One of my ongoing areas of study is in media literacy. In a culture of global information exchange, where the capacity and cost of distributing data is virtually nil regardless of the quality of that information or its presentation, it is fundamental that participants in that exchange of information are literate to a higher degree than simply being able to consume information.
In our era, being able to read and write is the beginning of literacy, not its endpoint. Since misinformation, deception, and propaganda can all be authored and distributed as easily as honest and truthful information, a literate individual on the internet needs to possess the skills necessary to discern the two.
Indeed, one might argue that the distribution of misinformation is almost easier on the internet, because the care and fastidiousness required to produce content that is factually accurate and free of error may often delay its publication. On-line, speed of publication often reaps high rewards.
Education is an ongoing process. Part of my aim with this blog is to enhance my own literacy in the information I consume. How is this done? For me media literacy on-line consists of the following behaviors:
- Interrogating and analyzing the information and its source
- Determine how ownership and sponsorship are involved in producing the content I consume
- Personally observing how the information I consume shapes and effects who I am as a person.
