Being human means being capable of solving moral challenges. Yet, just as there exists the pain of thinking, there is pain of decision-making and humanity seems to be on a quest of shifting that responsibility to AI, seeking relief from the very weight that defines human experience. We thought technological progress was needed for humans to flourish, but it seems we use it to … [Read more...] about Recognizing the Agentic Shift
Blogs
Marieli Rowe Award 2024 Recipients
Marieli Rowe Innovation in Media Literacy Education Award honors Marieli Rowe’s future-oriented vision. It was established in 2021 in honor of National Telemedia Council's longtime Executive Director and Journal Editor, whose work in the field of media literacy spanned six decades. Marieli created children’s film festivals in the 1960s, organized a satellite interconnect with … [Read more...] about Marieli Rowe Award 2024 Recipients
Book Review on Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked
In his book Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked, Adam Alter explores the way technology is addictive to the human brain. He highlights many real-life examples and goes as far as to make connections for each one of his points to a historical period of time when addiction was as prominent as our technological addiction is … [Read more...] about Book Review on Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked
Navigating the Digital Era: Media Literacy in the Age of AI
In today’s media landscape, media literacy has become a crucial skill for navigating the waves of information bombarding us from all directions. The fast progress of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have raised the need of understanding how AI shapes and influences the media we consume. AI algorithms control how we experience much of the media we consume … [Read more...] about Navigating the Digital Era: Media Literacy in the Age of AI
Centering Black Girl Literacies in Out-of-School Time Programs
Reposted with permission from Jimmeka Andersen and New America. Out-of-school (OST) programs and organizations tailored to Black girl literacies play a pivotal role in supplementing the educational experiences of Black girls, offering them opportunities often absent in conventional school settings. These programs serve as invaluable platforms that foster a deeper … [Read more...] about Centering Black Girl Literacies in Out-of-School Time Programs
John Pungente SJ (1939-2023)
John was one of the important media literacy pioneers, not only in Canada but also in the world. When I was a doctoral student and collected data in Toronto for my thesis in the 1990s, he offered me great support. I learned a lot from him. He always emphasized that media literacy initiatives must be “bottom-up,” and connecting media literacy advocates from different … [Read more...] about John Pungente SJ (1939-2023)
Social Media and Diasporic Digital Communion: Ukrainian Digital Diaspora in the USA
The shift toward digital environments has introduced a range of new and transformed ideas and concepts. Digital communities and digital diaspora as one type of such communities are among those concepts that entered discussions of scholars in the field of communication and media studies with the advances in technology development – the theories of deterritorialized and imagined … [Read more...] about Social Media and Diasporic Digital Communion: Ukrainian Digital Diaspora in the USA
Media Literacy Education: Counteracting the Disruption
Censorship, cancel culture, Generative AI, ethics, or lack of ethics are topics found daily in the media as well as mainstream conversation. Where is the media literacy education amid the concerns that have arisen? It should be front and center, but the problem is that the heartbeat of the work is missing as its focal point. In part, because people are so focused on the … [Read more...] about Media Literacy Education: Counteracting the Disruption
Beyond Fake News: The Crucial Role of Solutions Journalism in News Literacy Education
In today's complex and potentially harmful media environment, there is a growing recognition of the critical importance of news literacy education. Learning how to reliably navigate news and information, in our hyper connected world, has become an urgent and indispensable modern life skill. Considering the growing threat posed by misinformation online, traditional news literacy … [Read more...] about Beyond Fake News: The Crucial Role of Solutions Journalism in News Literacy Education
Call for the 2024 Marieli Rowe Innovation in Media Literacy Education Award is OPEN!
Background: This media literacy education award is created in recognition of Marieli Rowe’s future-oriented vision, always looking at what is coming over the horizon, what is the next ‘mountain to climb.’ It was established in 2021 in honor of NTC’s longtime Executive Director Journal Editor, whose work in the field of media literacy spanned six decades. Marieli created … [Read more...] about Call for the 2024 Marieli Rowe Innovation in Media Literacy Education Award is OPEN!
A conversation with IREX Fellow Grace Msauki
I sat down to speak with Grace Msauki over Zoom one August morning. Our conversation was sprawling, covering Grace’s passion for community development, exploring her expertise in information literacy, and imagining her vision for a media literate future. Calling in from Milwaukee, WI, Grace retraced the first weeks of her 4-month internship as an IREX Community Solutions … [Read more...] about A conversation with IREX Fellow Grace Msauki
Expressive Speech: Ruminations on 303 Creative LLC
On June 30, 2023, the United States Supreme Court released its ruling in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis. The court ruled that Colorado-based web designer and graphic artist Lorie Smith could lawfully refuse to create websites for same-sex “weddings.” This ruling, centered around the oscillating and amorphous idea of “expressive speech,” involves many concepts and … [Read more...] about Expressive Speech: Ruminations on 303 Creative LLC
Inclusion in Star Wars
It is a period of civil war... The very first words from the title crawl of Star Wars foreshadows what would eventually happen to fans of the franchise over forty years after the words were written into the crawl. It is no secret that since the Disney-acquisition and the dawn of a new era of Star Wars, the fan base has been completely divided. Following the release of Star … [Read more...] about Inclusion in Star Wars
The Unrealistic Portrayal of High School in Teen Dramas
High school is a formative time for teens. Many teens get their first jobs, meet their first loves, learn to balance responsibilities, and experience a period of growth and self discovery. While all of these social, professional, and mental milestones are being met, these teens are also balancing the work of eight subjects and extracurriculars. For years, teen dramas have … [Read more...] about The Unrealistic Portrayal of High School in Teen Dramas
Empowering Minds: How Young People are Participating in Media Literacy Education in Algeria
“We watch TV on our phone" - a seemingly innocuous statement that encapsulates the ever-changing landscape of media consumption in the modern age. Gone are the days when the living room television was the sole gateway to the world of visual and moving content. While this technological revolution has undeniably expanded our access to information, it has also exposed us to a … [Read more...] about Empowering Minds: How Young People are Participating in Media Literacy Education in Algeria
You Won’t Believe the Media’s Biggest Issue
Congratulations! You’ve just been clickbaited! If you spend any time on the internet, whether it’s browsing Google, YouTube, or even social media platforms, you’ve 100% come across articles or posts with titles that would be considered ‘clickbait.’ Clickbait is a form of media propaganda which includes a title that is often misleading and far off from the … [Read more...] about You Won’t Believe the Media’s Biggest Issue
Media Literacy in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Increasingly, information that shapes our understanding of the world is being generated and distributed by Artificial Intelligence (AI), an anonymous, technologically based neural network machine learning model that employs ChatGPT to assimilate content. ChatGPT is a large language model developed by OpenAI, based on the GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) … [Read more...] about Media Literacy in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence in Education: A Media Education Approach
**Reprinted with author's permission** For further writing on media education and related issues, see David Buckingham's website: www.davidbuckingham.net What are the implications of artificial intelligence for media educators, and for the media themselves? Last weekend, a letter by a group of British headteachers was published in … [Read more...] about Artificial Intelligence in Education: A Media Education Approach
The Concerns of Artificial Intelligence
The history of visual media has demonstrated that the truth does not lie in a plain image. A picture speaks louder than words; it can also tell lies. Artificial intelligence is increasingly illustrating disinformation. As technology has made advancements, it has been harder than ever to distinguish between photos depicting the truth and photos intended to distribute … [Read more...] about The Concerns of Artificial Intelligence
Is AI ready to takeover?
"I haven't written anything for myself this semester, and I still have A’s in all my classes,” said an anonymous college student. How could this be possible? It is all due to a new AI technology– ChatGPT. ChatGPT is an intelligent chatbot that employs AI technology. It has the ability to generate basically anything prompted a command. It can do things such as write essays … [Read more...] about Is AI ready to takeover?