MEDIA AND INFORMATION LITERACY Media and Social Integration

LESSON 4 Functionalist Approach

-sees society like an organism
Media and Social Control
Functionalism
Mass Society Approach
-once a major theoretical strand in sociology,
-first approach, which sees society as an
has been significantly dismissed in favor of more critical
integrated whole.
theories.
 The concept of MASS arose during the 19 th
Abella (studied the role of educational media
century
programs…)
Bennett
Social Constructionism
-notes that the term “mass” suggests more than
-posits the notion that individuals have the
the common sense notion of large of people…
capacity to act on their own will to reproduce
 The media is seen as a powerful agent in institutions.
establishing social control in societies…
McQuail (notes that social construction refers
 Media was owned by elite classes to the processes…)
 Public is a passive recipient and consumer of
media content.

Marxist Approach Media and the Rise of an Information Society

-particularly the BASE SUPERSTRUCTURE
Communications Revolution
MODEL
-which characterized the advent and influx of
-closely allied to the mass society approach
new communication technologies.
-media institutions are part of the
superstructure, along with the other social and cultural Information Society
institutions. -emerged in Japan as early as 1960s and was
allied to the notion of information economy.
STRUCTURES OF HUMAN SOCIETY
Human development is a significant concept raised by
UNESCO.

SUPERSTUCTURE
(Everything not to do LESSON 5
w/ production in
society) Literacy
EDUCATION, FAMILY, - widely known as the ability to read and write.
RELIGION,POLITICS - always associated in tangible skills
MEDIA - is a fundamental right (UNESCO- United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
BASE Organization)
(All things needed to
produce) Functional Literacy
Machines, Factories, -emphasize the idea that reading and writing
Land, Raw Materials skills should enable an individual to tackle the tasks that
PEOPLE’S RELATIONS unfold in everyday life.
TO PRODUCTION
Empowerment
-is very significant in our appreciation of how
literacy provides us with means to access the world of
knowledge, so we can lead better lives.
Louis Althusser
-a Marxist, concentrated not only on the
aspects of economic control and ownership… A Working Definition of Media Literacy
Ideological State Apparatuses Media Literacy
-all means of socialization through culture and - is most validly seen as a repertoire of skills and
politics capacities.
-is the ability to ACCESS, ANALYZE, and
Repressive State Apparatuses
RESPOND to a range of media
-for example, the police and law enforcers that
enable the capitalist state…
Access Internet
-denotes the knowledge of where to find these - is a vast chain of computer networks in which
forms of media. anyone who has access to a computer with internet
connection can publish their documents.
Analysis
- includes thinking critically and reflectively on Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
what has been read, seen or experienced, and its - sites can be searched or even remembered
implications to oneself and to one’s community. through its own address

Response
- includes the ability to experience and explore
Domain
the pleasures of the media text…
-the three-letter code preceded by a dot.
Buckingham and Livingstone
 .edu (Educational institution)
- define media literacy as having access to the
 .com ( Commercial entities)
media, understanding the media…
 .org ( Non Profit organizations)
 .gov ( Government organizations)
 .net ( Internet Service Providers)
Origins of the Word “Media”

The original means of mass communication were print-

magazines, journals and newspapers- and their Sources of Information
collective name was already in place: publications.
a) Popular Publications
-most of what rules in the print and
non-print media are popular publications with
Why is Empowerment Such a Big Word?
the general public as its target audience.
Empowerment b) Scholarly Publications
- is the idea of power - these are well-researched articles
- hinged on the idea that power can change found mostly in academic journals and
published for the specialists of a specific field.
Power
c) Trade Publications
-control, domination, influence
- meant for the players and specialists
- often related to our ability to make others do
of a specific industry.
what we want
- relational and possessed by some at the
expense of others.
Formats of Information

Print
Information Literacy - materials produced and collected from print
resources ( books, newspapers and other periodicals,
Information
manuscripts, memoranda, notes, brochures,etc.)
- which informs that which enables us to know
-it can be the answer to a questions, a news or a Digital Formats
data. It is also communicable. - digital formats are information materials that
are stored in an electronic format on a hard drive, CD-
Information Literacy
ROM, remote serer or even the Cloud.
- is the set off abilities requiring individuals to
recognize when information is needed Audio and Video
- using analog technology in video and audio
Microform
What is the Information Age? - materials that have been photographed and
their images developed in reduced-size film strip and
Industrial Revolution which are viewed using machines with magnifying
- began in Britain in the 18th century lenses.
Internet
- arose in 1969
Computer Literacy
World Wide Web - means the set of skills, attitudes and
- fully developed in 1989 knowledge necessary to understand and operate the
Microform basic functions of information…
- the invention in 1945
LESSON 6 4. Digital Etiquette

2011, the international body representing culture and This is about the commonly
education in the United Nations, the UNESCO, ratified a regarded as appropriate and respectful
curriculum for teachers so they can gain a more behavior when using information
expanded understanding of the role of media and technologies.
information technology.
5. Digital Law
UNESCO defines MIL as “the essential competencies This covers the legal
(knowledge, skills and attitudes) that allow citizens to environment that informs and guides the
engage with media and other information provides users about the ethical and productive use
effectively… of technology.
Magna Carta for Internet Freedom-
which is a crowd-sourced document.
Advantages of Media and Information Literacy 6. Digital Wellness
this covers the protection of
 You will have the ability to examine-even users from what could be potentially
scrutinize- the content of mdi and information deleterious to their physical, physiological
messages closely and see how their meanings and even psychological weel-being.
are significant. 7. Digital Security
 You will gain an understanding of the structures this area covers the entire
that govern he creation and dissemination of gamut of safety precautions that
media and information messages. information technologies invoke- from virus
 You will also gain an understanding of how protection to data protection.
political forces shape the creation and
dissemination of media and information
messages. The Magna Carta for Philippine Internet
 You will learn how to sift information, discern Freedom (MCPIF) was filed as House Bill
what is both useful and useless to your lives. No. 1086 by Congresswoman Kimi
 You will value the word ethics and its Cojuangco and as Senate Bill No. 53 by
implication to society. Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago. It must
be noted that it is a crowdsourced
document, drawing much from the inputs
Citizenship and Media and Information Literacy of Internet users who actively participated
Education in the loby against the repeal of Cybercrime
T.H. Marshall defined citizenship as endowing all Prevetion Act of 2012, otherwise known as
members of a community with certain civil… Republic Act 10175.

Responsible digital citizenship can be defined as the set

of appropriate social norms and behavior with regard to LESSON 1 (Chapter 2)
the use of internet.
Key Terms:
Digitalcitizenship.net (provides us with some
useful discussion on ideal situations and what else Representation- the ways in which media represents
needs to be done) reality.

1. Digital Access Codes- system of signs and symbolic meanings

the ideal situation is that all have full embedded in a media and information text.
electronic participation in society. Conventions- the established and socially accepted
2. Digital Communication ways of doing things.
this involves the electronic exchange of
information through various platforms Genre- a system of classification of works of art, based
and channels. on established conventions.
3. Digital Commerce
Format- manner of presentation and style that provides
This involves the sale and a structure for media and information texts.
purchase of goods and services using
digital platforms in the internet and
mobile phones.
Today the capacities of the human mind aided by Medium Shot, Mid Shot, and Medium Close Shot
technology enable the process called construction of shows a subject down to his or her chest or
media and information messages. waist

 Constructions create representations. Close-Up

a full-screen shot of a subject’s face, showing
Representations are the construction in any media of
the finest nuances of expression.
certain aspects of reality and the constitutive elements
that make up reality. Extreme Close-up (shot) Detail (shot) for Objects
a shot of a hand, eye, mouth, or object in detail
 Representation is a way of presenting reality
again. Point of View

Establishing Shot
often used at the beginning of a scene to
All Media Present Representations of Reality
indicate the location or setting. It is usually a long shot
 The first principle of media literacy asserts that taken from a neutral position.
all media messages are constructed. What do Point-of-view Shot, POV-shot
we mean by this? shows a scene from the perspective of a
 The first step to fully appreciating the character or one person. Most newsreel footages are
constructedness of media and information shown from the perspective of the newscaster.
messages is to take the route of disassembling.
Over-the-Shoulder Shot
often used in dialogue scenes, a frontal view of
LESSON 2 a dialogue partner from the perspective of someone
standing behind and slightly to the side of the other
Codes partner, so that parts of both can be seen.
are systems of signs that when put together
create meaning. Reaction Shot
short shot of a character’s response to an
Conventions action.
are generally established and accepted ways of
doing something. Insert (Shot)
a detail shot which quickly gives visual
Semiotics information necessary to understand the meaning of a
is the study of signs. scene.
According to Hall (1997) media always is engaged in Reverse-Angle Shot
“signifying practices,” which means there is a kind of a shot from the opposite perspective, e.g., after
symbolic work that can be found in media texts. an over-the-shoulder shot
 The approach to culture is tied to man’s Hand-Held Camera
capacity for meaning-making. the camera is not mounted on a tripod and
 It can mean the established ways by which instead is held by the cameraperson, resulting in less
society privileges certain signs due to certain stable shots.
historical circumstances.
Camera Angles
THE GRAMMAR OF THE CAMERA
Aerial Shot or High Angle or Overhead
Extreme Long Shot long or extreme long shot of the ground from
shot of a large crowd scene or a view of scenery the air.
as far as the horizon.
High-Angle Shot
Long Shot shows people or objects from above, higher
a view of a situation or setting from a distance. than eye level
Medium Long Shot Low-Angle Shot or Below Shot
shows a group of people in interaction with shows people or objects from below, i.e., lower
each other, e.g., a fight scene, with part of their than eye level
surroundings in the picture.
Eye-Level Shot or Straight-on Angle
Full Shot views a subject from the level of a person’s
a view of a figure’s entire body in order to show eyes.
action and/or a constellation group of characters
Camera Movement

Pan(ning shot)
the camera pans (moves horizontally) from left
to right or vice versa across the picture.

Tilt (shot)
the camera tilts up (moves upwards) or tilts
down (moves downwards) around a vertical line

Tracking Shot
the camera follows along next to or behind a
moving object or person.

Zoom
the stationary camera approaches a subject by
‘zooming in’; or moves farther away by ‘zooming out’

 Codes and conventions are in fact more

complex and elaborate concepts. That is
because they are tied to the concept of genre.