Importance Of Media Literacy Essay

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Media Literacy: An Introduction Picture this scenario- It’s the early 90s. The FIFA World Cup final match is being broadcast on television. More than 25 youngsters, myself included, have crammed into the living room of my grandparents’ house in a small locality in Shillong. They are among the privileged few that can afford a television set. The enthusiasm is palpable and in the moments leading up to Andreas Brehme scoring the deciding goal, the tension in the room is thickened by the pungent combination of tea, Waiwai, sweat and tears. Goal! West Germany win against Argentina! And that night will be the highlight of every single person in that room for at least another year. Fast forward to twenty-five years later. Argentina and (a now united) …show more content…

There are several reports on media literacy trends and policies from around the globe. According to Tornero and Manuel (2007), countries are getting interested in and promoting media literacy with countries such as the UK, Spain, France, Finland, Italy and Portugal modifying their curriculums to include digital and media skills. Other Western countries like the USA have several organizations and individuals teaching critical thinking skills about the media to students, teachers, professionals in different fields and inmates (Kellner & Share, 2005). There is growing support for the integration of digital and media literacy into educational curricula (Hobbs, 2010). The Centre for Media Literacy based in the U.S.A. is an example of one such organization which has taken many of the foundational ideas of media literacy and simplified them into a framework easily understood by students and teachers alike. Developing countries like India too are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of media literacy. Silverblatt, Nagaraj, Kundu and Yadav state that: In India, the mass media plays a prominent role in its fast changing social, cultural and political landscape. With regular supply of ideas and information the media influences the popular imagination and everyday life. Moreover, in light of India’s rich cultural diversity in terms of religion, race, caste, and ethnicities, media literacy has become essential for intercultural dialogue and information sharing with a participatory

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