What is media literacy?
According to Trilling and Fadel, media literacy is defined as the medium of message delivery. It is also the “crafting of the message”. It can be in any form such as graphics, audio, videos etc.
Why is it important?
Different levels of media literacy decide on what level the impacts that media messages will have on audiences. Selecting the correct message for each topic also requires a high level of media literacy. Also, it is important to distinguish between factual information and misinformation since there is so much accessible information and it is difficult to evaluate every single one. Plus, the network is always changing and new information is added to the internet each day.
Why is it dismissed?
It is common that media literacy to be dismissed because there is so much information for us to access and it is easy to find what we want to see. It can be tough that people accepting different or opposite voices. Besides, it is a lot of work for people to verify each source.
Why should you aim for varied views but the factual consensus in your PLN?
I think that putting various views in our PLN allows us to hear different voices and it helps us to think critically. With different voices, you can then examine which one is useful and which one you should not listen to. Having factual consensus in one’s PLN is cheating oneself in a way. It is also irresponsible to blindly trust any view immediately.
Reference
MILLER. (June 7, 2021). EDCI 338 – MEDIA LITERACY with JULIE SMITH. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57r3-aEnci0
Trilling, B & Fadel, C. (2012). Digital Literacy Skills. 21st Century Skills: Learning for Life in Our Times. Skillspp.66 https://go.exlibris.link/B5rkkLw7