Media Audiences

UNIT 3 MEDIA LITERACY

Structure
3.0 Introduction
3.1 Learning Outcomes
3.2 Media Literacy: Concept and Definition
3.2.1 Need for Media Literacy
3.2.2 Functions of Media Literacy
3.3 Process of Media Literacy
3.4 Core concepts of Media Literacy
3.4.1 Messages are constructed
3.4.2 Messages are constructed using creative language
3.4.3 Different people experience same media message differently
3.4.4 Media have embedded values
3.4.5 Messages are organised to gain power
3.5 Evaluation of the Credibility of Information
3.6 Let Us Sum up
3.7 Further Readings
3.8 Check Your Progress: Possible Answers

3.0 INTRODUCTION
We have discussed in the previous unit that the globalised media environment
and unlimited avenues for information generation and dissemination have led to
most people falling under the category of media audiences and being influenced
by it. We begin our interaction with media at a very early age and the relationship
strengthens as years go by. New media and messages make an inroad into our
everyday existence and leave an imprint on our minds.

McLuhan’s famous adage, ‘Medium is the message’ clearly emphasised the role
of the medium in comprehending the message. We come across various media
sending forth messages – some complimentary and some contradictory. In such
a scenario, it is easy for us to get into the habit of imbibing the messages without
comprehending them. We face, what is commonly termed as ‘Information
overload’.

The information we receive through the vast network of disseminating media;

appears to be simple, and easy to understand. It caters to all the areas of interest,
entertainment, news, current affairs etc. It comes to us in our spoken language
that we recognise both linguistically and cognitively. The reality, however, is
that the media uses a complex audio-visual ‘language’ which has its own grammar.
The language of word, pictures, moving pictures and music can be used to express
many-layered concepts and ideas about the world. It can also be used to create
false ideas and notions as everything may not be obvious at first. The images fly
by the mind’s eye and stay on in the deep recesses of our mind. If we wish to be
able to navigate our lives through this multi-media culture, we need to be fluent
in ‘reading’ and ‘writing’ the language of images and sounds just as we have
always been able to ‘read’ and ‘write’ the printed language. 35
Mass Media & Society The all encompassing prevalence of media makes it imperative that we learn the
language of media and learn how to derive meaning out of all its messages. Just
as computer education became necessary to be a part of the literate world, media
literacy is now equally important.

3.1 LEARNING OUTCOMES

After studying this unit, you should be able to:
• define media literacy;
• describe the process of media literacy;
• outline the core concepts of media literacy;
• evaluate the credibility of information;
• explain the power of visual images; and
• critically analyse media messages.

3.2 MEDIA LITERACY: CONCEPT AND

DEFINITION
Media literacy involves learning to access, analyse, evaluate and create media in
a variety of forms (Aspen Media Literacy Leadership Institute, 1992). The
definition lays stress on creating media messages, which is only one aspect of
media literacy. We need to understand media literacy as a wholesome education
which is more about helping audiences of different age groups become competent,
critical and literate in all media forms so that they are able to make meaning of
all that they see or hear, rather than letting the medium control their thinking.

Media literacy empowers you to understand the media, the rationale of media,
the reasons for messages, the implication of visual images and the economics of
the media industry. You will be capable of not only finding the answers to your
questions from the media but also raise pertinent questions when required. Thus,
you will not get carried away by the images of real or imaginary world that are
put before you by the media.

Media literacy also helps you understand your surroundings. It helps you make
more informed decisions, as you are able to see the hidden meanings behind the
messages. In brief, media literacy makes you a more discerning user of media
outputs.

3.2.1 Need for Media Literacy

The first and most important requirement for a healthy democracy is to have
enlightened electorate. Media literacy creates educated electorates, who are able
to see through the campaign strategies and are capable of critically evaluating
manifestoes and election speeches. The other important reasons for media literacy
are:

a) Influence of media on our daily life: You must have observed that even
little toddlers and small children are addicted to mediated communication
all day. For some of our children, television acts as a baby sitter and internet
36
 as a friend. In such a situation, it is important that children should also be Media Literacy
media literate and understand that Tom and Jerry are only cartoons and in
real life one can get hurt if one runs like them!

b) Media shapes our perception of the world: If we watch too much of a

certain type of programme, we start to believe that the society is just like
that. Media literacy frees us from the stereotypes created by the images
projected at us.

c) Media is urban and elite oriented, but the society is not: In our real
lives, we have to work hard for a living and in our films and television
serials; life is depicted to be very rosy. A media literate person will not feel
frustrated at this situation and will understand that real life is different from
what is depicted. Thus, media literacy helps us to see the difference.

d) Technology changes the look of the world every day: Media products
flood the market and change the way people read, talk, write and understand.
A media literate person is able to follow the media as per his/her individual
requirement and is not led by the diktats of the market.

Healthy Educated
Democracy electorate

Critical
evaluation of
political
manifestoes

Fig. 3.1: Importance of Media Literacy in Democracy

3.2.2 Functions of Media Literacy

Media literacy as an area of education, must explore the nature and influence of
media and media messages in our culture. As far as our culture is concerned,
media no longer only influences it; but is already a part of it. From mobile phones,
cameras, computers, laptops, internet, newspapers, television to cinema, all the
products of media are part of our everyday life and hence our culture. Media
literacy therefore helps us understand our culture.

Media literacy does not intend to create critiques of media systems or the society
who are forever looking for political agendas, stereotypes or misrepresentations;
it however, does intent to create a media consumer who is capable of taking wise
decisions and is not unintentionally influenced by media.

Media literacy does not function as a means to criticise the media and find faults
with all the messages as it would amount to taking a very narrow dimension to
this vast field. However, it involves critically analysing the media only when
you have thoroughly understood the meaning behind the messages.
37
Mass Media & Society Although some experts believe that media literacy is the knowledge of media
production - it is not. Creating media products is a very specialised aspect of
media literacy which actually begins from understanding media messages and
systems.

Media literacy aims to help you look at the media experience from multiple
perspectives, which would include your own educated opinion about media
messages. Media literacy does NOT tell you to not interact with the media. It
only teaches you to interact carefully, think critically and understand intelligently.

3.3 PROCESS OF MEDIA LITERACY

In order to understand the process of media literacy it will be useful to revisit the
famous Model of Communication Process given by the political scientist Harold
Lasswell (1948) who defined an act of communication in terms of the following
questions:
• Who (Communicator)
• Says What (Message)
• In Which Channel (Medium)
• To Whom (Receiver)
• With what effect? (Effect)
According to Lasswell there are three functions for communication:
1) Surveillance of the environment;
2) Correlation of the parts of society in responding to the environment; and
3) Transmission of social heritage from one generation to next.
Lasswell model suggests that a media message flows in a multicultural society
with multiple audiences through various channels. Understanding media is also
about understanding different players in the system of mediated communication.
Each of the entities outlined by Lasswell can be understood in terms of media,
messages and audiences.

‘Who’ or the Communicator is the savvy individual or media organisation who

can use the media systems to send forth their messages.

‘What’ is the message that is being sent forth by the medium - it is influenced by
many factors and may not be error free.

Channel refers to the medium being used. Each medium has its own
characteristics and the nature of the message changes.

‘To Whom’ refers to the consumers of media products and

‘With what effect’ implies the repercussion of the message.

The process is not as simple as it appears; so let us understand it in the context of

Media Literacy. The process of Media Literacy begins with the audience - the
consumers of media products. When we become media literate, we start to collect
relevant and useful information and comprehend its meaning effectively. We
38
gather and interpret information, appreciate the good and the bad, and become Media Literacy
media savvy. Given below are the ways in which this process is carried out:

• Each message is understood independently and in relationship with others.

The message may come from any media. This is understood as
‘deconstruction of message’.

• After deconstruction the messages are analysed in their context and

presentation - this is called ‘decoding’.

• Messages are now ‘read’ in the real sense.

The above process will also help you to look at the messages coming from the
media with a new perspective.
• Biases and prejudices can be recognised and treated likewise;
• We can read between the lines;
• The intent of the sender becomes clear;
• The media and media channels are understood from the messages they
send forth and also how they do it;
• We understand the ideology of a media organisation that brings out these
messages; and
• We understand our society better.
The fact that you have learnt how to ‘read’ the media messages will also help
you to ‘write’ in a better format. You will be able to organise your thoughts, draft
your text, add images and/or sounds, edit, and present the final message.

Activity-1
Watch a popular advertisement and analyse the following:
• What is being sold?
• How is it being sold?
• How is it different from other products/ads?
• Are the claims verifiable?
• What is the character sketch and product placement like?

Check Your Progress 1

Notes 1) Use the space below for your answer.
2) Compare your answers with those ones given at the end of this Unit.
1) Explain the term Media Literacy.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
39
Mass Media & Society 2) Why do we need to become media literates?
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................

3) Describe the process of Media Literacy.

......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................

3.4 CORE CONCEPTS OF MEDIA LITERACY

The core concept of media literacy challenges the premise of mere consumption
of media messages. It postulates that if we do not ask questions about media
messages and media products we will not be able to distinguish between beneficial
and harmful messages. In our language classes, we are taught to differentiate
between a poetry, essay, letter, note, memo, and article. Does a common newspaper
reader know the difference between a news story and a feature article or main
news and paid news? If we knew the difference we would know which is factual
and which contains elements of storytelling.
According to the Centre for Media Literacy (2003), the five core concepts of
media literacy are:
1) All media messages are ‘constructed’;
2) Media messages are constructed using a creative language with its own
rules;
3) Different people experience the same media message differently;
4) Media have embedded values and points of view; and
5) Most media messages are organised to gain power.
Let us understand this through a diagram:

40 Fig. 3.2: Core Concepts

Business decisions : Profit making, Market acceptability, Image enhancement Media Literacy

Message : Based on stereotypes, crossing several barriers

Audience : Accept or reject message as per their knowledge and
interest levels
Production : Visuals, sound, dialogues and other imagery used to create
a perfect, believable message for the audience.
We will try to understand each concept one by one.

3.4.1 Media Messages are ‘Constructed’

Whenever we receive any message from any of our media, we need to realise the
fact that the message has been designed by somebody for us. We tend to believe
that the news being shown is the most important event of the day and that is why
it is on television. Let us look at the same situation in another way.

The world is full of people, all of them are engaged in doing something in their
lives but only some actions of some people become news. Some actions are told
to the rest of the world because some people in some organisations think that the
action was important. Are you able to understand where this whole series of
thought is leading? This means that ‘news’ is different from the ‘event’. An
event has to be worthy of becoming news and for this it goes through a process
of news selection and gathering by a news organisation. It should therefore have
specific qualities to qualify as news. Once it qualifies, the reporter narrates the
event in his/her words to the audience. Thus by the time, an event becomes
news, it has gone through a lot of additions and subtractions.
Let us further understand this with a diagram:

A limited number of events from all the events in the world

Selected by reporters on the basis of news values

Written in nverted pyramid giving clear priorities Elements of interest added to

it, such as photos, tables, graphs, line drawing, etc. in newspapers and audio
visual clips, peoples bytes on TV. This is done on the basis of availability and
understanding of the reporter

Appears as a news story in our media

Audience/readers believes it as the most important event of the day

Fig. 3.3: News is a ‘constructed’ narrative 41

Mass Media & Society From this diagram it is clear that news is a narrative prepared by the media
persons for the audience. We do not get to know about the events that were
rejected. If this can happen to the most factual section of our media messages,
imagine how much ‘construction’ goes into preparing fiction? Will you be able
to consume media messages with an understanding that ‘All media messages are
‘constructed?’

3.4.2 Messages are Constructed Using Creative Language

Each of these media messages are a combination of many elements. These
elements have their own way of saying things and no message is narrated in
isolation. Let us try to understand with the help of the same example that we
used to illustrate the first point.

A news story on television is a narrative of the events as we have already seen.

This comes to us along with the use of multimedia elements. These elements are
moving pictures (video) and sound (audio). If the news is about a train accident,
the camera hovers over the crying face of a victim, it takes a close up of tear
filled eyes, a mother carrying a crying child on her shoulders, dead bodies visible
at a distance, the reporter comes and goes but the camera relays the pictures of
grief.

The camera acts as our eye - it decides what we should see. The cameraperson’s
judgment at the site of the accident gives shape to the enormity of damage and
anguish. We see the world through the eye of the camera. In addition to the video
is the audio. The sound adds its own pathos to the scene. Sorrowful music is
played to make the scene come alive, but in real life no music is played when we
are sad. The music in messages gives us the cue to laugh or cry and the medium
tells us that this is a sad story and you should feel bad. The surprising aspect is
that we start to feel just as the media tells us to. This means that we get caught in
the mood created by the medium and start understanding the world from its
point of view. If we could understand the language of the medium we would not
be so naïve and yet be able to appreciate the message.

3.4.3 Different People Experience the Same Media Message

Differently
Do all of us understand the messages sent out by the media in the same manner
or do different people react differently? The reality is that each individual
understands the media messages on the basis of his/her own uniqueness. When
we understand media messages, we see them through the prism of perception.
Our level of interest, previous knowledge, stereotypes in our heads, values and
culture all play a part in understanding the message. The message therefore is
not just constructed by the sender but is also reconstructed by the receiver.

3.4.4 Media have Embedded Values

We have seen that media messages are parts of reality constructed by media
persons, but are the messages totally free of bias? Let us try to understand the
process of news creation before it is served to us.
The news gathering process involves
• The reporter gets a list of events.
42
• S/he decides to attend one. Media Literacy

• S/he reaches the venue and searches out the person from whom s/he can
get to know more about the event.
• S/he talks to few persons about the event.
• S/he takes note of the ongoing activity and returns to office.
• S/he writes the story.
That is why, it is important to understand that media are always viewpoint oriented
even when they are trying to be objective.

3.4.5 Messages are Organised to Gain Power

In the previous units we have discussed at length that media is a big business. In
fact, it is a sector of economy and big media houses control everything that goes
into the media. A business person would go into the business of media to gain in
terms of finances and power. If a media house gets the audience to tune into its
programmes day after day, it can sell space/time to the advertisers at a good rate
and make profit. The media house can also tailor messages to suit a certain political
ideology, philosophy, lifestyle or image. This way, in a democratic country mass
media messages can be used to tilt the power equation towards the highest bidder.

A well-informed user of media will apply discretion and power of judgment

while exposing him/herself and dear ones to these messages. S/he will critically
evaluate the messages while watching or listening to them and gauge their
credibility. The best way to analyse media messages is through the use of the
Media Triangle, which focuses on Text, Production and Audience.

Analysing Audience
Analysing Text Why this message?
What text type is this? Who is the intended reader?
What is attracting my How does the message show
attention? reality?
Am I able to understand the Is the message meant for me?
message in one reading? Will everybody understand the
message the way I do?

Media
Triangle
Analysing Production
Who wrote this story? Why?
How have the parts of the story been used?
How does the placement of the story matter?
Who benefits from this story?
Who may be disadvantaged because of the story?

Fig. 3.4: The Media Triangle

43
Mass Media & Society With the help of this framework we will try to understand the questions to ask
while analysing a newspaper story or a magazine article.
Check Your Progress 2
Notes: 1 Use the space below for your answer.
2 Compare your answers with those ones given at the end of this Unit.

1) What are the five core concepts of media literacy?

......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................

2) Who decides the content and treatment that is to be given to media

messages? How is this decision making done?
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................

3) Who benefits from the message?

......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................

3.5 EVALUATION OF THE CREDIBILITY OF

INFORMATION
Having understood the market dynamics of mass media let us try to evaluate
media messages coming from different sources. The process of evaluation would
comprise understanding the background of the message, the medium used for its
dissemination, interpretations arising from it, intentions and purpose.

When we watch a TV programme, we are so engrossed in the story telling

technique and the powerful narrative created by the visuals and the audio that
we do not care much about the deeper meaning that might have been intentionally
or unintentionally being formed in our minds. This deeper meaning will eventually
rest in our memory bank in the form of stereotypes. In our effort at media literacy,
we should stop and check. Let us together analyse a popular film Sholay which
most of us have seen at some point of time.

• Notice the characters. How are they dressed? Do they tell you anything
from their clothes? The colours chosen? The way they speak? The hairstyle?
Are you able to identify a definite effort that has gone into creating the
characters in order to make them believable?

• Now, turn off the sound and watch the characters again. Do they seem
similar to what they were last time? Are they less effective?
44
• Now, turn off the video and listen to the sound. Are you able to imagine the Media Literacy
character from the background score? Are you able to recognise the accents
in their voices? Are you able to ‘see the film in your mind’?

• Have you been able to see the effort put in by the film maker with the help
of so many other people in creating an ambience and atmosphere for you?
He has succeeded in making you believe that these are real people leading
real lives.

Try this exercise with an advertisement, a news cast, a news story and you will
be able to see the layers of meaning. While watching TV or a film it may not be
possible to conduct this type of analysis but after some time, it becomes a habit
and the mind is able to understand the messages as narratives and not ‘real’.

Base rate and Exemplar

Most news stories can be categorised under two categories: Base rate and
Exemplar. Base rate comprises of all the information that is verifiable and specific.
It could be data, illustrations, sometimes actual percentages and sometimes
generalisations such as ‘lots’, ‘many’ etc. In contrast, exemplar is episodic
information that describes causes, importance and consequences of a problem
with an individualistic perspective. These are stories. (Potter, 2004)

Studies have found that audience like to believe the exemplars more than the
base rate. When they read the news stories they understand the narrative from
their own perspective and relate them to their personal lives.
Example: Exemplar about Accident/Fire News
Fire claims City heart hotel
City loses heritage structure
City heart hotel, the oldest building in Shanbag, was reduced to ashes in a fire
mishap last night. No loss of life or injury is reported. One of the proprietors Mr.
Hari Gupta, 64, made a miraculous escape from his first-floor office by jumping
out of a window.

The fire is believed to have started at about 9.00 p.m., when many customers
were finishing dinner. It is suspected to have originated in the kitchen on the
ground floor. The two storey building with a timbered frontage was engulfed in
flames almost immediately. The cause of the fire is not known.

Talking to the press, the Divisional Officer R. Sinha, who commanded the rescue
operations, said “The building was already burning fiercely by the time we arrived.
It was a pretty desperate situation.” The fire control operation proved to be
difficult because of narrow streets and presence of onlookers. The fire department
was assisted by the police and auxiliary firemen to clear the street and carry out
the fire fighting operation.

City heart hotel in Main market was built in 1825 and was fairly unique in the
Shanbag area because of its historic appearance. It had recently been purchased
by brothers, Mr. Hari Gupta and Mr. Ravi Gupta. None of them was available
for comment.

45
Mass Media & Society With the loss of City heart hotel, Shanbag has lost not only its oldest building
but also a famous tourist destination.

This is the 5th incident of fire in the city this month. Approximately goods worth
Rs. 5 Crores have been lost in this fire.
The facts in the story are divided into Base rate and Exemplars:
Base Rate
1) Age of proprietor: 64
2) Time of the start of fire: 9.00 pm
3) The year of establishing of the hotel: 1825
4) Place of origin of fire: Kitchen
5) Number of floors of the building: 2
6) Type of facade: Timberage frontage
7) Number of fire incident: 5th
8) Loss estimate: Rs 5 Crores
Exemplar
1) Timber frontage is a risky material to use for façade. All owners of houses
with timber frontage will be worried
2) All those who dined in the hotel in the past will remember their experiences
3) Neighbouring building owners will be worried about the safety of their
buildings.
4) Other hotels will worry about their fire safety measures.
A look at the above data clearly depicts the parts of the news story that will be
remembered by the readers. Try this method with some other media messages,
films, advertisements, television serials etc. and you will find yourself recalling
the exemplars more than the base rate.

3.6 LET US SUM UP

In this unit you were exposed to look at media messages as a constructed
phenomenon purposely created to influence us in many ways. It was explained
that since we live in a mediated environment, we need to understand media
better and educate ourselves on the methods in which these messages are created
and used.

The meaning of media literacy, its need, purpose and process was explained.
Media Literacy was defined as education which helps audiences of different age
groups becomes competent, critical and literate in all media forms. The five core
concepts of media literacy were examined to help you to evaluate the credibility
of information from different sources. The deconstruction of a media message
was explained - how emotions are deliberately created for us with a lot of effort
by experts. The difference between base rates and exemplars in the media
messages was described and how you can create your own messages using a
variety of media tools explained.
46
We hope that the discussion will enable you to navigate through the media Media Literacy
messages and access information from a variety of sources. You will be able to
analyse and explore how messages are “constructed “in any of the media (print,
verbal, visual or multi-media) and evaluate media’s explicit and implicit messages
with your own interpretations.

3.7 FURTHER READINGS

Herman, E., & Chomsky, N. (2002). Manufacturing Consent: The Political
Economy of the Mass Media.

Potter, W. (2004). Theory of Media Literacy: A Cognitive Approach. Thousand

Oaks, Ca.: Sage.

Tyner, K. (2000). Literacy in a digital world: Teaching and Learning in the Age
of Information. Mahwah, N.J.: Erlbaum.

3.8 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS: POSSIBLE

ANSWERS
Check Your Progress 1

1) Media literacy helps audiences of different age groups become competent,

critical and literate in all media forms so that they are able to make meaning
of all that they see or hear rather than letting the medium control their
thinking. Media literacy empowers us to understand the media, the reasons
for messages, the economy of media, the implication of visual images.

We are capable of not only finding the answers to our questions but also
raise pertinent questions when required. We will not get carried away by
the images of real or imaginary world that are put before us by the media.
We will not only be able to distinguish between fact and fiction but also
between half truths and lies.

2) There is a need for us to become media literate for the following reasons:

a) The first and most important requirement for a healthy democracy is

to have enlightened electorate. Media literacy creates educated
electorates, who are able to see through the campaign strategies and
are capable of critically evaluating manifestoes and election speeches.

b) Media literacy reduces the influence of media on our daily life. As

even little toddlers and small children are addicted to mediated
communication all day, it is important that children should also be
media literate and understand that Tom and Jerry are only cartoons
and in real life one can get hurt if one runs like them.

c) Media literacy helps us understand the world better and free us from
the stereotypes created by the images projected at us.

d) Media is urban and elite oriented but the society is not. Media literacy
helps us to see the difference. In our real lives, we have to work hard
47
Mass Media & Society for a living and in our films and television serials; life seems to be
very rosy. A media literate person will not feel frustrated at this situation
and understand that real life is different from what is depicted.

e) Technology changes the look of the world every day. Media products
flood the market and change the way people read, talk, write and
understand. A media literate person is able to follow the media as per
one’s individual requirement and is not led by the diktats of the market.

3) The process of Media Literacy begins with the audience. We are the
consumers of media products. When we become media literate, we start to
collect relevant and useful information and comprehend its meaning
effectively. This process is carried out in the following manner:

• Each message is understood independently and in relationship with

others. The message may come from any media. This is understood as
deconstruction.

• After deconstruction the messages are analysed in their context and

presentation. This is called Decoding.

• Messages have both base rates and exemplars and a media literate
person can discern the difference between the two.

• Messages are now ‘read’ in the real sense.

Check Your Progress 2
1) Five Core Concepts of media literacy are:
a) All media messages are ‘constructed.’
b) Media messages are constructed using a creative language with its
own rules.
c) Different people experience the same media message differently.
d) Media have embedded values and points of view.
e) Most media messages are organised to gain power.

2) At different points of time the content and treatment is decided by various

stakeholders in media business. The decision making is done at the
individual and organisational level keeping in mind the profits. However,
some decisions are taken at a level which lies in the sub conscious mind in
the form of stereotypes and biases. These decisions are not just taken by
the creator of media messages but also the receivers of the same.

3) The benefits gained from the media messages are not only in terms of
financial gain. All the participants of the media message process will gain
from the messages if they understood how to read, understand and create
media messages. The public gains when it is media literate and is able to
distinguish between the real and the contrived. It also gains when it can see
through propaganda, publicity, advertisement, and storytelling. Private
interests are limited to media owners at the financial level but at the personal
level each participant gains through one’s ability to give and take media
48
messages. Media houses gain in terms of finances and also in terms of Media Literacy
power. If a media house is able to get the audience to tune into its
programmes day after day, it is able to sell space to the advertisers at a good
rate and make profit. The media house can also tailor messages to suit a
certain political ideology, a life philosophy, a lifestyle or an image. This
way, in a democratic country mass media messages can be used to tilt the
power equation towards the highest bidder.

49