Media & information literacies: In the belly of the beast

Media & Information Literacies (MIK)

IN THE BELLY OF THE BEAST �� �

Bonnie Stewart University of Prince Edward Island

@bonstewart #MIK2015LIN

Stories of Knowledge

Stories of Empire

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Stories of Change

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Knowledge Abundance

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"For the first time in human history, two related propositions are true. One,

it no longer is possible to store within the human brain all of the

information that a human needs.

Second, it no longer is necessary to store within the human brain all of the

information that humans need.

Education needs to be geared toward the handling of data rather than the

accumulation of data.” - Berlo, 1975

Abundance = integration

of media into daily life

…and education.

Abundance can become overload

h"p://www.flickr.com/photos/striaEc/2191408271/  

Structure of Abundance = Networks

We are all network nodes, able to communicate messages

to other nodes

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But some nodes are more equal than others.

Empire  

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Empires are constructed from money, territory, and information.

In the globalized 21st century, not all empires are geopolitical.

What places do you live?

h"p://jaysimons.deviantart.com/art/Map-­‐of-­‐the-­‐Internet-­‐1-­‐0-­‐427143215  

Who owns the places you live?

21st Century Fox •  Fox Broadcasting •  20th Century Fox Film •  20th Century Fox TV •  Fox Sports •  Fox News Channel •  Fox Business Network •  National Geographic

Channels •  BSkyB = $73.45 billion

News Corps 2013 •  Dow Jones •  Wall Street Journal •  Harper Collins •  New York Post •  The Australian •  The Herald Sun •  The Daily Telegraph •  The Times •  The Sun = $9.44 billion

Empire has effects

Empire & education

In an era of networks, we the people have the capacity to speak back to empire.

What does ‘fair’ mean when critiquing a position of

empire?

Messages are constructed

Some messages have WAY more power & money behind them, and way more reach.

h"ps://www.flickr.com/photos/susivinh/6117590884  

Key Media Literacy Questions

1. Who created this message? 2. What creative techniques are

being used to attract my attention?

3. Who is the audience? 4. What values and points of view

are represented and omitted? 5. Who gains profit or power if I

accept this message?

Change

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It was once enough to have – and teach – literacies for broadcast messages

New tech + old approaches ������

new literacies

In abundance, the power relations of #4 & #5 are more

complex

What stories are we telling? What stories are we buying?

Analyze All The Things!

h"p://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.co.uk/  

Represented? Omitted? Profit? Power?

Represented? Omitted? Profit? Power?

More later.

To Speak Back:

[email protected]

@bonstewart