Because the Real World is a Scary Place: Why We Need Media Literacy

In an age where it is becoming more and more difficult to keep up with the latest technology, how do we know we can trust everything the media is feeding us? There’s no simple answer for this, but a step in the right direction is to become more media literate. W. James Potter defines media literacy as “a set of perspectives that we actively use to expose ourselves to the media to interpret the meaning of the messages we encounter” (Media Literacy pg. 22). It’s important to start the process of becoming media literate at a young age, but these ideas should be reinforced before entering the workforce. Media literacy should be especially stressed to college students so they can enter the world as informed adults.

According to MediaLiteracy.com, the media is the most powerful cultural force on the planet. College students are vulnerable to this force, because they are getting ready to enter the real world where they will have to make their own decisions about things related to the media, like which cable company to subscribe to. MediaLiteracy.com also states that “all thinking people need to take action in response to the way media messages shape our worldview and impact the democratic process.” This means that it’s important to be media literate for reasons other than to properly choose a cable company. It also refers to knowing how to utilize the media to be an informed citizen—for instance, recognizing the importance of consulting more than one source when researching candidates for an election.

So when is a person media literate, and not just a passive absorber of the media’s many messages? According to Dr. Peter DeBenedittis, who is dedicated to creating a cultural revolution around the media and has his own website for this cause, media literacy means that “people have the power to shape their culture because they have access to the information and communication venues upon which democracy depends.” Additionally, an article from the Journal of Media Literacy defines being media literate as possessing the ability to question the accuracy and authenticity of the information being presented.

It’s harder to break habits of passive media viewing as a college student when you’ve been doing it that way for years, but it’s not impossible. In fact, college is the perfect time to break old habits regarding the media, because “the mass media are produced by adults, for adults, [and] about adults,” according to a study on the media literacy needs of adults from American Behavioral Scientist journal. The study mentions ways to help college students become more media literate, including making students active media users, creating an understanding of how the media works, and teaching students how to criticize the media.

In Media Literacy, Potter suggests exposing ourselves to messages that are different from those we usually see, and to think about the content of messages instead of taking them for granted. Most importantly, he states, “we need to be guided by our own goals rather than let the media set our goals for us” (Media Literacy pg. 13). As college students, it is important to take steps toward becoming media literate so that future encounters with the media are not so intimidating. First by setting goals, and then by actively seeking to become informed about the media, college students can enter the real world as media literate citizens.

Violence and Body Image in the Media

After creating profiles of characteristics necessary for media viewing to affect me, I have concluded that with set point factors, I am less likely to be influenced by the media, whereas with special factors, I am more easily affected. I chose two possible media influences—violent behavior and body image—to create my profiles. I found these topics interesting because by the time children are eighteen years old, they will witness 200,000 acts of violence on television(http://www.mediafamily.org/facts/facts_vlent.shtml). Additionally, a study found media consumption to be positively associated with body dissatisfaction among women (http://www.mediafamily.org/facts/facts_mediaeffect.shtml).

The set point factors had low risk effects for me personally. I often have trouble following complex plot situations, so I am less likely to interpret the characters’ emotions or actions (through my developmental maturity and cognitive abilities) in a way that would lead me to act violently. As for body image, I have a broad enough knowledge structure and lifestyle to know that the media cannot be relied upon to present average body proportions in actresses and models. Additionally, many beliefs that I learned growing up conflict with what the media says; because I have been “socialized with consistent norms for a long period of time,” I have “a relatively weighty risk set point” (Media Literacy, page 252). As for media exposure habits, I tend to gravitate more towards sitcoms and chick flicks than to violent shows or movies. With chick flicks, I remain aware that body image will not be portrayed accurately.

For factors special to a type of effect, my profiles were a bit different. I tend to be naïve occasionally when viewing television shows or movies, and if the content of messages and the context of portrayals are realistic enough, I may believe that the violence or the body types are realistic. Media Literacy also mentions motivation as a factor special to a type of effect. If I am looking for a way to lose weight, I might believe that diet pills actually work, because I could get caught up in finding the answers I need. Likewise, if I am in an angry state, I might be more affected by violence in the media and therefore be “much more likely to behave aggressively than if only one of these conditions is present” (Media Literacy, page 256).

From this exercise, I can conclude that when the content I view becomes persuasively realistic, I am likely to cross the threshold of skepticism and embrace what the media offers. In the future, I intend to be less naïve with the media. This exercise made me aware that although certain situations might appear completely realistic, they could be full of empty promises or dangerous tendencies. As long as I rely on my background knowledge and sociological factors, without allowing motivation or state of mind to interfere, I can continue to enjoy the media while simultaneously being aware of potentially harmful effects.

All Geeked Out?

It appears from recent Nielsen ratings that the CW’s reality show Beauty & the Geek might be all geeked out. The ratings show that this program, now in its fifth season, cannot compete with those on other networks at the same time (Tuesdays 8/7 central).

Beauty and the Geek is a reality show that pairs nine “gorgeous but academically impaired women [with] nine brilliant but socially challenged men,” according to its website. The program aired for the first season on the WB, until this network merged with UPN to form the CW, where it airs today.

According to a poll taken on TV.com, television viewers ranked Beauty and the Geek the following way:

Great: 557 (30.6%)
Perfect: 453 (24.9%)
Superb: 331 (18.2%)
Good: 279 (15.3%)
Other: 199 (11%)

It doesn’t appear that there is anything fundamentally wrong with the show; it just cannot compete with more popular shows airing simultaneously, such as Fox’s American Idol. The chart below shows the number of viewers and the rating versus share among 18-49 year olds for programs aired during the 8:00 time slot on Tuesday, April 1:

Time Network Show Viewers (Millons) 18-49 Rating/Share
8:00 FOX American Idol 25.19 9.3/25
8:00 CBS NCIS (Repeat) 10.21 2.1/6
8:00 NBC The Biggest Loser 8.22 3.3/9
8:00 ABC Just for Laughs 5.51 1.4/4
8:00 CW Beauty and the Geek 1.57 0.7/2

As you can see, no shows even come close to American Idol. Beauty and the Geek, however, comes in with the fewest viewers. Rating versus share also shows minimal interest in the show when compared with programs on other networks at the same time.

The chart below shows the average number of viewers per episode of the five seasons of Beauty and the Geek:

Season Timeslot Season Premiere TV Season Viewers (in millions)
1st Wednesday 9/8C June 1, 2005 Summer 2005 3.8
2nd Thursday 9/8C January 12, 2006 Mid-Season 2006 4.2
3rd Wednesday 8/7C January 3, 2007 Mid-Season 2007 4.0
4th Tuesday 8/7C S September 18, 2007 Fall 2007 3.3
5th Tuesday 8/7C March 11, 2008 Mid-Season 2008 So far: 1.7

If Beauty and the Geek wants to get its numbers up, it should go back to a Wednesday or Thursday night timeslot. Also, with the exception of the current season, a mid-season premier seems to be the most popular. The reason why the numbers are so low this season, at least thus far, can most likely be attributed to American Idol. This is the first season that Beauty and the Geek is on at the same time as this show. A Beauty and the Geek fan posted on TVGuide.com that, “You can’t expect anything on The CW to stand a chance against the Idol machine. The CW’s ENTIRE demographic tunes in to see Seacrest & Co.”

Basically, for Beauty and the Geek to survive, it needs to be given a time slot that does not clash with America’s most popular show at the moment. If it moved back to Wednesdays or Thursdays, it would be competing with reality shows more on its level, such as Big Brother and Wife Swap, or games shows such as Deal or No Deal and Don’t Forget the Lyrics. This will be a sure step to getting back the ratings it enjoyed during past seasons.

Does Postman's Book Amuse His Readers?

A quick read that brings up many interesting points about the media, Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death, though written in 1985, has some relevance to today’s society. The first part of the book is repetitive, and occasionally he contradicts himself. At the beginning of chapter two, he discusses junk on television and states that “the best things on television are its junk, and no one and nothing is seriously threatened by it,” before making multiple claims throughout the book that we are in fact threatened by this junk (16). Although Postman brings up interesting points for consideration with regard to television, he goes too far with some claims.

Postman makes a valid point on page 78 when he states that public understanding of certain subjects is shaped by the biases of television. This is a fair warning that we should not rely completely on the media for all our opinions. I believe it has even more relevance today than when he wrote it. Look at the current election, for example. Most people follow this by watching the news, or they turn to websites that have the same coverage; CNN.com and FoxNews.com are two of them. In the end, our understanding of the candidates and the election is shaped by the media.

In part two, Postman discusses the way that religion, politics, and entertainment are portrayed on television, among other things. He makes a fair point when he states that religious experience is impossible to portray on TV, and that perhaps broadcasters have gone too far here (118). I disagree, however, with his warnings about certain television shows, like Sesame Street, disrupting the educational process for children (142). Today, this show is a pleasant alternative to violent movies that children could be watching instead. Sesame Street’s website supports this by stating: “All children deserve a chance to learn and grow. To be prepared for school. To better understand the world and each other. To think, dream and discover. To reach their highest potential.”

Overall, Postman takes the tone of someone giving a death sentence to our culture. One would think that television was never meant to be entertainment at all! Although I do agree with his concern that we are a very media dependent culture, it’s been twenty-three years since he wrote the book, and we are still a functioning society.

Citizen Journalism: Say it Yourself!

Citizen journalism is a relatively new phrase in the media world and a powerful alternative for media consumers today. We now have the option to read what average citizens are saying about the issues. The major advantage when it comes to citizen journalism is being able to confront bias in traditional media forms by being able to read, or even write, stories from multiple points of view.

One example of an online form of citizen journalism is Chi Town Daily News. This website is an
online newspaper for the Chicago area, written by volunteers. The site has space for stories on local news, culture, sports, the big city, events, blogs, updates, and special reports. Most of the news stories are factual, with the exception of the blog page. Called BLOG farm, this section of the website allows citizen journalists to write editorial-type stories and/or comment on others’ blogs.

Most of the articles appear to be error-free and written in a professional way, so it’s probably safe to assume that the articles are edited. According to the online article “The 11 Layers of Citizen Journalism,” by Steve Outing, The Chi Town Daily News would most likely fall into layer six, the edited version of the stand-alone citizen journalism site.

To put this news source in perspective, it might help to compare it with a well-known newspaper. According to the book Media Literacy, by W. James Potter, the New York Times has been owned by one family for over a century. This provides “very high potential for members of that family to have a strong influence on that newspaper” (108). Because anybody can contribute, no one “owns” the Chi Town Daily News.

Also according to Media Literacy, a Gallup opinion poll found that more than half of Americans believe that the media is influenced by some outside source (116). Potter suggests that “if journalists are unable to provide us with balance, then we must construct it for ourselves if we are to be media literate” (121). This is exactly what citizen journalism strives to do, and Chi Town Daily News is a good example. We’ve all picked up a newspaper and been disappointed that something we think is important was not even mentioned. Because bias in the media undoubtedly affects what news organizations choose to cover, citizen journalism allows people to read about what is important to average citizens. And if your issue still isn’t covered—cover it yourself!

Creepers vs. Favorites

Flipping through channels last night, I happened to come across the premier of the new season of Survivor. I am a fan of the show and have watched most of the other seasons, so I tuned in for this one with its new twist. I had seen it advertised and was curious as to how it was going to work.

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting it to be as good as other seasons, and the first episode proved me right, in my opinion at least. It seemed as though the “fans” were creepy stalkers of the “favorites,” which Alexis practically says by stating, “…we know their game. We know not only their strengths but their weaknesses too.” There have been multiple seasons of Survivor, and in order to remember the way every contestant played the game, you would have to be a bit of a creeper.

By choosing to run this type of show, I think CBS is testing America’s limits on true devotion to media. I’m sure there are plenty of people out there who are obsessive fans of reality shows, but I believe that putting them on national television for the whole country to know the extent of their fanaticism is a bit much. Maybe it’s too early to judge, but I don’t think the fans versus favorites setup will be the “ultimate challenge” after all.

The Media Literacy Continuum as Seen in "Max Headroom"

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.