Reading and Discussion #1

I found this week's reading on Toward Critical Media Literacy: Core concepts, debates, organizations, and policy to be very informative and full of interesting material. Here is a link to my Evidence Chart.

1. Consider the following excerpt:In 1969 to be exact--educational philosopher Neil Postman delivered a speech at the National Convention for the Teachers of English frankly titled “Bullshit and the Art of Crap-Detection.” In his speech, Postman stressed the need for teachers to engage students in thinking critically about the bombardment of corporate advertisements and political plugs they faced on a daily basis, underlining the reality that virtually “all human communications have deeply embedded and profound hidden agendas,” particularly messages heavy with commercial and political ideology, which are “saturated with bullshit.” Postman told educators, “As I see it, the best things schools can do for kids is to help them learn how to distinguish useful talk from bullshit. I will ask only that you agree that every day in almost every way people are exposed to more bullshit than is healthy for them to endure, and that if we can help them to recognize this fact, they might turn away from it and toward language that might do them some earthly good.”

1. To what extent do you agree with Neil Postman?

I was fortunate enough to have parents that sought to teach me how to deconstruct commercial and political ideology for myself. When I was an adolescent, I began to see how saturated politics are with bullshit essentially. 

I 100% agree with Neil Postman, and I believe that our society would be much better off if we were to help students recognize how biased and bullshit-laden media is. I think that once you unveil the truth, it makes you much more aware and eager to discover language that promotes the truth. 

2. Neil Postman delivered this speech in 1969. How do you think he might feel about "the art of crap-detection" now given recent advancements in digital technologies?

The rise of digital technologies have given way to more opportunities for advertisements and the like. Since bullshit media is much more prevalent today, I'm fairly certain that Neil Postman would retain his firm belief in the need for media literacy in education.

3.  Then watch the video below and post your reaction to your blog. Use the following questions to guide your reaction:

• What did the video make you think about or feel? 
• How does it support Neil Postman's concerns about "crap-detection".
•  Then, tell us how this video effects your understanding of why it is important to teach CRITICAL media literacy and not just MEDIA literacy in-and-out of school. Support your response with three quotes from the reading. 

The first thing that comes to my mind is the criticism that Cameron Russell received from giving this talk. Many people were probably wondering "Why should we listen to her?" or perhaps "What on earth does she have to complain about?" Well, I believe that the content of her message was so intriguing because of who she is. It evoked a reaction out of myself, thus increasing my curiosity to listen to what she had to say.

By tying in references from her personal life, she makes several points about feminism and racism very apparent-she has received free passes based on her appearance. By winning this "genetic lottery", she was scouted to become a face of several companies and brands. 

The talk makes references to Neil Postman's "crap-detection" by showing us prime examples of highly fabricated photos-these photos aren't actually pictures of Cameron at all, but rather a creation of something else entirely. Western society is exposed to commercial advertisements like these so often that sometimes we can't even discern what is actually real anymore. 

The before and after photos of Cameron are a prime example of why we need CRITICAL media literacy education, and not solely media literacy education. Media literacy teaches students to read and decode media, whereas media education teaches the appreciation of media and its various forms of self-expression. "Critical media literacy builds on these approaches, analysing media culture as products of social production and struggle and teaching students to be critical of media representations and discourses, but also stressing the importance of learning to use the media as modes of self-expression and social activism." (Kellner & Share 2005)

In the talk, Cameron Russell says that her response to girls that aspire to be just like her is, "Why wouldn't you want to be something else-like the president of the United States?" Young girls would rather aspire to be a model because of the media that they see on a daily basis. We only see what is superficial-the fact that models are perfect in nearly every way that society deems acceptable or beautiful. Critical media literacy is needed in education specifically because of the aforementioned. "Critical media literacy not only teaches students to learn from media, to resist media manipulation, and to use media materials in constructive ways, but is also concerned with developing skills that will help create good citizens and that will make individuals more motivated and competent participants in social life." (Kellner & Share 2005) If we can introduce critical media literacy at a young age, we can teach young girls that these images (like Cameron's airbrushed photos) are not reality and maybe we can pave the way for a different, better future for media.

My last point brings me to the point that-"Too often students believe the role of media is simply to entertain or inform, with little knowledge of the economic structure that supports it." (Kellner & Share 2005) When Russell says that there is pre-production, post-production, etc.-she informs us of the many hours that go into a single photo. That single image has the potential to make millions of dollars for that company, thus fueling the profit/power margin. The image's audience typically doesn't understand precisely who or what is promoting that image or alternate source of media. 

Kellner, D., & Share, J. (2005). Toward Critical Media Literacy: Core concepts, debates, organizations, and policy. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 26(3), 369-386. Retrieved August 22, 2014, from http://pages.gseis.ucla.edu/faculty/kellner/essays/2005_Kellner-Share_TowardsCriticalMediaLiteracy.pdf