Media Literacy in Higher Education breeding civic awareness

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Media Literacy in Higher Educationbreeding civic
awareness

• Paul Mihailidis
• University of Maryland
• International Center for Media and the Public
  Agenda (ICMPA)

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Current ML initiatives

• The Rural Wings project (EU)
• ISoTL Conference and collaboration
• Director of Media Literacy Initiatives, ICMPA

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Global Media Literacy Initiative
The Salzburg Seminar and the University of
Maryland are launching a prestigious
international media literacy summer program for
undergraduate and graduate students.
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Media
In a democracy, it is imperative that a full
airing take place of divergent, even
antagonistic, points of view. For that to happen,
access must be available for citizens and groups
to adequately present their viewpoints.
-Browning Browning, Bowling Green, 2005 -
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Education

• Progress has to rely on education. The individual
  must be made to know the social facts more
  accurately, including his own true interests and
  the ideals he holds on a deeper level of his
  sphere of valuations.I am quite aware that this
  prescription is nothing less and nothing more
  than the age-old liberal faith that knowledge
  will make us free.
• -Gunnar Myrdal, Beyond the Welfare State, 1958-

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So

• Media Education informed democracy

media literacy
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ML in U.S. Higher Education

• A study was conducted in 2004 surveying media
  literacy in 50 journalism/mass communication
  programs across the U.S.
• The responses were somewhat alarming

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ML in U.S. Journalism/Mass Communication Education

1. We already do Media Literacy
2. Media Literacy is a 50-cent term
3. No time - need to train practitioners

• Then, when asked to define media literacy
• Not sure/
• Not important/
• Not really
• Anything

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ML in SwedishHigher Education

• And replicated the study conducted I conducted in
  the U.S.
• What I found was equally alarming

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Voices from Swedish academia

• Acknowledgement/understanding
• Importance as an initiative for higher education
• In Sweden, the consensus was to produce informed
  and knowledgeable citizens that will sustain the
  welfare system for years to come, they must
  understand how information works and be aware of
  its civic implicationsespecially in a
  media-saturated society

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Why is this comparison important?

• Exposes the possible benefit of an ML platform
  in higher education
• Countries with high levels of civic
  participation have clear understanding of
  education about information - Milner (2002),
  Putnam (2000) -

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The study 2 broad GOALS

• Carve a path for ML in higher education
• 2. Explore the connections between ML and civic
  awareness

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But first 3 Why's

1. Why Higher Education?
2. Why Journalism/Mass communication?
3. Why Civic Awareness?

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Why Higher Education?

• Colleges, in like manner, have their
  indispensable office, --to teach elements. But
  they can only highly serve us, when they aim not
  to drill, but to create when they gather from
  far every ray of various genius to their
  hospitable halls, and, by the concentrated fires,
  set the hearts of their youth on flame.
• -Ralph Waldo Emerson
• American Scholar, 1837-

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Why Journalism/Mass Comm?

• When journalists attain insight as to how texts
  are interpreted, used, and enjoyed by audiences,
  they may gain proficiency in storytelling from
  the production side.
• By helping journalism/media students to enjoy how
  the media work, produce meaning, and construct
  reality, they stand a better chance to understand
  the larger and deeper societal role played by
  local, national and international media outlets.

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Why civic awareness?
Civic Awareness
Civic Engagement
Civic Participation
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Research questions

• Q1 How does media literacy education affect
  undergraduate university students media
  comprehension and message-analysis skills?
• Q2 How does media literacy education influence
  university students understanding of their role
  as citizens within a democracy?
• Q3 What type of relationship exists between
  media literacy education and university students
  identification and awareness of the role media
  plays in their lives?

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Inquiry into methods

• Q1 ML skills assessment test
• Q2 Focus Groups
• Q3 Discourse Analysis

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Media Literacy the university going forward

• OPPORTUNITIES
• Show deans, administrators, policy officials,
  educators possible benefits
• Build a framework for ML, citizenship, higher
  ed.
• Inter-department/college collaboration

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Media Literacy the university going forward

• OBSTACLES
• University budgets and credit allocation
• Lack of acknowledgement or willingness to
  acknowledge
• Need more standards based professional training

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Conclusion Connecting media literacy and civic
awareness

• Understanding media is only one way towards civic
  awarenessbut in an increasing media-saturated
  society, its a pretty important step.

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Conclusion Address this change through the
university

• Journalism, media, and mass communication
  programs are in unique positions to lead this
  movement

EISENHOWER LEADERSHIP GROUP, 1996