3. Personal Locus: A High Personal Locus: - an understanding of the circumstances of the media. - someone that understands how advertising tools are used and how things are presented to us. A Low Personal Locus: - Someone that easily buys into things the media tells us. A point of view can be a dangerous luxury when substituted for insight and understanding. – Marshall McLuhan
10. Media can be opinionated. Be aware. Media Literacy is important. In democratic countries, some call the media a "fourth estate". - Understanding the media
We live in an over-mediated world. Some say access to media is a godsend to only bring fun and knowledge. In this case, things are good, however, there are various side effects which are not expected or that we do not always think about. When we read or listen the news we need to understand the difference between true and the fake information or media, take the good and throw out the bad. People that create media can also encourage risky behavior or unhealthy lifestyles especially through advertising. Marshall McLuhan, a communications theorist said: A point of view can be a dangerous luxury when substituted for insight and understanding. We must learn to understand media, have media literacy skills and a high personal locus.
A High Personal Locus: an understanding of the circumstances of the media. Understand how advertising tools are used and how things are presented to us.A Low Personal Locus: Easily buys into things the media tells us.
Many intellectuals, but also educators and parents are activists and campaign for media awareness especially for children. The Media Awareness Network is an organization focuses on this. It is important to educate children about the media on television and magazines and more to make them responsible citizens, informed consumers, develop their critical thinking and obviously to be the best viewers.
Now a days we focus our attention on many outlets of media between television, radio, internet, magazines and more.
However with all these changes and outlets It is necessary to consider the influence, good or bad, of theadvertisements and more on these channels, and our own personal thoughtprocess.
Marshall McLuhan a famous communication theorist believed all media exist to invest our lives with artificial perceptions and arbitrary values.
However . As people we need to be kept informed, it is our right to a free press. The great interest of the media, whether print, television, Internet or radio, is to inform quickly and widely the most people possible of facts and "important” events in the country and worldwide.
For example it can be used to inform a population that is in danger, as in the case of tornadoes, which also advised by the national channels, local stations have dictated the instructions and procedures to nearby residents, including safety.
So by buying "journals of opinion" attached to different political parties we can study the different reactions to the events we face. The risk here is that we focus solely on a view that wants to 'dictate' what we think. This iswhere media literacy comes in as an importance.
We talk about the diversion of information when they are presented in a context other than their real context. This can occur especially in television news, when images are presented with an inappropriate comment (for example, the place and the date of events cited are wrong). But this can happen with other media (newspaper, radio). Photo manipulations is easy to do these days. Even cropping people out of photos is easy.
Journalism news and informationnormally present the facts with maximum objectivity and aim primarily to talk about the latest events. The opinion journalism, which belongs to a political party defend their views, they will present the facts with a subjective vision.. The tabloids, always in search of a sensational event (as the name suggests), sometimes exaggerate reality to the detriment of objectivity.
The media is a very useful tool, but it is important to keep a high personal locus and have the strength to support ones true views and know what to expect from the media.We have to see the difference between the true and the fake because media is at times the only way to share the information. Media can take advantage of us in order to control us. To conclude, a high personal locus as well as a high understanding of media and using media literacy skills will allow people to use media at its best.
