Media Learners

This blog post is a follow up to the previous post: Media Literacy 101: Content & Audience So, Is it all about us? Not really. Along with the obvious reasons of monetary profits, the media holds much greater power to shape and reshape our perception of the world. Whether it is television, newspapers, radio, internet or films, media products have a greater capacity to reach and influence the audience. Researcher Bernard Cohen made a statement in 1963, “The press may not be much successful to make people think,  but it is very successful in telling people what to think about."  Later in the year 1972, Maxwell Mc Combs & Donald Shaw developed the Agenda-Setting theory. The theory states that the media deliberately makes us think certain issues are more important than the others. In a way, those who control media have more power in their hands. But, as my favorite dialogue from Spiderman movie quotes; “With great power comes great responsibility...

We often unconsciously take in all the media content,  but  we never question if it is the right thing to do. Is it really essential for every one of us to have media literacy?  In order to understand this, I need to break things down for you in some parts, Imagine you completed watching a series’ season-ending episode, now all you can do is dwell on for the next few days or even months with one haunting question, “When is the next season airing?” Sounds familiar? It feels like the most important thing for us, and it is indeed. I mean El just had a reunion with Mike and you are left with endless questions like, what is the deal with that monster in the upside down? Is he going to attack in season 3? How will El help her friends and to fight with that monster?  (*P.S If you don’t get my references, I just feel sorry for you, check out Stranger Things on Netflix!) When we as an audience ge...