Module 5 Reflections
Throughout the course, the importance of media education and literacy continued to gain importance. In Module 5 we learned the role of media literacy and how it connects to democracy. With media having so much power over the content we interact with, their influence on society is undeniable. Media can cast attention on or away from something, it can influence behaviors by reaching different parts of the brain, and yet with so much power it is still the consumers responsibility to understand and make meaning. This course furthered my belief that like with food safety that consumers, with little knowledge, are the ones most at risk.
Journalism has changed over the decades from being a watchful eye to reflecting corporate ideals and agendas (McChesney, 2002). Popular media is not reporting on social justice or environmental issues but instead they focus on crime, royalty, celebrities, and lifestyle pieces (McChesney, 2002). The average consumer is missing out on so much knowledge and information in the world if they are not actively seeking different sources for media. We also learned that even if you change the channel a few times your likely rto be still watching the same corporate ideals do to conglomerate associations. The news focus on “hot” topics instead of “light” topics which bring light, context, and informative content to important social issues (Radford, 2003). It seems to be that our media sources are choosing information based on what people are enjoying the most instead of giving them real hearty information about society. Popular media is just skimming the top of citizens need to know about the government, corporations, or society (Tollefson, 2006). I’m curious to know what sources my classmates have searched out or will in the future to reach less bias content.
As we learned in prior modules, children and teens are at the center of the advertising world. It is this reason that society worries that the younger generation is swept up in materialism (Sternheimer, 2013), and who is to blame? Shows like My Sweet 16 and other MTV or VH1 shows tend to be at the center of discussion instead of all the media corporations that have been trying to create brand loyalty from children since they could walk. The most important takeaway I got from this course is that usually there is much more going on than meets the eye. The simplest answer: to blame the media, TV, Instagram, or Facebook is usually not the answer. It is the structure of how this society views and consumes media and societal structures that influence the youth. I am curious to find out some of my classmates biggest takeaways from this course.
