INTRODUCTION TO MEDIA AND INFORMATION LITERACY

Media, Information and Digital Literacy

Literacy: The ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute, using printed and
written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning, wherein
individuals are able to achieve their goals, develop their knowledge and potential, and participate fully in their
community and wider society.
• Media: The physical objects used to communicate with, or the mass communication through physical
objects such as radio, television, computers, film, etc. It also refers to any physical object used to
communicate messages.
• Media Literacy: The ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media in a variety of forms. It aims to
empower citizens by providing them with the competencies (knowledge and skills) necessary to engage with
traditional media and new technologies.
• Information: A broad term that covers processed data, knowledge derived from study, experience,
instruction, signals or symbols.
• Information Literacy: The ability to recognize when information is needed, and to locate, evaluate, and
effectively communicate information in its various formats.
• Technology Literacy: The ability of an individual, either working independently or with others, to responsibly,
appropriately, and effectively use technological tools. Using these tools an individual can access, manage,
integrate, evaluate, create and communicate information.
• Media and Information Literacy: The essential skills and competencies that allow individuals to engage
with media and other information providers effectively, as well as develop critical thinking and life-long learning
skills to socialize and become active citizens.
Media and Information Literacy recognizes the primary role of information and media in our everyday lives. It
lies at the core of freedom of expression and information - since it empowers citizens to understand the
functions of media and other information providers, to critically evaluate their content, and to make informed
decisions as users and producer of information and media content.

Characteristics of Responsible User and Competent Producer of Media and Information

1. A media and information literate individual behave properly on the internet.
2. A media and information literate individual are a critical thinker.
3. A media and information literate individual are smart
4. A media and information literate individual know how to protect himself/herself and others on the internet.

Evolution of Media
Pre-Industrial Age (Before 1700s) - People discovered fire, developed paper from plants, and forged weapons
and tools with stone, bronze, copper and iron.
Examples: • Cave paintings (35,000 BC) • Clay tablets in Mesopotamia (2400 BC) • Papyrus in Egypt (2500
BC) • Acta Diurna in Rome (130 BC) • Dibao in China (2nd Century) • Codex in the Mayan region (5th Century)
• Printing press using wood blocks (220 AD)
Industrial Age (1700s-1930s) - People used the power of steam, developed machine tools, established iron
production, and the manufacturing of various products (including books through the printing press). Examples:
• Printing press for mass production (19th century) • Newspaper- The London Gazette (1640) • Typewriter
(1800) •Telephone (1876) • Motion picture photography/projection (1890) • Commercial motion pictures
(1913) • Motion picture with sound (1926) • Telegraph • Punch cards
Electronic Age (1930s-1980s) - The invention of the transistor ushered in the electronic age. People
harnessed the power of transistors that led to the transistor radio, electronic circuits, and the early computers.
In this age, long distance communication became more efficient.
Examples: • Transistor Radio • Television (1941) • Large electronic computers- i.e. EDSAC (1949) and
UNIVAC 1 (1951) • Mainframe computers - i.e. IBM 704 (1960) • Personal computers - i.e. Hewlettpackard
9100A (1968), Apple 1 (1976) • OHP, LCD projectors
Information Age (1900s-2000s) - The Internet paved the way for faster communication and the creation of the
social network. People advanced the use of microelectronics with the invention of personal computers,
mobile devices, and wearable technology. Moreover, voice, image, sound and data are digitalized. We are now
living in the information age.
Examples: • Web browsers: Mosaic (1993), Internet Explorer (1995) • Blogs: Blogspot (1999), livejournal
(1999) • Wordpress (2003) • Social networks: Friendster (2002), Multiply (2003), Facebook (2004) •
Microblogs: Twitter (2006), Tumblr (2007)

Roles and Functions of Media in Democratic Society

1. Monitoring Function - Inform citizens of what is happening
2. Educate the Audience – providing meaningful and significant facts
3. Provide a platform for public discourse – public opinion and expression of dissent.
PUBLIC OPINION- views prevalent among the general public
DISSENT- strong difference of opinion; disagreement esp. about official decisions
4. Watchdog - It exposes corrupt practices of the government and the private sector.
5. Channel for advocacy- Through its diverse sources or formats, it bridges the gap of digital divide.
Information Literacy is the ability to recognize when information is needed and to locate, evaluate, effectively
use and communicate information in its various formats.
An information literate person can identify, find, evaluate, apply and acknowledge information.
Stages/Elements of Information Literacy
1. Identifying/recognizing information needs.
2. Determining sources of information.
3. Citing or searching for information.
4. Analyzing and evaluating the quality of information.
5. Organizing, storing or archiving information.
6. Using information in an ethical, efficient and effective way.
7. Creating and communicating new knowledge.

Media Literacy - ability to decode, analyze, evaluate, and produce communication in a variety of forms. It
provides a framework to access, analyze, evaluate and create messages in a variety of forms - from print to
video to the Internet
Fundamental Elements of Media Literacy
1. An awareness of the impact of media.
2. An understanding of the process of mass communication.
3. Strategies for analyzing and discussing media messages.
4. An understanding of media content as a text that provides insight into our culture and our lives.
5. The ability to enjoy, understand, and appreciate media content.
6. An understanding of the ethical and moral obligations of media practitioners.
7. Development of appropriate and effective production skills.
8. Critical thinking skills enabling the development of independent judgments about media content
Critical Thinking - is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying,
analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation,
experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action (Scriven and Paul, 1987)
Week 3: Types of Media and Media Convergence
Print Media - media consisting of paper and ink, reproduced in a printing process that is traditionally
mechanical.
Broadcast Media - media such as radio and television that reach target audiences using airwaves as the
transmission medium.
New Media - content organized and distributed on digital platforms. It provides information or entertainment
using internet and computer. It is digital media that are interactive, incorporate two-way communication and
involve some form of computing. Social Media forms of electronic communication (such as web sites) through
which people create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, etc.

Media Convergence
• The co-existence of traditional and new media.
• The co-existence of print media, broadcast media (radio and television), the Internet, mobile phones, as well
as others, allowing media content to flow across various platforms.
• The ability to transform different kinds of media into digital code, which is then accessible by a range of
devices, thus creating a digital communication environment.

Week 4: Media and Information Sources

Indigenous knowledge (IK) is the local knowledge – knowledge that is unique to a given culture or society. IK
contrasts with the international knowledge system generated by universities, research institutions and private
firms.
Indigenous Media - owned, controlled and managed by indigenous peoples in order for them to develop and
produce culturally appropriate information in the languages understood by the community by utilizing
indigenous materials and resources, reflecting community needs and interests, visions and aspirations, and
independent from vested interest groups.
Types of Sources
1. Books – In depth, detailed coverage of topic and background information.
2. Articles:
Scholarly Journals – Up-to-date and highly specific for scholars and researchers.
Trade Publications – Targeted towards professionals in a discipline or industry.
Magazines – Broad summary of issues for a general audience.
3. Newspapers – Up-to-date, national and regional information for a general audience.
4. Internet – Wide variety of information. Evaluate websites carefully.

Evaluating Information
a. Accuracy – content is grammatically correct, verifiable and cited when necessary.
b. Author – Defines who created the content, the individual or group’s credentials/expertise and provides contact
information.
c. Currency – Information is current and updated frequently
d. Fairness - Content is balanced, presenting all sides of an issue and multiple points of view.
e. Relevance – Content is relevant to your topic or research.
Week 5: Genre, Codes and Conventions
Media Languages - These are codes, conventions, formats, symbols, and narrative structures that indicate
the meaning of media messages to an audience.
Codes – are systems of signs which create meaning.
a. Technical Codes - ways in which equipment is used to tell the story. These include camera angle, types of
shot and lighting.
• Camerawork - How the camera is operated, positioned, and moved to achieve certain effects is also
important in analyzing media. These include positioning, movement, framing, exposure, and choice
of lens.
• Editing - It is the process of choosing, manipulating, and arranging images and sound. Generally, it
is done for graphic edits, rhythmic edits, spatial edits, and temporal edits.
• Audio - Using sound expressively or naturalistically also plays a role in media. Its three aspects
include dialogue, sound effects and music.
• Lighting - Manipulating light, either natural or artificial, to selectively highlight specific elements of
certain scenes, is also one of the important elements of media.
b. Symbolic Codes - This only means that these codes exist outside media product themselves but would be
understood in by audience in general. It shows what is beneath the surface of what we see. Examples are
object, setting, body language, clothing, color etc.
• Setting - Known as the time and place of the narrative, the setting describes where the story or a
specific scene took place. It can be as big as an open space or as small as a room. It can even be a
created atmosphere or frame of mind.
• Mise en scene - is a French term that means ‘everything within the frame’. It also refers to all the
objects within a frame the way they are arranged.
• Acting - In media, actors portray a variety of characters that contribute to character development,
creating tension or interpreting the narrative. An actor portrays his/ her assigned character through
the following elements: facial expression, body language, vocal qualities, movement, and body
contact.
• Color - In media, color has strong cultural connotations. Analyzing the use of color in media and its
various aspects, consider the following: dominant color, contrasting foils and color symbolism.
c. Written Codes - use of language style and textual layout. Examples are headlines, captions, titles and
writing style. Similar to technical and symbolic codes, written codes can be used to interpret a narrative and
communicate information regarding a character.
• Written Languages
• Spoken Languages

Conventions – are the generally accepted ways of doing something. In the media context, refers to a standard
or norm that acts as a rule governing behavior.
a. Form Conventions - Form conventions are the distinct ways that audiences expect codes to be arranged in
media.
b. Story Conventions - These are common narrative structures and understanding that are common in story
telling media products.
c. Genre Conventions - Point to the common use of tropes, characters, settings or themes in a particular type
of medium.

Message – these are constructed using creative language with its own rules. It is the information sent from a
source to receiver.
Audiences – refers to the group of consumers for whom a media text was constructed as well as anyone else
exposed to the text.
Producers - People engaged in the process of creating and putting together media content to make a finished
media product.
Other stakeholders - Libraries, archives, museums, internet and other relevant information providers.
Genre - comes from the French word meaning 'type' or 'class‘. It can be recognized by its common set of
distinguishing features (codes and conventions).
Different Film Genre
1. Action - It usually include high energy, big budget physical stunts and chases, possibly with rescues, battles,
fights, escapes, races against time and crises featuring non-stop motion, break-neck rhythm and pacing.
2. Comedy - Light-hearted plots deliberately designed to amused and provoke laughter by exaggerating the
situation, language, action, relationships and characters.
3. Drama - These are serious, plot-driven films, portraying realistic characters, settings, life situations and stories
involving intense character development and interaction.
4. Romance - It include stories that have a relationship issue as the main focus.
5. Fantasy - Its plot cannot occur in the real world. It usually involves witchcraft or magic, taking place on an
undiscovered planet of an unknown world.
6. Adventure - These are exciting stories, with new experiences or exotic locales, very similar to or often paired
with the action film genre.
7. Horror - Designed to frightened and to invoke our hidden worst fears, often in a terrifying, shocking finale while
captivating and entertaining us at the same time in a cathartic experience.
8. Science-Fiction - These are often visionary, imaginative – complete with heroes, aliens, distant planets, new
technology and extraordinary monsters. It often features multiple genres.
9. Animation - Ones in which individual drawings, paintings, or illustrations are photographed frame by frame (stop-
frame cinematography).
10. Musical - These are cinematic forms that emphasize full-scale scores or songs and dance routines in a
significant way. Films that are centered on combinations of music, dance, song or choreography.

Camera Shots
• Wide Shot
• Full Shot
• Medium Shot
• Medium Close Up
• Close Up
• Extreme Close Up
Camera Angles
• Dutch Angle
• Low Angle
• High Angle
• Over the head
• Over the Shoulder
• Bird’s Eye View
Legal Ethical, and Societal Issues in Media and Information
Digital Citizenship - is the “ability to find, access, use and create information effectively; engage with other
users and with content in an active, critical, sensitive and ethical manner; and navigate the online and ICT
environment safely and responsibly, being aware of one’s own rights” (UNESCO, 2016, p.15 as cited in Shin,
T.S. et al 2019, p.19)
Intellectual Property - It refers to the “creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works;
designs; and symbols, names, and images used in commerce (WIPO, 2016).
Laws protecting Intellectual Property:
a. Republic Act 8293 – Intellectual Property Code
b. Republic Act 10175 – Cybercrime Prevention Act

Types of Intellectual Property

1. Copyright - a legal term used to describe the rights that creators have over their literary and artistic works
2. Patent - an exclusive right granted for an invention. It provides the patent owner with the right to decide how - or
whether - the invention can be used by others
3. Trademarks - a sign capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one enterprise from those of other
enterprises.
4. Industrial Design - constitutes the ornamental or aesthetic aspect of an article. It may consist of three-
dimensional features, such as the shape or surface of an article, or of two-dimensional features, such as
patterns, lines or color
5. Geographical indications and appellations of origin - are signs used on goods that have a specific geographical
origin and possess qualities, a reputation or characteristics that are essentially attributable to that place of
origin. Most commonly, a geographical indication includes the name of the place of origin of the goods.

Piracy – the unauthorized reproduction or use of a copyrighted book, recording, television program, patented
inventions, trademark product, etc.
Cyberbullying - It is the act of intimidating, threatening, or coercing people online through the use of social
media, email, text messages, blog posts, or other digital or electronic methods (Latto, 2022)
Netiquette - It is a set of rules for behaving properly online.
Computer Addiction - This is the excessive and compulsive use of the computer resulting to possible risks.

Ethical Use of Information

Plagiarism - Using other people’s words and ideas without clearly acknowledging the source of the
information.
Common Knowledge - Facts that can be found in numerous places and are likely to be widely known
Interpretation - You must document facts that are not generally known, or ideas that interpret facts.
Quotation - Using someone’s words directly. When you use a direct quote, place the passage between
quotation marks, and document the source according to a standard documenting style.
Paraphrase - Using someone’s ideas, but rephrasing them in your own words. Although you will use your own
words to paraphrase, you must still acknowledge and cite the source of the information.

FAIR USE – is a legal principle stating that one can use a copyrighted work without a license.

CREATIVE COMMONS - These are copyright licenses that provide standardized ways to give permission to share and
use one’s work on conditions set by the creator.