Potter, Introduction to Media Literacy 1e 1
Introduction to Media Literacy, 1st edition
W. James Potter
Chapter 9: Springboard
Lecture Notes
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the ideas in the12 guidelines for increasing your media literacy.
2. Apply the 12 guidelines to develop your own proactive perspective on the media.
Outline:
I. Twelve guidelines
A. Strengthen your personal locus
i. Most important guideline
ii. Your personal locus is a combination of an awareness of your goals as
well as the drive to search for information and experiences to attain those
goals.
D. Acquire a broad base of useful knowledge
i. If you acquire knowledge that is not useful, it will not help you.
ii. Acquiring knowledge happens on a topic-by-topic basis.
a. Influenced by interest in each topic
E. Think about the reality-fantasy continuum
i. Media products have elements of both reality and fantasy.
ii. You need to assess what elements in each program are “reality” and what
elements are “fantasy.”
Potter, Introduction to Media Literacy 1e 2
a. The case of Dallas and Dukes of Hazard
iii. You need to ask yourself if you systematically gather valid information
before constructing opinions.
H. Change behaviors
I. Make cross-channel comparisons
i. Are there differences between types of media?
ii. Are the differences important?
iii. Interactive media blur the line between content consumers and content
producers.
K. Do not take privacy for granted
i. Think about all of the audiences that may consume any message you put
on the Internet.
a. What impression are you likely to create among those different
audiences?
L. Take personal responsibility
II. Examples of levels of literacy
A. Reality series on TV
i. Low level of media literacy: People think characters are real and that
situations actually happened as presented.
ii. Slightly higher level of media literacy: People watch reality TV because
they feel a personal connection to the characters.
B. Facebook page
Potter, Introduction to Media Literacy 1e 3
i. Low level of media literacy: Users maintain contact with people through
images and superficial messages.