The value of being a media and information literate

   Your Life Story

       Media exist in many forms but in this current generation people tend to use more the new media which is composed of media that uses digital technology such as the internet. This is where social media, blogs and streaming media are found. People are becoming more dependent on this type of media as they have an easy way to communicate to other people. Since we are dependent of using the internet to surf online and get information like the different news, these hold danger that it may provide fake information that may cause harm to us. That's why to be a media & information Literate is a must.

        We should know the value of being a media and information literate because media in our life has a huge part in the world today. Nearly all the people are using media as a source of getting knowledge and communication. For example Facebook, posting an opinion regarding a serious topic online may result on a dispute between two sides that may cause harm and danger. Also people online are usually victims of cyber-bullying if they post pictures that are different from the audience eyes and also mistakes in spelling or grammar that usually sparks a lot of controversy in the internet that usually cause a persons life or reputation destroyed due to the people making jokes to him/her and also may result in suicide. I'm not saying that Facebook has these all negative aspects of the media, as they also provide us jobs opportunities, allowed us to share information to our family and friends quickly, and reach a wider range of people that would help in business. 

         That is why it is important to know the value of being a media and information literate we need to understand that everything we do online reflect who are we in life. In addition, we need to be responsible for the things we do in social media. As the society today, we already share our life with media whether we like it or not. The media can bring people together as well as tear people apart.

      

TIMETABLE OF MEDIA

Functions of Media

Functions of Media

1.       Media act as channels of information and knowledge through which citizens communicate with each other and make informed decisions.

2.       Media facilitate informed debates between diverse social actors.

3.       Media provide us with much of what we learn about the world beyond our immediate experience.

4.       Media are means by which a society learns about itself and builds a sense of community.

5.       Media function as a watchdog of government in all its forms, promoting transparency in public life and public scrutiny of those with power through exposing corruption, maladministration, and corporate wrong-doing.

6.       Media are essential facilitators of democratic processes and one of the guarantors of free and fair elections

7.       Media are a vehicle for cultural expression and cultural cohesion within and between nations.

8.       Media function as an advocate and social actor in its own right while respecting pluralistic values.

Forms of Media

Forms of Media

Media exist in many forms, the three main categories being: print, broadcast, and new media. These differ mainly in the platform that they use.

  l  Print media - refers to paper publications like newspaper, books, magazines, newsletters, and journals. It also includes brochure, posters, flyers, banners, and billboards. Is also considered the oldest form of media as it is closely tied to the emergence of the printing press.

  l  Broadcast media - includes radio and television - media that initially used the airwaves to reach their audience. Nowadays, radio and television both use directly satellite broadcasting, which helps them reach audiences worldwide. One example of this is the sample weather report presented in the first part of the lesson.

    l  New media - is composed of media that use digital technologies like the Internet to distribute or exhibit content. Under this category are social media, blogs, websites, and streaming media. Producers of print media and broadcast media have increasingly relied on new media as a platform because it helps them gain a wider audience and because more and more people are now using new media as a means of communication. Some examples of new media are Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and Wordpress.

Media

WHAT ARE MEDIA?

People talk about media, they often refer to its journalistic arm: the newspaper, the news reports on television, and more accurately, the news reporters and journalists involved in the production of daily news. 
However, as a concepts, media is vaster and more diverse. The term media comes from the word medium which is defined as “channel,” “means,” or “method.” As an avenue or method, media is used to communicate information. This”information” goes beyond what we call news or events that are of public interest.

Media can also be tied to what we call mass media, or the media that reach large audiences (Danesi, 2009). Because media reach a large number of people at the same time, and because people rely on media for the way they perceive their surroundings and the world around them, media are a powerful force in shaping society. This makes media literacy a necessary aspect of life.

Traditional media is defined as those that transmit information without the use of the internet or any digital platform. Also known for their ability to simultaneously disseminate information to a very large group of people. Examples are TV, Radio, Film, and print media
New Media is defined as digital and internet media is a big part of this websites, blogs, wikis, online newspaper, and social media. It also includes information delivered through digital devise like video games. Considered as a mass media.