In class on Wednesday, we watched an episode of an old TV show called “Max Headroom,” which I had neither seen nor heard of before. While trying to watch the show with media literacy in mind, I found it important to remember a key concept of media literacy: that it is a continuum, not a category.
The first scene that I found to illustrate this concept was when the men were sitting at the table, communicating with another man who was projected on a big TV screen, similar to a webcam. Since these devices are relatively new, the continuum of media literacy is expanding as new technology is invented.
When a news report was being given, it seemed to reiterate some values at the core of the media literacy continuum; the reporter used phrases like, “We’ll keep you posted,” which is an expression that is familiar to the media literate because it has existed on the continuum for some time.
Although this is a futuristic show, it is interesting to note the different ways that media is used and represented. Since some media features on this show were fairly new and others have been around for years, we can see the continuum of media literacy in action.
2 comments:
I really liked your point when you related Postman's book to how we get our information, especially with the elections. I know that most of the information that I have received about the presidential candidates has come in one form or another from the media. I mean from the internet, to the television, and even newspapers.
Sorry my computer scrolled down too far...I meant to post this comment on your blog about Amusing Ourselves To Death! Sorry about that!
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