What is media literacy?
Media are ways a message reaches many people: newspapers, TV, radio, films, ads, websites, social posts, podcasts, games.
Each item (a news story, an ad, a meme) is a media text. Media literacy means being able to access, analyse, evaluate and create media.
Big ideas
- All media are constructed: someone chose what to show and what to leave out.
- Each text has a creator, a purpose (inform, persuade, sell, entertain) and a target audience.
- Different people can read the same text in different ways.
- Most media have commercial or political interests (money, clicks, votes).
Media forms, conventions and techniques
Conventions are the usual parts people expect in a form:
- News report: headline, byline, date, the 5 Ws (who, what, when, where, why), quotes, photo with caption.
- Advertisement: logo, slogan, brand colours, a special offer, a call to action ("Buy now").
- Video / film: shots, angles, editing cuts, music, voice-over.
- Social post: short text, image, hashtags, likes and shares.
Techniques shape meaning and feeling:
- Camera angle: low angle = powerful; high angle = weak; close-up = emotion.
- Colour and lighting: bright = happy; dark = danger.
- Music and sound effects set the mood.
- Words: loaded or emotional words, exaggeration, ALL CAPS, clickbait.
- Persuasion: celebrity endorsement, "everyone is buying it" (bandwagon), fear, limited-time offers.
- Selection and editing: which facts, quotes and images are kept or cut.
Checking information: fake news and misinformation
Misinformation is false information shared by mistake. Disinformation is false information spread on purpose. Other traps: old photos reused, edited images or deepfake videos, satire taken as news, and ads dressed as articles.
Four checks before you believe or share
- Source: who made it? Is there a real name, a known organisation, contact details?
- Evidence: are there data, named experts, links to studies, real photos?
- Other sources: do trusted news sites or official bodies report the same? (lateral reading: open new tabs)
- Original and date: find where it first appeared and when. A reverse image search can show an old photo.
Also notice your feelings: if a post makes you very angry or scared, slow down before sharing.
Bias, representation and creating media
Bias and representation
- Bias: presenting one side more favourably. Look at word choice, which experts are quoted and what is left out.
- Stereotypes: showing a group always in the same narrow way. Ask: who is shown, how, and who is missing?
- Algorithms pick what you see based on clicks. This can create a filter bubble or echo chamber. Follow varied, reliable sources.
- Tell fact (can be checked) from opinion (a view).
Creating media responsibly
- Plan: purpose, audience, form.
- Use conventions and techniques on purpose (a poster, a short video, a news report).
- Credit sources, respect copyright and privacy, and do not post others' photos without permission.
- Reflect: did it work for the audience? What would you change?
Key formulas and definitions
- Key questions: Who made it? Why? For whom? How? What is left out?
- Purposes: inform, persuade, sell, entertain
- Checks: source → evidence → other sources → original and date
- Misinformation = false by mistake; disinformation = false on purpose
- Fact = can be checked; opinion = a view
- Filter bubble: seeing only views like your own
Worked examples
1. Analyse a soft-drink ad showing a famous cricketer, bright colours and the slogan "Feel the win!"
Creator: the drink company. Purpose: to sell. Audience: young sports fans. Techniques: celebrity endorsement, bright colours for energy, a short emotional slogan. Left out: sugar content and health effects.
2. A post says "Scientists confirm chocolate cures colds!!!" with no link. Apply the four checks.
Source: unknown page. Evidence: no study named. Other sources: health bodies do not say this. Original: cannot be traced. Verdict: unreliable; do not share.
3. Fact or opinion? (a) The match drew 40,000 fans. (b) It was the best match ever.
(a) Fact: attendance can be checked. (b) Opinion: "best" is a personal view.
4. The same protest is shown by one channel with close-ups of angry faces and by another with wide shots of peaceful crowds. What is happening?
Framing and selection: each channel chose shots that give a different impression. Neither shows everything, so compare several sources.
Common mistakes
- Believing something because it has many likes or shares. Popular is not the same as true.
- Trusting a post because it looks professional. Fake sites can copy logos and layouts.
- Thinking only news can be biased. Ads, films, textbooks and posts all make choices.
- Checking only the headline. Read the full piece, the date and the source before sharing.