that there are short-term increases in negative emotions and subsequent behavior after viewing violent media, at least for younger children. Long term effects are harder to establish, but there does appear to be a trend that possibly emerges only in combination with other risk factors. [8]

Another study found modest affects of media violence on aggressive thoughts of behavior. This one found that only children displayed longer-term effects [9]

A study from 1986 found media violence in and of itself didn’t not predict violent behavior, but that heavy doses of violent media consumption in combination with parental violence did [10] 

A final study indicates that media violence is a risk factor for aggression, but is only one among many. This article mainly focuses on the need for a multivariate approach that considers interactions between consumption of violent media and a host of other factors [11]

Note: These results appear more similar (if more mild) to the effects of porn on violence and misogynistic beliefs. (Again see this post). They mirror how certain individuals are at a higher risk for maladaptive responses, and how the issue is multifactorial. However, they also indicate the effects are more limited (i.e. only to children) or less primary than the effects of porn.

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Another difference to porn is that the negative effects of violent media on children (the main “at risk” group) may potentially be alleviated by discussing and evaluating the media with them (i.e. helping them develop media literacy). [12]

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Despite this, I found a few compelling articles linking media violence to aggression:

One extensive meta analysis found a link between violent video game use and physical aggression. They suggest that other factors either moderate or facilitate this association. [13]

A report by the American Psychological Association confirms this effect of video games [14]

Another study found a significant connection between the exposure to violent content involving real people on the internet and seriously violent behavior. [15]

Note: I tentatively suggest that the connection between violent media and violence found in these studies may be stronger due to (1) the interactive nature of the mediums and (2) the exposure to real people. By this I mean, both video games and browsing/searching for content on the internet is more interactive than passively watching movies or television. Further, the effects found in [15] applied mainly when the observed violence was happening to real people. 

This has substantial implications for the effects of porn, as most pornography is  now sought out on the internet, closely engaged with (masturbation), and depicts real people (engaged in real violence).

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So what does this suggest?

Overall, this literature suggests to me that (1) there is a connection between violent media and aggression, (2) this connection is embedded within a framework of other risk factors, (3) certain groups are at higher risk which indicates we are right to limit children from accessing some forms of media**, (4) the negative effects of violent media may be alleviated through the development of media literacy, (5) pornography has an effect on cognitions and behaviors that violent media in general does not appear to have. 

**A report by the American Academy of Pediatrics discusses this more throughly. [16]

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What happens, however, if we introduce sexualized elements to the mix? 

One study found that sexually violent and sexually explicit mass media correlated with acceptance of domestic and sexual violence acts and myths, as well as actual perpetration and victimization. Preexisting attitudes moderate this relationship. [17]

Exposure to sexualized violence in mass media decreased sympathy to rape victims [18]

When women are shown as deserving or enjoying the sexualized violence aimed against them, men indicated more acceptance of violence against women [19]

Exposure to objectifying media later increased men’s self-reported likelihood to act as an acquaintance rapist [20]

As such, there is evidence of a correlation between exposure to media that affirms misogynistic attitudes (such as the endorsement of acquaintance rape) and belief in these attitudes. 

Therefore it is also important to note that some studies [19] [20] and [21] indicate that improving media literacy (i.e. critical examination of the media) could mitigate acceptance of rape myths and misogynistic attitudes. This potential to critically examine the material presented potentially separates sexualized violence in mass media from sexual violence in porn. 

On the other hand, other studies elaborate on the connection between objectifying media and self-objectification [22] and the damaging prevalence of sexualization of girls in various forms of media [23] and [24]*. This strongly suggests the sexualization of girls in media has far-reaching, negative, consequences. 

*there is evidence that girls exposed to sexualizing and objectifying media are more likely to experience body dissatisfaction, depression, and lower self- esteem ... [as well as affecting] girls’ sexual development. Furthermore, girls’ relationships with boys and men are affected in that exposure to sexualizing and objectifying media has been shown to relate to girls’ and boys’ views on dating, boys’ sexual harassment of girls, and attitudes toward sexual violence.

These, I think, provide compelling evidence that sexualization of women and girls in media still perpetuates sexism. In some cases, this may potentially be addressed via increasing media literacy. The prevalent sexualization of girls however, would likely require more approaches. 

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tl;dr Violence in mass media is not the same as in porn. It may still be harmful, and such effects should be addressed (potentially via media literacy). Some groups are more vulnerable to media violence, and some forms of media violence are more severe. In any case, media violence is one of many components in a complex web of factors leading to aggression, and should be addressed within said web. Sexualized violence may help perpetuate misogynistic myths in society and negatively impact women and girls. Some of these affects may be addressed though improving media literacy, others require different approaches. 

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[To deal with how tumblr handles links I’m going to reblog this post with the sources list.]

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[ishramasuhud]

My Media Literacy Gallery Walk, Hi everyone this is my blog relating the media literacy, Im going to share some thoughts and ideas about the media literacy.

The European film import

In Spanish colonial the lumiere brothers, Auguste and Louis Lumière Invented Cinematographe film camera and projector with the help of Spanish soldier named Carlo Naquera. Naquera flashed several Spanish-language to chosen audiences in 1987 and he run out of short film so he took the cinematographe around town and shot local scenes, which he subsequently displayed as a short documentary. The Imported films from America appeared early in the early theaters in Manila during the 1900’s In American Colonial. The “Dalagang Bukid” was the earliest film that was produced by a filipino who is Jose Nepumuceno, He is the father of the Philippine cinema in 1919. Hermogenes Ilagan who’s a filipino tenor, writer, stage actor, and playwright made a movie adaptation of a popular musical stage play starred by Atang Dela Ramja.

The Broadcast Industry

The broadcasting industry is composed of radio and television stations and networks that helps create content or to obtain the right publication prerecorded television and radio advertising. Broadcasting is to give out or the distribution of audio or video content to dissipate audience via any mass communications but typically use electromagnetic spectrum in a one or to many model. Broadcast signals then move from a station's transmission tower to the antennae of televisions and radios through cable television connections, satellite distribution systems, or the airwaves. The programming can be received by anyone having a radio or television in the signal region.

Local online media

Dissemination of Records, Masters, and/or Videos via downloads or streams over the internet, or any other electronic or online form of distribution now known or yet to be discovered or invented, including but not limited to dissemination to mobile phones and other devices, is referred to as online media.

The three classifications of media

Print in media

This is the print medium of communication. Information is disseminated by newspapers, periodicals, books, banners, billboards, flyers, brochures, business cards, and other means.

Broadcast media

The broadcast media refers to the dissemination of digital content like videos, audios, photos, and written content through broadcast channels. This mainly refers to the use of TV, radio, movies, and more offline digital channels.

Online media

The Internet is the lifeblood of online media. It is when content is shared through online platforms in the form of audio, video, and text. They can be shared in different channels that we’ll shed light on later in this article.

Types of Online Media:

Social Networking Sites

online forums

podcast

Media Sharing Networks

Content curation network

Blogging and Publishing Networks

Emails

Consumer review networks

The State of Media today

The state of media today is a matter of opinion for some, though a recent report from Vocus shows a picture of ongoing decline. The continued loss of jobs in television, radio and print media paints a dire picture of the evolution still required from the aging industry. The debate over folklore versus new media has been raging for a few years now–consumer demands are shifting a significant amount of activity to digital formats giving options for instant gratification when it comes to when, where and how we enjoy our media fulfillment. In the last year, 293 newspapers have gone out of business, with nearly 100 of them closing in the first quarter of 2009. Across major publications, 600 employees were laid off. With 10,000 jobs lost, the radio industry found itself in an even more difficult situation. Over 100 television stations in the United States declared bankruptcy, owing largely to their parent companies filing for Chapter 11. The slowdown effect of this had on the media industry has pushed professionals into the online sector, with Internet-based publications taking the helm towards new ways of thinking. Those displaced employees of various publications and stations have found themselves shifting to a new industry all together or taking up the profession of blogging and similar jobs in order to remain in their familiar line of work.

From Globalization to Glocalization

It starts with Globalization that process a company to brings its business to the rest of the world. It gives local businesses wider access to a bigger target market in different cultures. And when glocalization comes which also a product or service that is developed and distributed globally but is is adjusted to accommodate the user or consumer in a local market.

The local landscape

Local Landscape Areas are areas of land and water that are recognised as having. high landscape value. Landscape can be described in terms of the contours of its landforms, and any visible evidence of the geological. processes which shaped it, its geomorphological and geological. Nature sites and areas of countryside can be 'designated', which means they have special status as protected areas because of their natural and cultural importance. Protection means that these places have clear boundaries. have people and laws to make sure that the nature and wildlife are not harmed or destroyed. These elements of design include mass, form, line, texture and color. In the landscape, they are used to transform space and create a unique experience. While color and texture add interest and richness to a design, it is mass, form and line that are critical to organizing space and providing structure.

Media Ownership

Due to the assumption that ownership can have an impact on the contents and practices of journalism, media ownership is of interest in journalism research. The ownership of the news media can take many forms, including state ownership, family ownership, political party ownership, trust ownership, and public or corporate ownership. The main concern with ownership in journalism scholarship is market concentration and monopolization, as well as the unintended consequences for media diversity, public opinion formation, democracy, and journalistic autonomy. The potential financial and political benefits of owning journalistic media are assumed to be ownership motivations throughout the research. Benevolence is rarely assumed, as the problematic aspects of ownership are addressed from both the management and critical political economy perspectives in the research.

Mainstream Media

Mainstream media (MSM) is a term and abbreviation used to refer collectively to the various large mass news media that influence many people, and both reflect and shape prevailing currents of thought. The term is used to contrast with alternative media. Mainstream media, which simply refers to where most Americans get their news, generally included a person’s local newspaper, local TV affiliate, and one of three national broadcast news programs. Nowadays, the media landscape is more complex. It has broadened from traditional news sources (print, TV, and radio) to video, AM/FM radio, podcasts, satellite radio, and social media. It also now includes news producers and aggregators. And as it has expanded, it’s become more fragmented, so that even traditional media can have narrower and narrower audiences.

Alternative and Independent media

Alternative media are media sources that differ from established or dominant types of media (such as mainstream media or mass media) in terms of their content, production, or distribution. While Independent media refers to any media, such as television, newspapers or Internet-based publications, that is free of influence by government or corporate interests. The term has varied applications. Within the United States and other developed countries, it is often used synonymously with alternative media to refer to media that specifically distinguish themselves in relation to the mainstream media. In international development, the term independent media is used in relation to the development of new media outlets, particularly in areas where there is little to no existing media presence.

Community Media

Community media are any form of media that function in service of or by a community. It is the rise of all kinds of alternative, oppositional, participatory and collaborative media practices that have developed in the journalistic context of ‘community media,’ ‘we media,’ ‘citizens media,’ ‘grassroot journalism’ or any radical alternative to on and offline mainstream journalistic practices. In other words, it is having access to or creating local alternatives to mainstream broadcasting, like local community newspapers, radio stations, or magazines. Community Media aids in the process of building citizenship and raising social awareness. “Participation” and “access” are a large aspect in the rise of community media. Those who create media are being encouraged to involve themselves in providing a platform for others to express views. Community media is often given parameters when being defined by groups, but often challenges these boundaries with its broad yet narrow structure.

State-owned Media

State media, state-controlled media, or state-owned media is media for mass communication that is under financial and editorial control of a country's government, directly or indirectly. These news outlets may be the sole media outlet or may exist in competition with corporate and non-corporate media. State media is not to be confused with public broadcasting and public sector media (state-funded), which is funded directly or indirectly by the state or government but over which the state does not have editorial control.

What is your opinion regarding the closure of ABS-CBN? Do you agree or disagree with the congress decision? Explain your answer.

I agree because ABS-CBS abused the freedom of press, they’re using their company for their own self interest. And it came to the point that they’ve became a power player in philippine politics. They took advantage in giving government positions to those people who are under their power.

[classifidpotat]

i saw people talking about over analyzing novels and just pieces of media in general, and joking about how a tumblr post ruined a generation’s to critically think about writing and it got me thinking.

i spend so much time looking to deep into the dumbest things because that’s just what i enjoy doing, but i feel like it always comes across as useless in schools because there seems to be very little wiggle room when it comes to your answers.

i remember reading fahrenheit 451 for english and my teacher asked us one day what it meant to have the main character reading books while it’s raining. we went through a bunch of answers and no one wanted to say anything anymore because all of us were told we were “wrong” or “not thinking in the right direction.” she told us it was because water and rain symbolizes rebirth, and the mc going against the law to read was rebirth in the sense of returning to education and literacy. we all had some actually decent answers about setting an atmosphere or the rain forming isolation for a temporarily sense of privacy. literally no one thought that because none of us knew water and rain was supposed to mean that.

it happened again and more often when interpreting poems. i Despises our poem unit because i was always told i wasn’t reading it right, and i wasn’t taking away the proper meanings of thing.

the reason why i hated that class and those types of assignments was because There Shouldn’t Be A Wrong Answer.

we’re so “encouraged” to dig deep and over analyze writings to better our ability to Think, but i saw myself and so many others be told we’re wrong. everyone has their own experiences and opinions that will shape how they read things and it frustrates me to no end that i encounter so many people who claim there’s only one way to read a poem or novel. fuck man, i don’t think that the rain means a return to proper education, i don’t think that line in that poem was supposed to do whatever you told me.

i remember so many people saying that they hate being told to analyze writings because they were never able to have their own viewpoints validated. later classes got better for me as i was able to share my interpretations of things without being told i’m wrong. i don’t think that people think deeply analyzing things are useless, it might just be that independent and unique views in english classes are labeled as Incorrect..

[rabor-boquecosa]

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MEDIA AND INFORMATION LITERACY

   Our brains rely upon information to work ideally. Media and information literacy includes knowledge, attitudes and skills that are needed to know when and what information is needed. The quality of information we draw in with to a great extent decides our discernments, convictions and mentalities. It may be informations from different people, the media, libraries, museums, exhibition halls, distributers, or other data suppliers involving those on the Internet

   Media literacy is important because From the word Media Literacy it simply means that it has the ability to recognize any types of media and the messages they convey. Everywhere you go you all see any types of media from the books you read to the movies you watch. When we mention the word media, it circumscribed to print media like newspapers, magazines, posters and etc. It is important because with media literacy readers can become writers and it also comes with a cycle where both readers and writers can enhance their literacy skills. Simply put, media literacy is the ability to understand various types of media and the messages they convey. Print media, such as newspapers, magazines, and posters, as well as dramatic presentations, tweets, and radio broadcasts, are all included when we talk about media. Understanding these different types of information and being able to make sense of what is presented is important. Since media literacy involves being able to view, interpret, and assess information received through the media we will free our minds if we have these media literacy skills. We have the right to make  also express ourselves in an imaginative and successful manner.

   The ability to express one's knowledge need is known as information literacy. To meet an information need, the ability to identify, locate, and access appropriate sources of information is required. The ability to use information services efficiently, regardless of format. Information literacy education provides them with the basic abilities important to become independent learners. It helps enhance the quality of education for the lifelong learners. It has a set of abilities that enhances ones capacity to evaluate, acquire and use information.

What is the purpose of Media and Information Literacy? 

 The purpose behind media literacy education is to help people of any age build up the propensities for request and abilities of articulation that they need to be basic scholars, effective communicators, critical thinker and dynamic citizens in today's time. Information Literacy, on the other hand ,advances critical thinking approaches and thinking abilities, posing inquiries and looking for answers, discovering data, framing suppositions, assessing sources and settling on choices cultivating successful students and confident individuals. Both have a significant purpose especially for today's generation and the youngsters.

We experpience a daily reality where the information we get generally decides our decisions and following activities, including our ability to appreciate key opportunities and the capacity for self-assurance and improvement. Driven by mechanical enhancements in broadcast communications, there is likewise an expansion of media and other data suppliers through which immense measures of data and information are gotten to and shared by residents. Adding to and radiating from this wonder is the test to survey the importance and the unwavering quality of the data" (UNESCO, p. 11, 2011).

Rabor, Marianne Alexandrea

Boquecosa, Mary Nicole

12-Nobility

02/26/21

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Lygia Clark, "Óculos" ("Goggles"), 1968

* * * *

Joohn Choe

Did you know that half of U.S. adults can’t read a book written at the 8th-grade level?

It's a constraint on victory outcomes in counter-disinformation work; it's a problem when you declare war on things like QAnon or the Republican industrial lie complex.

It arises when you use a technique from military planners called "thinking backwards".

This doesn't mean "be old-school and nostalgic" (I mean, you'd think), it means "start from the outcome and work backwards".

Illiteracy turns out to be a problem when you consider the basic problem of active measures defense as an exercise in thinking backwards. You get new solutions and new problems; illiteracy, and being literate but not reading, or alliteracy (irritatingly not a word in spell-check), are some of those problems.

First, let's talk about the outcome.

The fundamental problem with disinformation studies is that you can't define what disinformation is unless you take a stance on what information is, and how it's used in society.

It's meaningless to point your finger and say "liar!" as we are wont to do in this field if you're not even clear on what role that should play in society, or how things are supposed to work normally. You can't diagnose a dysfunction in how society produces and consumes information if you don't even have a view on how it functions.

You need to have a defensible, testable theory of how America's information economy operates normally if you are going to put yourself forward as some authority on how it's functioning abnormally. You cannot be a counter-disinformation operator without being a philosopher, and to some extent, a systems theorist and, increasingly, I'd argue, an aestheticist (as in "studies aesthetics", not "aesthetician who does your nails").

This is incredibly basic. I still find it odd that even very professional people and companies in this field don't grapple with this issue. Even the data is meaningless, no matter how impressively objective it is, if you're lacking that kind of context; you end up having anomalies with no baseline, like an endless stream of singleton events.

That's no way to run a railroad, like the old saying goes.

So, back when I had a startup, with advisors, I talked to one of them who actually taught a class at Berkeley on startups about this crazy recording of a Federal crime I'd gotten in Alabama, and I asked for advice for what to do about it in terms of the fight against disinformation.

The answer he gave ended up being a lead-in to thinking about this in a systems-oriented, long-terms sustainable kind of way. I still come back to it as a recurrent point in shaping outcome scenarios.

He suggested, first off, in this sort of infuriatingly wise way that he has (he's an old Asian dude, so) that you have to ask, first: is zero percent really possible?

What kind of victory state are you after, if this is actually a lie that involves disinformation on the scale that you observe it?

He argued that you have to fit disinformation into a place with other aspects of how we talk to each other. On his account, there was potentially value in giving people the ability to create and pass on value in determining what was disinformation and what wasn't, and it verged into a discussion of a crypto-currency based anti-disinformation app that I ended up not really wanting to do.

Credit where credit is due, though: his argument about the achievability of zero percent disinformation made a lot of sense.

The outcome state we're after can't be "zero active measures" and "zero disinformation". Not only is that unrealistic, if you even did manage to achieve that, you'd have North Korea. They have no problem with differing versions of state truth and reality, because everything is state truth that excludes reality.

Diversity in viewpoints is one of our strengths as a country, too; reducing everything down to one version of truth, even as generous as the boundaries might be on that, would inevitably end up flattening society. Like, no one wants "information socialism", that just... sounds bad.

You could argue that disinformation is a flipside of a coin, actually. Disinformation is in a state of mutual entailment with socially accepted official truth; there can't be one without the other, in one way of looking at it. And that's what I think my advisor was getting at.

It's like that old cliché about "tHe sIgN fOr cRiSiS aNd ChAngE ArE tEh sAmE iN cHiNeSe" which is like, you understand, up there with Sun Tzu quotes and "your people are so hard-working!" as far as Things I Ain't 'Bout As An Asian Person, You Feel Me Though (the game show!).

And don't even get me started on people ripping off strategy ideas from theorists of Chinese stick-poking and rock-throwing warfare.

In a normal time, you could say that there's a balance between disinformation and truth, and truth is usually the winning side on that, because normally, the President and the ruling party aren't active sources of disinformation with the veneer of authority on it.

We're getting out of a period of time in which that balance was badly, badly disrupted on the side of disinformation. The kind of abnormalities we see as a society - from the Capitol insurrection to how weird people around us are, compared to what they were like in 2015 - those can all be seen as stemming from that state of imbalance.

The outcome, the advisor argued, was fundamentally about balance. Not about destroying disinformation, or striking it until it wasn't a problem; the paradigm was rebalancing, he argued.

Winning isn't reducing disinformation to zero. It's achieving a new balance between disinformation and truth where the boundary favors truth more.

Almost every victory state for "The War On Disinformation" boils down to that, actually.

If you see it as rebalancing, then new ways of achieving achieving victory by restoring balance open up.

For starters, you could add to the flow of information coming out; you could even make oppositional truth part of it. That's really what "fact-checking" is on social media - Politifact and LeadStories aren't "fact-checkers", because fact-checkers are people at media institutions who run quality control on news, and they are not that. They pick and choose what stories to oppose, at times seemingly arbitrarily, at times politically, and calling them "fact-checkers" hides the essentially subjective nature of that practice.

You could create personal truth, give people new ways to be, new role models to emulate and new social roles to fulfill - "offensive fact-checker", "Nazi-hunter", "deplatformer", and the like. And you could even amplify it and try to drown out the misleadingly framed truth, and the outright mistruths, coming out of the disinformation industry.

You could mobilize the truth to create political crises, and work to reset the boundary on allowable lies. This is the core methodology of an activist, it's creating strategic dilemmas for institutions based on public perception and the pressure to do the right thing.

Outcome-focused political activism, where you're trying to get a specific candidate elected or voted out of office, is one way of specifically mobilizing the truth, instead of just sitting on ass and feeling good about having it (this is common, I'd argue). We can not only reduce disinformation better - interdict it better, ban it better, find it better, track it better - we can also get better at producing alternative presentations and modes of appeal for truth.

The problem with all these solution scenarios, though, and the area that I see where we could really stand to improve, and maybe even something that I'd work on for a minute, is our culture.

I'd argue we just don't have the kind of intellectual culture that supports a lot of these solutions. We can't, not with fundamental adult literacy the way it is; not with the state of the public intellectual the way it is.

There was a point around 2015 when people were declaring a crisis of the French public intellectual tradition; since Henri-Levy, basically, Pierre Bourdieu if you count him, there just haven't been globally notable, famous French philosophers like there used to be. That traces to any number of factors with them, but a lot of them are factors we share, like the ever-wider spread of spectacular culture and its increasing efficacy at exploiting us, drawing us into addiction loops, even, with social media and "binge-watching" TV shows.

I'd argue that the best counter-disinformational solutions we have right now come down to art and aesthetics, actually, because we are so bad as a culture at reading.

Militarized truth, and grassroots truth, and offensive truth, are forms of rebalancing between disinformation and truth, yes, but it's a reactionary, almost frantic kind of truth. The jobs that it gives people, the roles that it puts people into - content moderator, offensive fact-checker - eat people up in the long run because they're in a race against disinformation, and disinformation keeps winning.

And it ends up repeating the basic problem of piling truth upon truth without mobilizing it, positioning it in a way to get through to people.

If it takes a pretty image and a witty notion to introject a critical idea into someone's head; if it takes a song and a dance, even, to get someone to have a bullshit filter... I say, do it.

Call it less "Art of War', more "War of Art".

---

Lygia Clark, "Óculos" ("Goggles"), 1968

https://www.politico.eu/.../decline-of-french.../

https://www.wyliecomm.com/.../whats-the-latest-u-s.../

[dropintomanga]

Can Sports Manga Really Break Through in North America?

Here we are in the summer of 2020 and it’s usually San Diego Comic-Con time. And with it comes discussion of how manga is doing in 2020. There was a Manga Publishing Industry Roundtable discussion at Comic-Con with representatives from almost all of the U.S. manga publishers (which you can watch here) about what’s happening in the U.S. side of things. While manga sales have dropped due to the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, they have rebounded back in some ways. A great thing about this is that it’s not just mainstream titles that are selling; it’s also series that are from other genres like slice-of-life and horror.

Which now leads into the title of this post because at the end of the discussion, publishers were asked about what they would like to see in the future. Erik Ko, chief of operations at UDON Comics, said something that really piqued my interest. He said that he wants to see if sports manga can truly break out in North America (i.e. reach levels of sales and popularity a la My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer, etc.). Erik mentioned how his daughter loves Haikyu!! on Crunchyroll and watched all 3 seasons multiple times (It’s also mentioned that Haikyu!! sold well during the pandemic for its U.S. publisher Viz Media).

While the manga has officially ended as of this writing, Haikyu!! will last for a while as the anime will have a 4th season and possibly more. However, while Haikyu!! is loved by a lot of anime/manga fans, it’s not exactly a series that has gotten EVERY shonen fan or manga reader talking. With the many sports manga licenses that manga publishers have gotten over the past few years, it doesn’t sound like there’s significant traction.

This does beg the question of what will it take for sports manga to really catch the eyes of manga readers here in the United States.

For starters, I’ll discuss a bit about the history of sports anime here in the United States. It’s been noted that a lot of sports anime do not tend to sell well over here. There was an Answerman article on Anime News Network answering “Why Do Sports Anime Bomb in North America?” that really goes into this. While it’s noted in the article that Yuri!! on Ice and Free! are indeed sports anime and have sold well, almost all discussion about those series revolves around the relationships between the male characters. Sports play second fiddle to the relationships compared to series like Haikyu!!, Slam Dunk, and Captain Tsubasa (where the sports aspect is still preached a lot).

Speaking of Captain Tsubasa, if you don’t know about this series, this is the one sports anime/manga that generated a lot of love overseas in countries that worship football/soccer. In the Manga: The Citi Exhibition book, there was an article on the promotion of Captain Tsubasa in Baghdad, Iraq by the Japan Self-Defense Force. The series was promoted via pictures on water distribution tanks in Iraq in the mid-2000s’ as a way to make Iraqi children smile. During the U.S. occupation of Iraq, Japan would later work with Iraqi media channels to show programming that would help encourage the country. One of these shows happened to be Captain Tsubasa, which was dubbed in Arabic. The series’ fandom took off from there and more places in the Middle East (like Saudi Arabia) even got in on the action using hacked satellites to watch. 

I wonder if this is what Erik Ko wants to see - something like Captain Tsubasa that not only gets fans gushing about the story and characters, but also inspires kids to become professional athletes or at least become more physically active in their own lives.

A big problem that gets in the way of this happening in the U.S. is how sports culture is like over here. How do I explain this? I’ll use a quote from a 2016 article in the Milwaukee Independent about Anime Milwaukee.

“While the Anime Milwaukee convention does not collect statistical data about those who attend, walking around the convention provided empirical confirmation of how Anime speaks to multi-generational and multi-cultural people. 

Anime itself will not solve the very real problems faced by disadvantaged residents in Milwaukee. 

But unlike the adversarial escapism offered by sports teams and the nature of competitive games, the appeal of Anime is with its positive messages. Where as sports is an unrealistic role model for struggling youth, for the most part Anime offers socially beneficial and moral examples.”

Sports in the United States are very much “us versus them.” In Japan, sports focuses on healthy competition between players. At least, that’s what Japanese sports stories try to focus on. While healthy competition between players does happen over here, it either doesn’t get shown as much in U.S. sports media or that competition becomes toxic to the point it hurts innocent people. In the U.S., you’re supposed to win and get recognized in order to move ahead in your respective sport via whatever means necessary. A good example is college basketball over here and how competitive schools have been involved in recruiting scandals over the best high school players. Another example is the psychological trauma faced by the number of young female athletes who were sexually abused/harassed and forced to believe that it was all part of the process to get ahead in their respective sport. I want to note that sports programs in the U.S. are often heavily underfunded, which adds to the pressure that faces any youth going through sports programs.

There’s also this tendency to view athletes over here as all-knowing celebrity gods (i.e. athletes who say awful things with confidence on social media) or people that only know how to play their respective sport (ie. the “shut up and dribble” comment to outspoken basketball players on social issues). There’s no in-between where we get to see the complete humanity of the athlete.

This does tie into how sports fans and anime/manga fans may not get along. You usually learn more about the nuanced aspects of life from outside sports than within. Sports over here preach some questionable values that anime/manga fans sometimes don’t believe in. Add the fact that sports is shoved down Americans’ throats so much and you can see why not everyone over watches sports. I do want to note that there are U.S. pro athletes showcasing their love for anime. While this is nice to see, almost all the titles they grew up watching are mainstream shonen/shojo. I’m curious if athletes would watch series like Haikyu!!, Kuroko’s Basketball, Eyeshield 21, etc., but then I wonder if they would keep watching as they can only handle so much sports drama as it’s part of their everyday reality.

So what will it take for a sports manga to break through in a big way? Viz Media tried to promote Slam Dunk here using the NBA to promote literacy in 2008. I also found out that Tokyopop tried to do something with the NBA via its Cine-Manga initiative in the mid-2000s’ and it only lasted from 2004-2007. So to that extent, there probably has to some kind of manga that’s similar to the now-famous The Last Dance documentary, which chronicled Michael Jordan’s last championship run with the Chicago Bulls in the 1997-1998 NBA season. 

Though honestly, it’s gonna take a mangaka who’s really interested in all aspects of American sports culture to come up with that kind of story. What might be better is that the story heavily criticizes the culture in a compelling and sometimes humorous way. I think that’s what will really get all U.S. manga fans and comic fans interested, especially those who are sick of commercialized sports exposure wherever they go. I do think over time as anime/manga continue to be accepted in the geek ecosystem, we can see this kind of story take off. 

Until then, if you happen to be someone who likes both sports and anime/manga in a level-headed manner like me, you’re doing alright. It’s hard to occupy both spaces when you’re supposed to choose a side. Although I liked physical education during my school days, I can understand why anyone whose hobbies lie more towards the artistic and creative side disliked physical education possibly due to the structure in how it’s taught. I know sports anime lovers that dislike watching real sports in general and I get why.

Hearing Erik’s comments made me wonder about the beauty of sports manga. Now that I think hard about it, sports anime/manga are a intersection of both the “nerd” and “jock” in a way that helps everyone. To be honest, that intersection is what really bridges gaps that makes people better. It’s what truly completes a person. I’ll use this example - you can’t have mental health without physical health and vice versa. Some kind of exercise can help the mind while learning how your mind works can help you do better in physical activities that connect people together.

Maybe more importantly, what sports manga tends to preach is that winning shouldn’t be everything. Right now, everyone is encouraged to win at something just for a taste of meaningless status and we’re seeing how that mentality can ruin someone. Sports, with all of its benefits freed from corporate influence, are supposed to teach us (like all great manga stories do) that there’s no “us versus them,” there’s only “us” in the end.

And that kind of story deserves to hit a home run that rounds all the bases to reach a celebratory and meaningful win for the world.

[miyusato]

“The Value of Being a Media and Information Literate Individual”

In our generation, people no longer use an old-fashioned system in accessing information. A lot of things had changed since advanced technologies are produced. Why is knowing the value of being a literate important? It is because it guides us to understand the importance of being a literate individual and helps us to not be ignorant about the information that flows in our society. Being a literate is the basis of our ability to learn, improve, and develop our individual skills. These skills include our ability to read, write, comprehend, widen our vocabulary, and give awareness of proper usage of language. having the knowledge about Media and Information literacy enable us to make judgements as a user who gets information from the media. It would help us determine if the information is efficient, effective, and has credible sources. Being a literate train us to make our own creations and produce information in a proper and according way.

 As a literate, knowing your responsibilities helps you to seek and produce right information. It is your escort in being an independent individual by making right choices.  Studies shows that when a person know how to read and write, there is a great chance that you can confidently rely on yourself. It also helps you to make a difference in someone else's life and to the community by just sharing expert knowledge. Becoming a Media and Information literate will lead the way for you to be smart, to recognize your point of view, your goal, your importance, and to learn how to think critically. The advantage of being a literate individual is that it continuously guides us to become responsible and independent citizens. The value of being a Media and Information literate individual will always exist as we continue to learn new things through the help of media and Information literacy.

[scifigeneration]

How technology can combat the rising tide of fake science

by Chris Impey

A crop circle in Switzerland. Jabberocky/Wikimedia Commons

Science gets a lot of respect these days. Unfortunately, it’s also getting a lot of competition from misinformation. Seven in 10 Americans think the benefits from science outweigh the harms, and nine in 10 think science and technology will create more opportunities for future generations. Scientists have made dramatic progress in understanding the universe and the mechanisms of biology, and advances in computation benefit all fields of science.

On the other hand, Americans are surrounded by a rising tide of misinformation and fake science. Take climate change. Scientists are in almost complete agreement that people are the primary cause of global warming. Yet polls show that a third of the public disagrees with this conclusion.

In my 30 years of studying and promoting scientific literacy, I’ve found that college educated adults have large holes in their basic science knowledge and they’re disconcertingly susceptible to superstition and beliefs that aren’t based on any evidence. One way to counter this is to make it easier for people to detect pseudoscience online. To this end, my lab at the University of Arizona has developed an artificial intelligence-based pseudoscience detector that we plan to freely release as a web browser extension and smart phone app.

Americans’ predilection for fake science

Americans are prone to superstition and paranormal beliefs. An annual survey done by sociologists at Chapman University finds that more than half believe in spirits and the existence of ancient civilizations like Atlantis, and more than a third think that aliens have visited the Earth in the past or are visiting now. Over 75% hold multiple paranormal beliefs. The survey shows that these numbers have increased in recent years.

Widespread belief in astrology is a pet peeve of my colleagues in astronomy. It’s long had a foothold in the popular culture through horoscopes in newspapers and magazines but currently it’s booming. Belief is strong even among the most educated. My surveys of college undergraduates show that three-quarters of them think that astrology is very or “sort of” scientific and only half of science majors recognize it as not at all scientific.

Allan Mazur, a sociologist at Syracuse University, has delved into the nature of irrational belief systems, their cultural roots, and their political impact. Conspiracy theories are, by definition, resistant to evidence or data that might prove them false. Some are at least amusing. Adherents of the flat Earth theory turn back the clock on two millennia of scientific progress. Interest in this bizarre idea has surged in the past five years, spurred by social media influencers and the echo chamber nature of web sites like Reddit. As with climate change denial, many come to this belief through YouTube videos.

However, the consequences of fake science are no laughing matter. In matters of health and climate change, misinformation can be a matter of life and death. Over a 90-day period spanning December, January and February, people liked, shared and commented on posts from sites containing false or misleading information about COVID-19 142 times more than they did information from the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization.

Combating fake science is an urgent priority. In a world that’s increasingly dependent on science and technology, civic society can only function when the electorate is well informed.

Educators must roll up their sleeves and do a better job of teaching critical thinking to young people. However, the problem goes beyond the classroom. The internet is the first source of science information for 80% of people ages 18 to 24.

One study found that a majority of a random sample of 200 YouTube videos on climate change denied that humans were responsible or claimed that it was a conspiracy. The videos peddling conspiracy theories got the most views. Another study found that a quarter of all tweets on climate were generated by bots and they preferentially amplified messages from climate change deniers.

Technology to the rescue?

The recent success of machine learning and AI in detecting fake news points the way to detecting fake science online. The key is neural net technology. Neural nets are loosely modeled on the human brain. They consist of many interconnected computer processors that identify meaningful patterns in data like words and images. Neural nets already permeate everyday life, particularly in natural language processing systems like Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s language translation capability.

At the University of Arizona, we have trained neural nets on handpicked popular articles about climate change and biological evolution, and the neural nets are 90% successful in distinguishing wheat from chaff. With a quick scan of a site, our neural net can tell if its content is scientifically sound or climate-denial junk. After more refinement and testing we hope to have neural nets that can work across all domains of science.

Neural net technology under development at the University of Arizona will flag science websites with a color code indicating their reliability (left). A smartphone app version will gamify the process of declaring science articles real or fake (right). Chris Impey, CC BY-ND

The goal is a web browser extension that would detect when the user is looking at science content and deduce whether or not it’s real or fake. If it’s misinformation, the tool will suggest a reliable web site on that topic. My colleagues and I also plan to gamify the interface with a smart phone app that will let people compete with their friends and relatives to detect fake science. Data from the best of these participants will be used to help train the neural net.

Sniffing out fake science should be easier than sniffing out fake news in general, because subjective opinion plays a minimal role in legitimate science, which is characterized by evidence, logic and verification. Experts can readily distinguish legitimate science from conspiracy theories and arguments motivated by ideology, which means machine learning systems can be trained to, as well.

“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.” These words of Daniel Patrick Moynihan, advisor to four presidents, could be the mantra for those trying to keep science from being drowned by misinformation.

About The Author:

Chris Impey is a University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona

This article is republished from our content partners over at The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. 

[haneemansari]

ePortfolio In MediaLit

MEDIA AND INFORMATION LITERACY

Before we talk about media and information literacy let us first define what media, information and literacy means. Also we are going to talk about the process of communication,Concepts in Shannon Weaver Model, Feedback Mechanism and the Kinds and types of Media.

MEDIA

Refers to various means of communication other than use of mouth. All physical objects that may be used as a medium for communication and to disseminate knowledge and information.

INFORMATION

It is the knowledge communicated or received that concerns facts or circumstances. It is acquired through studying, researching, instruction and other types of communication. It is also a weapon of choice. Weapons requires mastery and Information requires literacy both media and technology in which the information is communicated.

LITERACY

Refers to the essential competencies or the abilities to read,write, and understand.

In order to understand how information flows within the media, we should first understand how basic communication works.

The 6 components that enables the transmission of message and information:

1. Sender: This is the person that is delivering a message to a recipient.

2. Message: This refers to the information that the sender is relaying to the receiver.

3. Channel of communication: This is the transmission or method of delivering the message.

4. Decoding: This is the interpretation of the message.It is performed by the receiver.

5. Receiver: The receiver is the person who is getting or receiving the message.

6. Feedback: In some instances, the receiver might have feedback or a response for the sender. This starts can interaction.

THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS:

1. The sender has a thought or idea that appears into his or her mind.

2. The sender starts encoding the message

3. The sender chooses the channel that he/she would be using.

4. The message of the sender travels through the channel that he or she had chosen.

5. The message us being received by the receiver.

6. The receiver decodes the message after he or she understand the original idea of the sender.

THE SHANNON-WEAVER’S MODEL OF COMMUNICATION:

EXPLANATION OF THE MODEL:

The communication process begins when an individual or a group want to give a message to another individual or a group.

The encoder role comes in after the source of communication has been decided. The encoder will transform a concept that the source wants to send into a format that will reach the audience who needs to interpret it.

The message is the information that is being communicated from the transmitter to the receiver. Whether or not the message has a substance does not really matter what matters is that a message is transmitted.

The channel is a means to transmit the message from the transmitter go the receiver. For a message to be transmitted, it is essential that a proper means of transmission be selected. It is a routes that the message takes to reach the receiver. This route can be verbal,written,electronic,audio ,video etc.

As the message travels in a channel noise comes into play. This noise is an interference or a distortion that can modify the message being sent by the transmitter or the sender in such a way that it is wrongly constructed. Noise can be physical,semantic,pragmatic,or rhetoric.

Before the message reaches its receiver it has to be decoded in a form that the receiver understands. This is the other side of the sequence, as when the transmitter encodes the concept he or she wants to transmit.

The receiver is the recipient of the message that was sent out by the transmitter or the sender.

Feedback is when the receiver tells the transmitter that he or she received a message and interpreted it accurately.

FEEDBACK MECHANISM

Feedback is the response of the receiver or audience to the messages or informations of the sender. It is important because it helps produce understanding between senders and receivers.  If your readers or listeners nodded in agreement, then that is your clue or signal that they understood what you said.If their eyebrows meet or react toshow that they disagree with what you said,those actions are a feedback.

MEDIA LITERACY

Ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create and act using all forms of communication is interdisciplinary by nature.

Adopts more analytical approaches and has a strong academic roots in media studies and social sciences.

Helps people to be able to interpret and to make informed judgements.

More connected to media industry social effects.

Using communication tools to consume information from human interaction.

Ability to decode a media message.

WHAT CAN MEDIA LITERACY DO FOR US?

Meets the need of the students to be wise consumer of media.

Offers a solution to public health issues, such as body image issues and substance use, exacerbated by toxic media messages.

Empowers all people to engage in a global media environment.

Develops critical thinking skills

It teaches you how to verify information and recognize other points of view.

It encourages you to actively participate in public affairs as a citizen.

INFORMATION LITERACY

It is the defining paradigm of modern education

Ability to recognize information when needed and use it efficiently

Gathering,utilizing and managing informations

Concentrates on analyzing informations

Ability to know when there is a need for information to be able to identify,locate,evaluate and effectively use that information for the issue 

Information needs are related to information requirements. They are studied for:

THE EXPLANATION of observed phenomena of information used or exppressed need.

THE PREDICTION of instances of nformation uses.

THE CONTROL AND THEREBY IMPROVEMENT of the utilization of information manipulation of essential conditions.

WHAT CAN INFORMATION LITERACY CAN DO FOR US?

Develop and execute an effective research strategy using a wide range of search tools, accurately interpret results, and find authoritative information pertinent to the topic.

Evaluate the relevance, quality, authoritativeness, and credibility of information retrieved.

Access and use information ethically and legally.

Promotes self-directed learning and problem solving

The information literate student can acknowledge sources of information and the ethical,legal and socio-economic issues surrounding informations.

Different Types of Media

The goal of media is to convey an advertising message to the audience through the most appropriate media channel for their product. In general, you can classify media in three main categories.

1. Traditional Media- covers the kinds of media that were invented prior to the invention of the internet.

2. Print Media- This type of news media used to be the only way of delivering information to the public People relied on newspapers and magazines to learn everything, from recipes and entertainment news to important information about the country or the world.

Print media includes:

Newspapers,magazines,books,banners,billboards,brochures and flyers.

Broadcasting Media

Broadcasting media includes videos, audios, or written content that provides important or entertaining information shared by different methods:

TELEVISION,RADIO AND MOVIES

Internet Media

Nowadays, we are relying on the Internet to get the news a lot more often than the traditional news sources. Websites provide information in the form of video, text, and audio. We can even choose the way we want to receive the news.

[technicallysuperwizard]

Media and information Literacy ae expression of Freedom of Speech

Media and information literacy are expressions of freedom of speech because people feel more at ease speaking in their own community. It is also a desire to express whatever feelings you keep hiding in your heart that need explanation. And to be able to contribute new ideas to others. Freedom of speech allows us to express ourselves in a way that communicates in ways that benefit those around us. It is very valuable to use media forms to access information and communicate with one another. In media and information literacy, as an expression of freedom of speech, we should first understand and communicate with one another because a lack of understanding and communication will lead to individual development in judging the media content that people post online. This kind of freedom of speech is part of the process of communication.   According to Calvin Clyde Palicte, communication is a natural skill that we’ve learned from our parents when we’re young because they teach us to speak, read, write, and use communication just to communicate with other people at an early age. And communication is a process that involves the transmission of messages and the attention of people, directly to the people who will receive the message from the sender. The media have different types of media for the expression of freedom of speech, like newspapers, radio, television, and the internet. It can be used to communicate with others.   Many people have no freedom of speech because of fear and judgement.Freedom of speech allows the people of our country to express themselves and share their ideas, views, and opinions openly.Before making a choice, all aspects and angles of the topic should be taken into consideration. Informational expertise and media expertise have generally been seen as different and distinct fields. In reality, many ancients believed in the right to free speech. The fact that one has the right to say and believe is the foundation for democracy if people dare to express their opinions.They will help improve the society in which one lives. Freedom of speech gives one the responsibility to consider what fits into different contexts, and it will make us better people. People will feel safe in the society they live in. We can contribute to our community if we are media and information literate individuals by providing our audience or community with legitimate and important information that would help them in any way and by spreading awareness about certain important topics that affect a lot of our community members. For us, it is a process that involves the transmission of messages, individual performance, and social attention. The location and destination of the messages are determined by the context and culture of the people, which affect how they express and feel toward society. I believe that media information literacy is crucial for us since it may improve our daily lives, our ability to communicate with others, our ability to socialize, and the growth of our critical thinking and long-term learning. A person with poor self-confidence may also benefit from it because they have the flexibility or freedom to express their opinion. Being a student, I want my positive perspective on our society to be considered and spread. I will ask the people for their thoughts on how they could improve our country and community in order to demonstrate both our own and their collective expressions of freedom. Then post it online in the form of a documentary or a video compilation and share it with others. Utilizing media as a tool to showcase our country's beauty through images, videos, and blogs uses the visual arts and graphics to educate and inspire the populace to create a better world. These small steps may not amount to much, but they can encourage not only young people but also adults who care.

[maryamsabuero21]

MEDIA AND INFORMATION LITERACY (MIL)

Knowledge is created and disseminated in all forms. Media and information increases each day. It becomes so bounteous to the point that it can be found anywhere and anytime, especially that we often uses internet browsers or any platforms available. We are media and information literate ourselves, we can spread information by just learning and imitating from others. Respect for information need means we allow each and everyone to express their ideas, opinions, and expressions fully without any judgment or prejudice. MIL teaches us to use information and media content in an ethical, efficient, and effective manner.

The communication process refers to a series of actions or steps taken in order to successfully communicate. It involves several components such as the sender of the communication, the actual message being sent, the channel that is gone through of the message, the encoding of the message, the receiver and the decoding of the message. 

1. Sender (Information Source)

They are the person (or object, or thing – any information source) who has the information to begin with.The sender is the one who creates an information and initiates a message that will be transmitted through a channel to the receiver.

2. Encoder (Transmitter)

The encoder converts the message or idea into a code or signals that can be sent from the sender to the receiver. This is the creation of message which you want to communicate with the other person.

3. Channel

Sometimes called as a ‘medium’. The channel of communication is an infrastructure that transmits the  message from the sender to the receiver. 

4. Noise

Noise interrupts a message while it’s on the way from the sender to the receiver. It’s named after the idea that ‘noise’ could interrupt our understanding of a message. 

5. Decoder

 Decoding is the exact opposite of encoding.This is the understanding and building of the idea of the message that was sent by the sender. 

6. Receiver (Destination)

This is the step where the person finally gets the message that was sent by the sender, or what’s left of it after accounting for noise.

7. Feedback

The final step in the Shannon Weaver model is ‘feedback’. This is when the receiver understood and respond to the sender. When the feedback is related to the topic that is sent, then it means that the message was successfully transmitted.

Print Media

This type of news media used to be the only way of delivering information to the public. For the generations of the 80s and 90s, print media was the only media of entertain. People relied on newspapers and magazines to learn everything, from recipes and entertainment news to important information about the country or the world. Print media includes:

Newspapers 

Magazines 

Books 

Banners 

Billboards 

Brochures

Flyers 

Broadcasting Media

Broadcasting media describes broad media that is broadcast, this includes videos, audios, or written content that provides important or entertaining information shared by different methods:

Television

Radio

Movies

Internet Media

Nowadays, we are more reliant on the Internet to get information a lot more often than the traditional news sources. Websites provide variety of information in the form of video, text, and audio. We can even choose the way we want to receive the news. Types of Internet media include:

Social networks and Media

Online Forums 

Podcast

Media is important because it teaches you how to verify information and recognize other points of views, it encourages critical thinking and to share other sources of media responsibly. It informs readers how the media affect our culture and helps you determine and identify communication and marketing ploys.

[fatimazahramalik]

Media and Information Literacy (MIL) E-Portfolio

As of today, media have been part of our lives, with the growth of technologies in this world, there is a lot of information shared in the virtual world. Being a literate person in today’s generation means more than being Able to read and write. In a world diverse with cultures, media and technologies, a literate person needs to possess certain specific capabalities. Why do people uses media and technologies? Why do we need to be a media and information literate?

Nowadays, in our generation, individual are connected in digital society because of media and information and capable of becoming literate individual in the present century. Currently, in our modern society, we people are depending on our modern technology like cellphones, computers and etc. It enables people to socialize, clarify or interpret, and make informed judgement as users of this modern technology. It help us to reached our relatives through media and information and also it help us to get a lot of information in variety formats.

The growing field of media and information literacy

Media and information literacy is broadly understood as a set of competencies that empower citizens to access, evaluate, and use information critically.1 In practice, this covers knowledge and technical skills, but also includes general attitudes needed to recognise reliable information, retrieve it, and produce it in an ethical manner – this recognises that audiences are not only consumers, but also content makers.2 Many people around the world have not acquired these competencies, in school or since. On the simplest level, media and information literacy can make the difference between decisions based on sound evidence, and decisions based on poorly informed opinions that can harm personal health, social cohesion, and democracy. Programmes aiming to promote media and information literacy have gradually cropped up over the past four decades. As far back as the 1980s, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) identified the need for the public to be trained to critically evaluate the media, and not just view it as a matter of private individual enjoyment.

The International Symposium on Media Education in 1982 proposed the first formal definition of this concept, paving the way for a decades- long search for adequate educational and policy interventions.3 By 2013, UNESCOhad developed a Global Alliance for Partnerships on Media and Information Literacy (GAPMIL), which provides resources for teachers, broadcasters and policymakers. The same year, the organisation published a Global Assessment Framework, drawing attention to the fact that media and information literacy is simultaneously an outcome of individual competencies, market supply, and government investments in education and literacy policy.

Despite the global consensus on the importance of media literacy however, there is a wide variety of policy frameworks, and even more diversity at the level of practical implementation. In some countries, media literacy is a formal policy objective enshrined in legislation, and embedded in national curricula.4 This is the case of the UK for instance, where since the 2003 Communications Act, the regulator for TV, radio and on-demand video, Ofcom, has been tasked with researching and promoting media literacy. It is also the case in some parts of Latin America where some countries, such as Colombia, take an active approach to cultivating digital skills in schools.

Benefits of Media and Information Literacy Education

1. Meets the needs of students to be wise consumers of media, managers of information and responsible producers of their ideas using the powerful multimedia tools of a global media culture.

2. Engages students. . . bringing the world of media into the classroom connects learning with "real life" and validates their media culture as a rich environment for learning.

3. Gives students and teachers alike a common approach to critical thinking that, when internalized, becomes second nature for life.

4. Provides an opportunity for integrating all subject areas and creating a common vocabulary that applies across all disciplines.

5. Helps meet state standards while, at the same time using fresh contemporary media content which students love.

What are the positive effects of Social Media?

1.) It Facilitate Online Learning

The use of social media helped the students to learn through various online learning platforms available to them. The use of YouTube to watch educational videos has helped the students to gain wider knowledge.

2.) It Helps To Build Relationship

Students can get to know each other better through social media networks. It helps to bring together two or more people, where they can share their problems, which it can get solve by their fellow colleagues.

3.) Access To Information

There are many groups that students can join through online platforms, that are related to their course of study, school, environment and more. Joining this group on Facebook, Twitter, and others will help the students to have access to quality information as at when needed.

4.) It Helps To Gain Wider Knowledge

Social media helps to enhance student academic performance and increase their knowledge through data and information gathering. When students are been given an assignment in school, they go through various online platforms to gather information so as to find solutions to their assignment.

What are the negative effects of social media?

1.) It Waste Time

Many students find it difficult to go about their normal life without making use of social media. It has been observed that students does not listen in class, they are busy chatting and reading stories online. They waste their time chatting with friends and family instead of reading and practicing what they have learned in school.

2.) It Causes Distraction

Many students stick to their gadget without concentrating on their study. It is a bad idea to waste away judicious time on social media platforms without gaining anything from it. Students should not be carried away by social media platforms because it will affect their academic performance.

3.) It Causes Social Problems

Social media has created many social problems in the society. In these modern days, many students tend to choose online communication rather than having real time conversation, and this leads to students becoming an introvert.