Joachim Dorsch

‘Reclaiming the American Dream,’ a report by the American Association of Community Colleges, outlines the design for the future U.S. community college.  Analysis of the report shows that it follows the neoliberal agenda for higher education including a focus on training students for a globalized economy.  This contrasts with Freire’s view of education as liberating practice that emphasizes questioning, discussion, development of critical consciousness, and agency, all crucial elements for a vibrant democracy.

In this ‘post-truth’ era with instantly spreading fake news and alternative facts, intentional production of ignorance and manufactured disinformation, the rapid erosion of digital privacy, coupled with a retreat of individuals to a life in cyberspace, the need for a critical media literacy education is more urgent than ever. Being oblivious regarding these threats to the digitally networked society is not an option since the future of humankind and the survival of a viable democracy are at stake. Revamping the curriculum to include a core course on critical media literacy at the college entry-level will constitute an important step in combatting these threats and supporting a democratic society. The current historical juncture is a time of disquiet, as espoused by Fernando
Pessoa (1888–1935), of restlessness and uncertainty everywhere. Critical media literacy remains the only hope in order to develop an understanding of what is happening in the rapidly changing and evolving digitally networked society. It is through a robust critical media literacy education that we will be able to learn how media is transforming not only our social world but our inner world as well.