Media Literacy & Ideology

Abstract

Media literacy education is operating in an increasingly politicized environment, which threatens to jeopardize efforts to incorporate this discipline into school curricula. Media literacy scholars understand that proactively shaping media messages is an effective strategy for withstanding attacks by detractors. Within this context, this call to action urges teachers and organizations to include the non-partisan nature of the discipline in their definitions of Media Literacy.

Keywords

Media literacy, Media And Culture, Media Literacy Education

Education has become the latest battlefield in America’s ongoing ideological war.  School curricula have become politicized. Educational programs such as Critical Race Theory, Sustainability and Environmental Studies, and Gender Study have become targets of political opportunists seeking to boost their visibility and support among a suspicious electorate. And members of local school boards throughout the country are demanding a more prominent role in what is taught in the classroom.

In 2022, Media Literacy educators from Illinois successfully worked with state legislators to incorporate media literacy courses and curriculum into their state education requirements. However, we must be prepared for the possibility that this signature achievement will move the discipline of Media Literacy into the political arena.

The first academic approach to be exploited for political purposes was Critical Race Theory. Conservative critics condemned this program as an assault on white America, making white students feel guilty for the institution of slavery, for which they bear no direct responsibility. Educators were not prepared for these ideological attacks.  In 2021, Florida introduced legislation banning Critical Race Theory in Florida’s schools, dismissing this field of study as a political movement and discrediting its research findings.

In reality, Critical Race Theory is an impartial area of study that addresses issues such as housing, segregation, criminal justice policy, and slavery in America through the lens of race relations. But unfortunately, although racism doesn’t predetermine what scholars are looking for, racism is often what their research uncovers.

Politicians were able to exploit public misconceptions concerning the term Critical Race Theory. In academic parlance, to be critical is associated with being discerning, judicious, and investigative. However, in mainstream parlance, critical is associated with disapproval, disparagement, judgmental, unsympathetic, and faultfinding.

Media Literacy shares many of the features that have made Critical Race Theory an inviting target of right-wing politicians. Media Literacy is a critical thinking skill applied to the source of most of our information: the channels of mass communication. Media literacy furnishes principles, concepts, and strategies that enable individuals to evaluate the information being conveyed through the media. Systematic inquiry of media content can provide insight into cultural attitudes, values, behaviors, preoccupations, and myths. But if holding up a “methodological lens” to media content discloses disturbing cultural developments, it’s certainly not the fault of the lens. Within this context, Media Literacy is a non-partisan process of inquiry that encourages independence from the influence of media messages.

It is important to distinguish the discipline of Media Literacy from Media Activism. To be sure, these two avenues are related. Media literacy education is an essential prerequisite for media activism. Media Literacy education provides individuals with the tools to discover the impact of the media and identify strategies for deciphering media messages, Media Advocacy focuses on how social justice can be achieved, based on this knowledge. Because media literacy analysis provides insight into cultural attitudes, trends, and media messages, individuals may then choose to act on their findings, ranging from personal decisions to involvement in media reform initiatives.

Media literacy scholars recognize the value of establishing the narrative in stories conveyed through the channels of mass communication. Maintaining a consistent and unambiguous message can prepare educators to withstand ideological attacks should they arise. In that spirit, we urge media literacy instructors and organizations to incorporate the following statement into their definitions of media literacy: “The discipline of media literacy is non-partisan.”  It is hoped that this step will prepare the Media Literacy community to make an effective case for Media Literacy education before state legislatures, school boards, and concerned parents.