Kaitlyn M.

Ramsey

November 7, 2016

Media Education

Midterm Essay

“We can read deeply, deconstruct the imagery, and alter the cognitive frame through which we

receive our media. But we’re still essentially consumers. We can pick which channel to watch, but we’re

still the ones being programmed” (Rushkoff, 2016; p. xiv). This is why critical and visual media literacy

are both extremely important in our fast advancing world. For one to be literate in the traditional sense,

one must know how to read and write. Looking at literacy in the sense of critical and visual for the media,

it boils down to how one can encode and decode messages that are put forth by the corporate media.

Corporate media encodes raw amateur films and audio recordings and puts them through the

channels of the 'formal rules' of the governing system of language. From there they make these raw events

into newsworthy stories. They do this by editing the film, audio, and eye witness accounts to transform

historical events into newsworthy stories for their audiences (Procter, 2004; pp. 63-64). Disasters,

scandals, and murders do not appear in the raw form, they need to be encoded before they are allowed to

be shown to the public, again, they need to be placed within a set of codes or system of signs. While

corporate media shows us what they want, it is our job to use our critical and visual media literacy skills

to decode what we are viewing. For us as the audience, it is our responsibility to understand the precise

message that these media giants are bombarding us with on a daily basis.

According to Joshua Meyrowitz, there are three types of important media literacies. These

literacies include media content, media grammar, and medium literacy (Meyrowitz, 1979; pp. 96-106). By

looking and executing these three media literacies, it will then in turn help use to hone in on our skills for

both critical and visual media literacy.

 Media content literacy involves the ability to access and analyze messages in different types of

media. For one to decode and follow the hidden messages; exploring both intended and non-intended

messages; and even understanding that different audiences tend to interpret the same media differently.

An example of how we could use this is through McDonald commercials. As adults watching a

commercial intended for children, by including new children movie characters in their commercials, we

tend to see they are not going to sell us, the adult audience, this “Happy Meal.” However, looking it

through the children’s view, who are not critically or visually media literate, they just see the toy they get

with the food. They do not decode what the media is really trying to get at; the parent’s money and the

child’s overall health. All Ronald McDonald cares about is the need to turn a profit.

Media grammar literacy is viewed as how each medium has its own language. That the view of

media creates a pathway to the specific grammar of each medium and the different types of production

variables. Herbert Zettl calls the types of production for the medium’s as their aesthetics. Aesthetics

meaning the framework for the audiences perceptions are rooted through these elements, for example

lengths of shots, visual fades in/out, certain colors and shapes, time and motion, camera angles, sound, etc

(Zettl, 1966; p. 86). What we saw in this election has been an amazing example of how our media

grammar literacy skills should have been put to the test. Between how they spoke to their followers;

Trump encoded his messages through “catchy” phrases such as, “Build That Wall,” “Make America Great

Again,” or even “Drain the Swamp,” promising the blue collared Americans the change they need.

Whereas, Clinton spoke more eloquently about the problems facing our country and the ways that we

need to go about them; “Stop and Frisk does not work, it is feeding the stereotypes,” “Make investments

where we can grow the economy,” and even “Grip and Deal with Global Warming.” Making plans for

Americas issues, not just throwing out punch lines. Looking at how aesthetics were used; the camera

angles made it look as if the candidates were looking at each other for more of the debate feel, the colors

of red, white and blue to make it seem patriotic, and even using close-ups of the candidates helped to

create a more personal connection between the candidates and their captive audience.
 The third literacy that is brought to light by Meyrowitz is medium literacy. This literacy deals

with the type of setting that has fixed characteristics which then has a direct impact on the types of

communication that is used. Along with the type of setting, medium literacy includes the understanding of

how the nature of the medium changes communication on both single-situation level and societal level.

We see the single-situation level in the millennial generation as Johnny wants to ask Jenny on a date (is

the type of interaction), Johnny decides to text her (is the form of communication). Whereas, societal

level is the understanding of theories; Global Warming is a Serious Threat.

By using the skills that we as an intellectual audience have learned, we are then much more

equipped to decode what is spoon fed to us through corporate media. That by being both critically and

visually media literate we can make our own educated conclusions about the world around us.

Media literacy education gives us each as individuals the ability to develop and hone in on our

critical thinking skills in regards to the media that we consume in our everyday lives (Center for Media

Literacy, 2002; De Abreau, 2016; p. 10). This is an important skill to exercise thorough out both our

personal lives as well as our political lives. According to Victor C. Strasburger, modern media can play an

extremely important role in teaching our children and adolescents about health issues, since this captive

audience tends to be “logged in” up to an average of seven plus hours a day. Even though this seems to be

an excessive amount of time to be “plugged in,” they learn important messages about aggressive

behavior, sex, drugs, obesity, and other health problems that can directly affect them. Although the cause

of most of these health problems can be linked back to traditional forms of media (TV, film, etc.), they

have been a widespread medium as to help inform and display changes is public health issues

(Strasburger, Jordan, & Donnerstein, 2012; p. 61). By allowing the audience to be aware of the growing

health problems, we are better suited to combat these problems in our personal lives by using our media

literacy.
 Political literacy is just as important because it helps to advance the goals in media literacy; we

happen to live in a world where our politics are mediated, and media are politicized (Kolluri, 2016; p.

209). As strong, well educated individuals, we need both media literacy and political literacy to weave in

and out of how corporate media twists our views through our mediated politics. “We live in a multimedia

age where the majority of information people receive comes less often from print sources and more

typically from highly constructed visual images, complex sound arrangements, and multiple media

formats” (Kellner & Share, 2007; p. 208). Taking this into consideration, comedy shows that use political

satire are a great way to incorporate critical media literacy into ones media diet. By watching shows such

as The Daily Show or The Colbert Report, these shows implement critical media literacy. They then tend

to take on the roles of political humor and "satirically deconstruct" and "falsely reconstruct" news and

issues of the day (Kolluri, 2016; p. 210). Adding this to our media diet in our daily schedules can help

make a difference in our political lives. These shows help us look at corporate media news in a whole new

light, not just by using our media and political literacy but adding to our skills critical media literacy.

“If you are going to be media literate, it’s crucially important to know the economic basis of

media production, and how that affects content, techniques, and distribution” (Aufderhride, 2000; p. 306;

Corrigan, 2016; p.46). The corporate media definitely has commercial imperatives. We are the century of

consumerism, so in turn, corporate media plays this to their advantage. Even simple things such as

clicking through the internet as a leisurely activity, third-party trackers then collect this “free” data and

sell it to multinational companies (Nike, Apple, Amazon, etc.). This is called audience profiling, that with

every click, swipe, or like that we conduct is closely watched and recorded to build our individual profiles

of our identities and preferences (Corrigan, 2016; p. 48; Turow, 2012, para. 10). This then prompts these

multinationals to put out ads pertaining to our interests; if one tends to shop at Dick’s Sporting Goods

they put out a 25% off coupon on the side bar of a webpage. Always giving the “look here, look what

we’re selling, look we’re willing to give you this at a discount if you buy from us now!” Not only are we
giving out this information out freely, but these companies are then capitalizing off of us without us ever

realizing that they are shaping who we are.

Looking at the larger picture of corporate media, there are only a handful of media giants that

control what we read, view and hear through our different mediums. These media giants then cross

promote vertically and horizontally through their enormous environments or properties that they have

bought throughout their years. By these companies owning the majority of the media we take in, hence

being a giant monopoly, they then can make more of a profit off of us as the audience. The Walt Disney

Company owns ABC family, A&E, ESPN, Lifetime, Disney Channel, History Channel, SOAPnet, just to

name a few (Croteau, Hoynes & Milan, 2015; pp. 31-33). This conglomerate also has holdings in flim,

music, radio, publishing, parks and resorts, games and software, broadcast television, cable television,

interactive media and consumer products.

Cross promotion much? By having this much influence in the media, they influence not just the

child and their giant imaginations, they now then influence the entire family. Walt Disney Company has

covered all their bases in the hope to open your wallets, opening them in such a way that they have built

the “All American” vacation as to bringing your children to Disney World. Where imagination is endless,

a world where dreams come true; we see this in Make a Wish and even the winners of the NFL Super

Bowl. In a larger scale, these giants are not giving back to the society; they are pocketing all the profits.

However, if the “All American” vacation was the Grand Canyon, or Yellowstone National Park, we

would be supporting our national parks. That the profits would give back to our environment in a positive

way rather than going towards the CEOs paycheck in the Walt Disney Company.
Bibliography:

Croteau, D., Hoynes, W., & Milan, S. (2003). Media society: Industries, images, and audiences.

Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.

pp. 31-33

Frechette, J. D., Williams, R., & Rushkoff, D. (2016). Media education for a digital generation. New

York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

p. xiv

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p. 61

Frechette, J. D., Williams, R., Kolluri, S., Kellner, & Share. (2016). Media education for a digital

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pp. 96-106
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p. 86