A Study on the Role of the Media and Its Effect on the Identity of Muslims (Part 12)
The Importance of Teaching Media Literacy in the Age of Communication
Today, when mass media covers all aspects of human life, having media literacy in the modern environment is an inevitable necessity to make optimal use of its content.
Literacy, in its general and traditional sense, refers to “the ability to receive and effectively use messages expressed in written or printed form.” However, media literacy means “the ability to apply critical thinking skills in relation to mass media through greater awareness and more active citizenship in society” (Toro, 2009). The National Leadership Conference defines media literacy as “the knowledge and ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and understand the internal communication of messages in its multiple forms.”
For example, understanding the history of a movie can make watching it more interesting by providing relevant information about its historical features and background. Other media activities can serve as a starting point and catalyst for dialogue between us and others. Additionally, media literacy helps us become more informed and responsible citizens.
Researchers have identified the basic principles of learning media literacy skills as follows:
The First Principle: Media content is designed and created. Therefore, the content of various media that the audience has seen or heard is not real; rather, it is prepared by certain officials and producers.
The Second Principle: Media content is produced and distributed in a commercial environment. Thus, the audience should consider various factors concerning those involved in the production and distribution of media content. It is important to note that media content is produced by organizations within a commercial context.
The Third Principle: Media content is produced and distributed in a political environment. Politics refers to the way society is governed; in the realm of media, this term encompasses a range of activities. Specific government regulations for mass media may include restrictions that the government can impose. Recognizing the role of media in the political environment leads to an understanding of how this environment deeply affects the content presented.
The Fourth Principle: Mass media presents ideas in genres such as entertainment, news, information, education, and advertising. Researchers believe that every medium, including magazines, films, and television, employs specific codes, conventions, and methods to portray cultural realities.
It is also worth noting that mass media can demonstrate similarities in their approaches to representing the world around them. The most significant aspect they share is how they shape and visualize reality through various forms and narratives in entertainment, news, information, education, and advertising.
The Fifth Principle: People are active recipients of media messages, and the meaning-making process involving media forms includes an exchange between the reader and the content. Individuals’ personalities influence the content they engage with; some may accept a message while others may reject it.
The Sixth Principle: Media representations play an important role in shaping social understandings of reality. People may embrace or critique what they see in the media. They are prompted to relate media images to themselves and others. Even while assuming the role of an active audience, mass media significantly shapes the audience’s ideas and perceptions. Consequently, audiences must develop skills to become media literate individuals; therefore, media literacy encompasses the following abilities: 1. Understanding the business forces that influence media content. 2. Awareness of the political impacts that shape media content. 3. The ability to systematically examine media content to extract broader cultural, commercial, and political meanings. 4. The ability to contemplate the ethical implications of media organizations’ activities. 5. Understanding the inferences made by mass media regarding individuals and society. 6. Knowledge of general methods that affect the production and distribution of media content.
Characteristics of a Media-Literate Individual: 1. Awareness of the individuals and works that lead media organizations. 2. Keeping up-to-date with political information relevant to the media. 3. Sensitivity to the ways in which media content can serve as a cultural learning tool. 4. Mastery of the ethical aspects of media activities. 5. Knowledge of research regarding media works. 6. The ability to appreciate and enjoy media content.
One of the most important requirements for media literacy is the audience’s engagement with the information explosion phenomenon, sometimes referred to as “information overload.” The integration of computer circuits with communication terminals facilitates the digitalization and miniaturization of these technologies, leading to enhanced capacity and speed for producing, storing, retrieving, sending, and receiving information and content. This integration also merges traditional media with various communication channels, including writing, audio, and video. Therefore, the information explosion results from both the quantitative and qualitative enhancements in communication and information technologies, along with the role and penetration of mass media in daily life.
In an era of information explosion, limited individual and collective identities enter the public domain facilitated by mass media, inundating the human mind with a multitude of information. For example, an event may be presented and analyzed in differing ways across various media, and conflicting information can hinder the acquisition of accurate knowledge. The presence of contradictions among different media sources makes it challenging to gain clarity during this period, making it difficult for audiences to arrive at informed conclusions. Consequently, people’s right to choose is compromised; they struggle to distinguish which information from multiple sources and channels is true and which is false.
The lack of media literacy can originate in families and extend to society.
In the absence of media literacy, the media can operate destructively, undermining the foundation of society, particularly the family unit. Unfortunately, in Afghanistan today, families often overlook this issue. Children are spending excessive time watching TV and using the Internet, which can be detrimental to their religious and intellectual development. This subject has been addressed in previous notes.
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