An exploration of media literacy in South Africa and a model for tertiary education
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Date
2003
Authors
Pepler, E. M.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
Although the discipline of media studies is not new to the broad academic field of
Communication Science, the phenomenon of media literacy in the media studies
landscape is not so familiar. The state of affairs pertaining to the ever-growing,
ubiquitous mass media in the third millennium and its potential effects on individuals
and society increasingly preoccupy many researchers and other stake-holders,
particularly in view of the fact that it is virtually impossible to separate the presence and
possible effects of the media from society. In short, the mass media create and
maintain popular and mass culture, confirming the traditional theoretical function as
.prominent carriers of culture and instruments of socialization .
The transactional perspective of communication has been transposed in this thesis to
the context of mass media consumers at the receiving end of mass communication via
the mass media. Studies have waylaid the initial perspective of the hypodermic needle
theories, in the sense that these audiences do not always seem to be completely
passive and at the mercy of the mass media as so-called victims, but that these
consumers actually do play an active role in terms of their selection and choice of
media and formats. The latter perspective heralded the user gratification chapters in
the media effects history. Media literacy, however, takes this active role even further,
and aims to empower and teach ordinary people, specifically young people who are
often viewed as most susceptible audiences of mass media messages, to critically
evaluate and mindfully decode the mass media contents.
In the face of the overwhelming volume of communication and information messages
surrounding the modern-day citizen, audiences can obviously lose control of their
media exposure or "diets", consequently affecting their mindful judgment of these
contents. Aspects such as violence, promiscuity and uninhibited sex, swearing and
profanity, crime and materialism, amongst many others, often seem to be the driving
force behind the mass media producers who find themselves mostly profit- and
consumer-driven, as most media formats (e.g. newspapers, magazines, radio,
television, film, advertisements and the Internet) are indeed and essentially businesses
who can best survive by supplying popular sensation at a price to the avid consumers.
Studies on the audience's psychological relationship with the media suggest that these
consumers often possibly prefer not to critically choose the contents of their media diet,
but thrive on a senseless absorbing thereof for various reasons.
Media literacy is already an established and independent school curriculum in most of
the First World countries inter alia Canada, America, Hawaii, Britain, Scotland, France,
Finland, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. However, traces of media education with
the desired outcome of media literate media consumers by means of various so-called
media literacy approaches and techniques, seem to be sparse in the South African
context. If the phenomenon of media literacy is encountered at all, it is where mere
strains of the concept are included in other subjects in order to facilitate the learning of
the primary subjects such as Languages, Cultural Studies, History or Human Sciences;
not necessarily comprising knowledge content and skills pertaining to the mass media
itself.
Media literacy is a vital life-skill for any person interacting with the profuse mass media
in modern-day society, and with the necessary knowledge and development of skills,
all learners can enhance their enjoyment of the mass media when they are media
literate. While censorship of detrimental media content is not advised, prolific studies
speculate about the link between societal problems and the mass media content,
leaving media academics and scholars at an impasse with these powerful "mass
cuItural agents".
Media literacy activities aim to furnish learners with knowledge about the nature and
characteristics of the mass media as well as specific issues such as stereotyping,
gender portrayals, violence, media hegemony, the creation of mass and popular
culture and other effects of the media. Learners can acquire both cognitive and
emotional facilities as well as psycho-motor skills in order to access, decode, evaluate
and analyze different media formats and contents. The vital conative aspect -
implying the conscious choice to manage media exposure - can also be redressed
when consumers become enlightened about the nature and role of the mass media.
Essentially, media literacy is critical thinking applied to the mass media. Its contents
aim to furnish learners with discerning capabilities, in order to eventually improve the
quality of individuals' lives and promote social justice by the application of evaluation of
values amongst other aspects. Ultimately, a media literate society can produce more
creative, individualistic and independent-thinking citizens, thus raising the standards of
a democracy in the fullest sense of the word, and giving embodiment to many of the
clauses of the Constitution such as that of free speech and access to information.
Metaphorically speaking, it can be asked why numerous people carefully balance their
food intake, but are seldom concerned about their media diets. Health warnings about
the inherent dangers of smoking, alcohol, fatty foods and cholesterol are rife, whilst
education for general and ordinary media consumers about the effects of alleged
"unhealthy" media content seems to be rare. In the same manner that parents teach
children how to navigate the potentially dangerous realm of traffic and roads, young
people and future media workers - all ordinary people indeed - should be educated
how to negotiate the latent dangers of the mass media. Although literature produces
many and various approaches to the teaching of media literacy, there is a prominent
lack of South African academic material and research on the subject. The primary goal
of this study therefore is the development of a model for teaching media literacy on a
tertiary level in South Africa, and to elucidate the currently fragmented and young
discipline of media literacy on an international level in the face of the many different
perspectives and definitions ascribed to the subject.
It is lastly suggested that this study should also be seen as a form of societal criticism,
which falls in the cadre of the relationship between the mass media and its consumers.
A society with critical-thinking individuals and audiences who can ask pertinent
questions about the content of the mass media, can raise the quality of the mass
media's content and so compel the media industries and professionals to enter into a
more transactional and interactional relationship with their audiences via the media,
who can learn to maintain a balanced approach to the media as a result of increased
media literacy. Education about the mass media industry, its contents and possible
effects is the only solution to assist consumers in not being misled continuously by the
media.
Description
Keywords
Media literacy, Mass media -- Study and teaching, Thesis (Ph.D. (Communication Studies))--University of the Free State, 2003.