Introduction to Media and Information access, manage, integrate, evaluate,

Literacy create and communicate information.

The following are definitions of concepts
 Media and Information Literacy
related to Media and Information Literacy:
refers to essential skills and
 Literacy is the ability to identify, competencies that allow individuals to
understand, interpret, create, engage with media and other
communicate and compute using information providers effectively, as
printed and written materials well as develop critical thinking and
associated with varying contexts. life-long learning skills to socialize and
Literacy involves a continuum of become active citizens.
learning wherein individuals are able
to achieve their goals, develop their
knowledge and potential, and
participate fully in their community
The Evolution of Media through Ages
and wider society.
1. Pre-Industrial Age (Before 1700's)
 Media is the physical objects used to In the Pre-Industrial Age, people had
communicate with, or the mass discovered the following
communication through physical developments:
objects such as radio, television,  creating fire
computers, film, etc. It also refers to  making paper out of plants
any physical object used to  forging weapons and tools
communicate messages. with stone, bronze, copper and iron

2. Industrial Age (1700s-1930s) The

 Media Literacy is the ability to Industrial Age is when people
access, analyze, evaluate and create discovered the following:
media in a variety of forms. It aims to  using power steam,
empower citizens by providing them  developing machine tools,
with the competencies (knowledge  establishing iron production,
and skills) necessary to engage with  manufacturing various products, and
traditional media and new  publishing books through printing
technologies. press.
 Information is a broad term that
covers processed data, knowledge 3. Electronic Age (1930s-1980s) In the
derived from study, experience, Electronic Age, people paved way for
instruction, signals or symbols. the following developments:
 inventing the transistor
 Information Literacy is the ability to  harnessing the power of transistors
recognize when information is needed, that led to the invention of:
and locate, evaluate and communicate  transistor radio
information in its various formats.  electronic circuits
 early computers
 improvement of the efficiency of the
 Technology Literacy is the ability of long distance communication
an individual, either working
independently or with others, to 4. Information Age (1900s-2000s)
responsibly, appropriately and The era where we now live in, the
effectively use technological tools. Information Age, is when the Internet
Using these tools, an individual can has opened more opportunities for
 faster, real-time communication, standard Internet Protocol Suite
including the advent of social network. (TCOP/IP) to serve billions of users
Technology users have enjoyed the worldwide.
benefits of microelectronics with the
invention of the following:
 personal computers, Media Convergence
 mobile devices, and
 wearable technology.  the co-existence of traditional and
Moreover, digitization of voice, new media
images, sound and data is prevalent in  the co-existence of print media,
this age with the help of technology broadcast media (radio and
advancements and artificial television), the internet, mobile
intelligence (AI). phones, as well as others, allowing
media content to flow across
various platforms
 the ability to transform different
Types of Media: Print, Broadcast and kinds of media into digital code,
New Media accessible by a range of devices
(ex. from the personal computer to
Types of Media The different types of the mobile phone) creating a
media are print, broadcast and new digital communication
media. environment
1. Print Printing was discovered by
the Chinese but Europeans and
other countries contributed to the Media and Information Sources
present technology in printing.  Reliability of Information.
-Printing covers books, newspaper, Information is said to be reliable if it
magazines, comics, journals, can be verified and evaluated. It also
textiles, plates, wallpaper, refers to the trustworthiness of the
packaging and billboards. source in evaluating the reliability of
information.
2. Broadcast More than a century
after films were developed,  Accuracy of Information. Accuracy
audience are now amazed with the refers to the closeness of the report to
action and creative movements the actual data. Measurement of
provided by films which are accuracy varies, depending on the
highlighted in Science fiction and type of information being evaluated.
action movies. Television, on the Forecasts are said to be accurate if the
other hand, has also gone a long report is similar to the actual data.
way providing the latest news, Financial information is considered
both local and international in real accurate if the values are correct,
time while the news is happening. properly classified, and presented
- Radio is more popular in rural
areas because there are battery-  Value of Information. Information is
operated radios that people can said to be of value if it aids the user in
be carried to the field to listen to making or improving decisions.
news, music and radio dramas.
-  Authority of the Source. Much of
3. New Media (Internet) Internet is the information we gather daily do not
a global system of interconnected come from a primary source but are
computer networks that use the passed on through secondary sources
 such as writers, reporters and the like. ensures that standards were followed in
Sources with an established expertise producing these materials
on the subject matter are considered
as having sound authority on the
subject. 2. The Internet
a. Information found on the internet
 Timeliness. Reliability, accuracy b. Characteristics of internet
and value of information may vary information in terms of reliability,
based on the time it was produced or accuracy, value, timeliness and
acquired. While a piece of information authority of the source
may have been found accurate,
reliable and valuable during the time it c. Realities of the Internet
was produced, it may become d. Information found on the Internet
irrelevant and inaccurate with the may be quite varied in form and
passing of time (making it less content.
valuable). Other information may be
timeless, proven to be the same in 3. Indigenous Media
reliability, accuracy and value
• Indigenous means native, local, originating
throughout history.
or produced naturally in a particular region
• Indigenous knowledge is unique to a
Sources of Information specific culture or society; it is not written
down.
1. Libraries
 Indigenous communication is the
a. Types of libraries - Libraries are often transmission of information through local
classified in 4 groups, namely: academic, channels or forms. It is a means by which
public, school and special. These libraries culture is preserved, handed down and
may be either digital or physical in form. adapted
b. Skills in accessing information from  Indigenous media and information refers to
libraries - Due to the wealth of information the original information created by a local
in a library, it is important to know the group of people. This also refers to content
following: about indigenous peoples that may be
• the access tool to use distributed through dominant forms of media
or through forms of communication unique to
• how the information being accessed may their people group.
be classified
• the depth of details required (i.e. some
libraries provide only an abstract of the
topic) Importance of Indigenous Media and
• more detailed information requiring Information
membership or some conformity to set rules • Popular media cannot reach some rural
of the source (e.g. databases) areas. While print, broadcast and new
c. Characteristics of libraries in terms of media have a wide reach, there are still
reliability, accuracy and value Libraries of areas that these forms of media have not
published books are often considered highly
reliable, accurate, and valuable. Books and reached.
documents from dominant sources are often
peer reviewed. ISSN or ISBN registration
• Indigenous media and information are development, creating tension or
highly credible because they are near the interpreting the narrative.
source and are seldom circulated for profit. - An actor portrays his/ her assigned
character through the following elements:
• Indigenous media are channels for change,
facial expression, body language, vocal
education and development because
qualities, movement and body contact.
of its direct access to local channels.
Color- In media, color has strong cultural
• Ignoring indigenous media and information connotations.
can result in development and
-As a student, analyzing the use of color in
education programs that are irrelevant and media and its various aspects, you have to
ineffective. look at the following: dominant color,
contrasting foils and color symbolism.
• Forms of indigenous media and their local
examples:
a. folk or traditional media Technical Codes

b. gatherings and social organizations The second kind of codes are specific to a
media form and do not live as a separate
c. direct observation entity.
d. records (may be written, carved or oral) -To help you analyze this, look at different
e. oral instruction camera shots and their connotations in films
and photographs.
-You have to remember that these may
Disseminating Information mean nothing to you or the general audience
outside of those forms. These codes include
Symbolic Codes - codes that are social in
camerawork, editing, audio and lighting.
nature.
Camerawork
- This only means that these codes exist
outside media product themselves, but -How the camera is operated, positioned and
would be understood in by audience in moved to achieve certain effects is also
general. important in analyzing media.
Setting - Known as the time and place of the -These include positioning, movement,
narrative, the setting describes where the framing, exposure and choice of lens.
story or a specific scene took place.
Editing
- It can be as big as an open space or as
small as a room. It can even be a created -Another important consideration in studying
atmosphere or frame of mind. media is editing.

Mise en scene - is a French term that -It is the process of choosing, manipulating,
means ‘everything within the frame’. and arranging images and sound.

- It also refers to all the objects within a -Generally, it is done for graphic edits,
frame the way they are arranged. rhythmic edits, spatial edits and temporal
edits.
-To analyze this, you should look into the
media’s set design, costume, props, staging Audio
and composition. - Using sound expressively or naturalistically
Acting- In media, actors portray a variety of also plays a role in media
characters that contribute to character
. Its three aspects include dialogue, sound Story Conventions
effects and music.
These story conventions are common
narrative structures and expectations from
media. Examples of these are narrative
Lighting
structures, cause and effect, character
- Manipulating light, either natural or construction and point of view (POV).
artificial, to selectively highlight specific
Genre Conventions
elements of certain scenes, is also one of the
important elements of media. – Genre conventions include the common use
of tropes, characters, settings or themes in a
-These elements of lighting include: quality,
certain media. These are closely linked with
direction, source and color.
how the audience expects from the media
product. They can be formal or thematic.

Written Codes
A type of code that is written usually Intellectual Property, Copyright and Fair
includes formal written language used in Use
media.
•Copyright is a legal device that gives the
-Similar to technical and symbolic codes, creator of literary, artistic, musical or other
written codes can be used to interpret a creative works the sole right to publish and
narrative and communicate information sell that work. Copyright owners have the
regarding a character.- right to control the reproduction of their
work, including the right to receive payment
Also, it can convey issues and themes for that reproduction. An author may grant or
emergent within the media product. sell those rights to others, including
Examples of this code are printed and publishers or recording companies. Violation
spoken languages. of a copyright is called infringement.

Conventions •Plagiarism is an act or instance of using or

closely imitating the language and thoughts
-To use media codes in some sort of a norm of another author without authorization; the
where it is accepted by everybody, there has representation of that author's work as one's
to be a convention. These are closely own, as by not crediting the original author.
connected to what the audience expects
from media. Examples are form, story and •Cyber Bullying takes place online by
genre. using electronic technology such as cell
phones, computers and tablets over
Form Conventions communication tools including social media
sites, text messages, chat and websites.
Form conventions are the distinct ways that
Examples of cyber bullying include text
audiences expect codes to be arranged in
messages or emails composed to insult or
media. Examples of these expectations are
demean; rumors or false statements spread
the title of the film at the beginning or the
by email or posted on social networking
credits at the end.
sites; and humiliating photos, videos,
In printed media, it is expected that websites or fake profiles deliberately shared
newspapers will have a masthead or a across social media.
banner story as the most important news,
•Computer addiction is the excessive use
then the sports news usually at the back.
of computers to the extent that it interferes
Mobile games usually begin with a stepby-
with daily life. This excessive use may, for
step with help texts on how the game works
example, interfere with work or sleep,
resulting in problems with social interaction
or affect mood, relationships and thought The business dictionary defines revenue as
processes. income generated from the sale of goods or
services, or any other use of capital or
•Digital divide is an economic inequality
assets, associated with the main operations
between groups in terms of access to, use of,
of an organization before any costs or
or knowledge of ICT. The divide within
expenses are deducted.
countries (such as the digital divide in the
United States) can refer to inequalities The Opportunity
between individuals, households, businesses,
The Philippine media is a great asset in the
and geographic areas at different
country’s economy. In fact, The Philippine
socioeconomic (and other demographic)
Star reported that in the year 2010 alone,
levels. The global digital divide designates
the creative or copyright based industries
countries as units of analysis and examines
contributed P661.23 billion to the Philippine
economy.
Opportunities, Challenges and Power of Media and Information for Education
Media and Information
Media and information have made a radical
Mind Map “A mind map is a graphical impact in education. Learning has never
technique for visualizing connections been easier, and at the same time, more
between several ideas or pieces of complicated than it is today in the age of
information. Each idea or fact is written down media and information.
and then linked by lines or curves to its
The Opportunity
major or minor (or following or previous) idea
or fact, thus creating a web of relationships.” Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines
education as knowledge, skills and
Economics of Media:
understanding that you get from attending a
Ratings and Revenues school, college or university.
The economics of media can be explained in Today, education has taken whole new
the simple equation Ratings= Revenues. meaning with media and information. Online
education is now a fast becoming trend in
As a commercial industry, the media earns
society. Schools and universities are
profit through advertisement. Advertisers
adopting this practice as part of their offered
pay for air-time or ad-space in media
services. Everyone with access to the
platforms to reach or promote their goods or
internet needs not physically attend a class
services to media’s audience. Advertisers are
more likely to invest if there is a high volume Effect of Media in Politics
of consumers patronizing the media
Politics regulates the media industry. They
programs or content or if their target market
enforce the rules and regulations governing
is among those consumers.
the media industry as prescribed in a
Ratings country’s current political system. It is for
this reason that the nature of media varies
It is a colloquial term for audience
from country to country.
measurement that influence timing,
placements and markets for media content The Opportunity
and advertising (Balnaves, O’Regan, &
The interrelationship between media and
Goldsmith, 2011). Ratings determine the
politics provides a fair foundation in nth
number of people who watches, listens to or
function of media as a source of information.
reads a particular content.
Provisions in the law like the Freedom of
Revenues Information Bill which mandates the release
of public documents to those who require it
benefits the media in their access to
information and the government in its war
against corruption (The Official Gazette).
The Challenge
As a developing country, the government
concentrates on solving problems like
poverty, unemployment, lack of proper
healthcare and access to education. The
shortage of government funding, not to
mention the lack of projects and programs,
that help cultivate creativity – which is the
core of media – prevent the media industry
in reaching its potential for success. Even the
weak enforcement of certain laws to
protecting the media exposes them to
threats that could have damaging
repercussions on the industry.