Home | Curriculum | Faculty Profiles | Contact | Links

Careers in Media Literacy

2005

This article discusses the value of Film Studies as a field of study outside of its customary domain. At the same time, I believe it would be worthwhile to extend this view to include the discipline of Media Literacy. As you read the article, I would encourage you to substitute the term “Media Literacy” for “Cinema Studies.” What makes Media Literacy such a valued area of study is its focus on the emerging role of the media as a shared communications system--what reporter Elizabeth Van Ness refers to as “the professional language of the future.” Media literacy is a critical thinking skill that is applied to the source of most of our information— the channels of mass communication: film, print media, radio, photographs, television, and the Internet. Media literacy students are proficient in the following areas of study: • Interpreting messages conveyed through the media • Analyzing the impact of the media on individuals and society. • Examining the purposes or functions behind the construction of media messages in the public arena. • Becoming familiar with the patterns of media ownership throughout the world, as well as the impact of this ownership on content. • Using the language of the media to communicate with a global audience. • Learning how the media have perpetuated cultural attitudes and stereotypes and using the media to promote social change. • Investigating the influence of “new media” (e.g. cell phones and video games) which are having such a pronounced effect on how younger generations communicate and relate to the world. Thus, extrapolating from this article, media literacy prepares students for a range of careers, including public policy, law, counseling, and businesses that require international communications.

“Is a Cinema Studies Degree the New M.B.A.?”

DOC