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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" xmlns:georss="http://www.georss.org/georss" xmlns:geo="http://www.w3.org/2003/01/geo/wgs84_pos#" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" > <channel> <title>Renee Hobbs at the Media Education Lab</title> <atom:link href="https://mediaedlab.com/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://mediaedlab.com</link> <description>Loves all things media literacy</description> <lastBuildDate>Thu, 20 Jul 2023 12:44:53 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>http://wordpress.com/</generator><cloud domain='mediaedlab.com' port='80' path='/?rsscloud=notify' registerProcedure='' protocol='http-post' /><image> <url>https://s0.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.png</url> <title>Renee Hobbs at the Media Education Lab</title> <link>https://mediaedlab.com</link> </image> <atom:link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" href="https://mediaedlab.com/osd.xml" title="Renee Hobbs at the Media Education Lab" /> <atom:link rel='hub' href='https://mediaedlab.com/?pushpress=hub'/> <item> <title>Leaders Matter</title> <link>https://mediaedlab.com/2023/07/15/leadership-matters/</link> <comments>https://mediaedlab.com/2023/07/15/leadership-matters/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Renee Hobbs]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 15 Jul 2023 19:14:47 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://mediaedlab.com/?p=3953</guid> <description><![CDATA[When I read Yonty Friesem’s 2017 introduction to the special issue of the Journal of Media Literacy Education on media <a class="more" href="https://mediaedlab.com/2023/07/15/leadership-matters/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When I read Yonty Friesem’s 2017 introduction to the special issue of the <em>Journal of Media Literacy Education </em>on media literacy and disability, I knew that someday, somehow, Yonty’s incredible leadership skills would be recognized and celebrated. In the article, Yonty provided a variety of ideas that greatly extended my own understanding of both media literacy AND disability. But Yonty didn’t just study the topic as a researcher. In so many practices of teaching and learning and communication in daily life, Yonty embodied the kind of sensitivity to and respect for difference that is at the heart of the phrase “diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.”</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2023/07/screenshot-2023-07-13-at-7.19.49-pm.png"><img width="1024" height="586" data-attachment-id="3960" data-permalink="https://mediaedlab.com/2023/07/15/leadership-matters/screenshot-2023-07-13-at-7-19-49-pm/#main" data-orig-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2023/07/screenshot-2023-07-13-at-7.19.49-pm.png" data-orig-size="1222,700" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="screenshot-2023-07-13-at-7.19.49-pm" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2023/07/screenshot-2023-07-13-at-7.19.49-pm.png?w=300" data-large-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2023/07/screenshot-2023-07-13-at-7.19.49-pm.png?w=450" src="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2023/07/screenshot-2023-07-13-at-7.19.49-pm.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-3960" srcset="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2023/07/screenshot-2023-07-13-at-7.19.49-pm.png?w=1024 1024w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2023/07/screenshot-2023-07-13-at-7.19.49-pm.png?w=150 150w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2023/07/screenshot-2023-07-13-at-7.19.49-pm.png?w=300 300w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2023/07/screenshot-2023-07-13-at-7.19.49-pm.png?w=768 768w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2023/07/screenshot-2023-07-13-at-7.19.49-pm.png 1222w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure> <p></p> <p>With undergraduate students, Yonty’s classroom provides many opportunities for democratic pedagogy and power sharing. As a leader, Yonty empowers others to be their best selves. As as Co-Director of the Media Education Lab, Yonty is now imagining the future of the Media Education Lab for the next 20 years, which is a most exciting (and inclusive) enterprise. By being fully engaged with a variety of practitioners, scholars, and advocates, Yonty actively promotes inclusive practices that advance the media literacy skills of all, inspiring many new leaders including <strong>Samantha Stanley, Iglika Ivanova, Michelle Ciccone, Kelsey Greene, Jocelyn Young, Devina Sarawatay, </strong>and others. </p> <p>As winner of the 2023 <strong>Media Literacy Community Award, </strong>Yonty is honored for making significant contributions to the local, national, and international media education community through contributing time, talent, and action. For Yonty, that includes leading a statewide advocacy organization, building an online community, and leading professional development programs. The spirit of generosity and collaboration that Yonty embraces is beyond remarkable — it’s a gift to the whole field! After 12 years of hard work and dedication here in the United States, I’m so proud of Yonty’s many accomplishments– and I look forward to what the future may hold. Thank you to Michelle Ciulla Lipkin and NAMLE for honoring this amazing human being whose work has so greatly advanced our field!</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://mediaedlab.com/2023/07/15/leadership-matters/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>1</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://1.gravatar.com/avatar/4da0d826b1931cf4ff25ebd7773eb84edf748e3c653f7f72799c9a86d6afe222?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">reneehobbs2007</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2023/07/screenshot-2023-07-13-at-7.19.49-pm.png?w=1024" medium="image" /> </item> <item> <title>Student Research Rocks!</title> <link>https://mediaedlab.com/2022/06/03/student-research-rocks/</link> <comments>https://mediaedlab.com/2022/06/03/student-research-rocks/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Renee Hobbs]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jun 2022 19:58:38 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[education]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Maynard]]></category> <category><![CDATA[media literacy]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://mediaedlab.com/?p=3939</guid> <description><![CDATA[This spring, nearly half of all students in the Maynard (MA) Public Schools students told a student researcher just how <a class="more" href="https://mediaedlab.com/2022/06/03/student-research-rocks/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.55.03-pm.png"><img width="1024" height="436" data-attachment-id="3943" data-permalink="https://mediaedlab.com/2022/06/03/student-research-rocks/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3-55-03-pm/#main" data-orig-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.55.03-pm.png" data-orig-size="1460,622" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.55.03-pm" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.55.03-pm.png?w=300" data-large-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.55.03-pm.png?w=450" src="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.55.03-pm.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-3943" srcset="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.55.03-pm.png?w=1024 1024w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.55.03-pm.png?w=150 150w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.55.03-pm.png?w=300 300w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.55.03-pm.png?w=768 768w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.55.03-pm.png 1460w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure> <p>This spring, nearly half of all students in the Maynard (MA) Public Schools students told a student researcher just how often and in what ways they encountered media literacy instructional practices in their school district. This survey was administered by a high school student who worked with her school teacher-librarian Jean LaBelle, who also serves as the senior project coordinator at Maynard High School in Massachusetts, along with Erin McNeil, executive director of Media Literacy Now. </p> <p>As a part of her senior project, <strong>Gracie Gilligan </strong>adapted the survey developed by Renee Hobbs and colleagues at the University of Rhode Island to find out whether more than 500 elementary and secondary school students (in Grades 4 thrare getting opportunities to access, analyze, and create media, using reflection and social action to examine news, information, advertising, social media, and more. While <a href="https://mediaeducationlab.com/sites/default/files/ML%20in%20RI%20%2810%29.pdf">the Rhode Island survey</a> had asked teachers, librarians, school leaders, community members and parents to estimate students’ exposure to media literacy lessons, Gracie Gilligan decided to ask children and teens directly. </p> <p>The good news: Students in Maynard report that many media literacy instructional practices are being implemented in the Maynard Public Schools. For example, two out of three students have discussed in class how media can be beneficial or harmful to their health, identity, and relationships, including 61% of 4th graders. Nearly 80% of 12th graders say that they have had lessons that help them differentiate between a news story an an opinion story in the news. 66% of students say they have learned about how the First Amendment and other laws give you freedom of speech and help you learn how to use that freedom responsibly. </p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.55-pm.png"><img width="1024" height="324" data-attachment-id="3945" data-permalink="https://mediaedlab.com/2022/06/03/student-research-rocks/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3-54-55-pm/#main" data-orig-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.55-pm.png" data-orig-size="1466,464" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.55-pm" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.55-pm.png?w=300" data-large-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.55-pm.png?w=450" src="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.55-pm.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-3945" srcset="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.55-pm.png?w=1024 1024w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.55-pm.png?w=150 150w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.55-pm.png?w=300 300w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.55-pm.png?w=768 768w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.55-pm.png 1466w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure> <p>However, there are still areas where Maynard can improve. Only 34% of students in Grades 4 – 12 have looked at media to identify stereotypes, and only half of 12th graders say that they have learned how selling audience attention is the way media companies make money. Fewer than half of students have had the opportunity to create a social action or awareness campaign to promote an event or motivate people to take action. Maynard history teacher Olga Doktorov says that these results give food for thought as she is planning her instruction and curriculum for next year. She said, “I often ask myself what I want my students to know and remember 10, 20, 50 years after graduating from high school, and media literacy is certainly one of the things that come to mind. It is a skill that will be relevant in any profession my students choose and in their personal lives as well.”</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.45-pm.png"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="707" data-attachment-id="3947" data-permalink="https://mediaedlab.com/2022/06/03/student-research-rocks/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3-54-45-pm/#main" data-orig-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.45-pm.png" data-orig-size="1470,1016" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.45-pm" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.45-pm.png?w=300" data-large-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.45-pm.png?w=450" src="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.45-pm.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-3947" srcset="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.45-pm.png?w=1024 1024w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.45-pm.png?w=150 150w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.45-pm.png?w=300 300w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.45-pm.png?w=768 768w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.45-pm.png 1470w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure> <p>Another key takeaway from this survey was that parents and guardians of Maynard students are largely not helping them to develop media literacy competencies. Only 7% of students have often worked with parents or guardians to create videos or other media together. Only 12% often comment on the pros and cons of online life with their parents or guardians. Half of all students reported that they hardly ever discuss what makes media sources trustworthy with their parents/guardians. Most students report that they hardly ever read and discuss books, newspapers, or magazines at home and only 50% say that they discuss the pros and cons of life online. When parents are not actively involved in discussions about media and society with their children at home, schools must be responsible for ensuring that students are able to develop these essential life skills. </p> <p>Maynard is a small community in Massachusetts with about 1,179 students enrolled in three schools. According to Census data, about 14% of the population are Hispanic students and about 20% of families are economically disadvantaged. When asked his opinion on the findings of this survey, Maynard High School Principal Charles Caragianes quoted President Franklin Roosevelt, who said, “Freedom of the press is essential to the preservation of a democracy; but there is a difference between freedom and license. Editorialists who tell downright lies in order to advance their own agendas do more to discredit the press than all the censors in the world.” Principal Caragianes says that this “really gets at the heart of media literacy and its importance. It’s critical for a functional democracy to have citizens who can discern between valid information, opinions, and outright lies. Media literacy is one way to ensure that life in Maynard, in Massachusetts, and in the United States flourish in ways that enable students to reach their true potential as citizens in a media- and technology-saturated society. </p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.20-pm.png"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="583" data-attachment-id="3948" data-permalink="https://mediaedlab.com/2022/06/03/student-research-rocks/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3-54-20-pm/#main" data-orig-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.20-pm.png" data-orig-size="1468,836" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.20-pm" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.20-pm.png?w=300" data-large-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.20-pm.png?w=450" src="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.20-pm.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-3948" srcset="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.20-pm.png?w=1024 1024w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.20-pm.png?w=150 150w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.20-pm.png?w=300 300w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.20-pm.png?w=768 768w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.20-pm.png 1468w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://mediaedlab.com/2022/06/03/student-research-rocks/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://1.gravatar.com/avatar/4da0d826b1931cf4ff25ebd7773eb84edf748e3c653f7f72799c9a86d6afe222?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">reneehobbs2007</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.55.03-pm.png?w=1024" medium="image" /> <media:content url="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.55-pm.png?w=1024" medium="image" /> <media:content url="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.45-pm.png?w=1024" medium="image" /> <media:content url="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/screen-shot-2022-06-03-at-3.54.20-pm.png?w=1024" medium="image" /> </item> <item> <title>ELA Media Literacy</title> <link>https://mediaedlab.com/2021/10/22/the-ela-media-literacy-connection/</link> <comments>https://mediaedlab.com/2021/10/22/the-ela-media-literacy-connection/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Renee Hobbs]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 22 Oct 2021 15:13:47 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Concord High School]]></category> <category><![CDATA[ELA]]></category> <category><![CDATA[media literacy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[professional development]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://mediaedlab.com/?p=3919</guid> <description><![CDATA[Dawn Belair earns her Media Literacy Badge Congratulations to Dawn Belair, an English teacher from Concord, New Hampshire! After participating <a class="more" href="https://mediaedlab.com/2021/10/22/the-ela-media-literacy-connection/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><strong>Dawn Belair earns her Media Literacy Badge</strong></em></p> <p>Congratulations to Dawn Belair, an English teacher from Concord, New Hampshire! After participating in the Media Education Lab webinars, she has earned her media literacy badge. We love teachers who are lifelong learners and our learning community is designed especially for creative teachers like Dawn. <a href="https://mediaeducationlab.com/webinars-and-online-learning">Learn how to earn your own Media Literacy Badge</a>.</p> <p>Read further to better understand what it means to build a professional identity as a media literacy teacher, in whatever role or institutional context where you work. Here’s what Dawn had to say about how she applied ideas and inspiration from the professional development program to her high school English classroom.</p> <p><br>By Dawn Belair</p> <p><strong>Webinar Attended: Super Bowl: The Big Game</strong><br>A couple of the key ideas of this webinar were the purpose of advertising and who benefits from it, and supporting close reading. I immediately put the information presented to use in my English 11 Media/Communication Class at Concord High School (this is Renee’s favorite high school in all the world — see <em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Reading-Media-Literacy-English-Language/dp/0807747386">Reading the Media: Media Literacy in High School English</a></em> to learn more). My colleagues were excited about the close reading aspect of the ads. We adapted Frank Baker’s “Super Bowl Ad Analysis Worksheet” by adding some prompting questions (as we have not yet started the Persuasion/ Advertising Unit – although have done extensive work with the Core Concepts of Media Literacy). Just as in the breakout rooms activity in the webinar, we put students in breakout rooms to do a close reading of a Super Bowl ad of their choice. This activity was a perfect bridge riding the excitement of the Super Bowl (it’s still Tom Brady country up here…) and preparing them for our upcoming units on visual literacy and persuasion and advertising. <br></p> <p><strong>Reading the Pictures </strong><br>Of most immediate use was the four-step process of close analysis of images: Feel, Notice, Think, and Interpret. I was fortunate to be in a breakout room with Michael Shaw and we had a great experience working through the close analysis steps together. It was interesting to watch the process as the group worked to read the image – each comment led to noticing more and more detail, folding in more and more background information, and analyzing more and more symbolism represented. I have brought this process into the classroom and use these close reading steps – most recently in our visual literacy unit where we also used Molly Bang’s <em>How Pictures Work</em> along with the creative techniques of the study of film to help to expand and deepen students’ reading of an image. </p> <p><strong>Teaching the Oscars </strong><br>What a bummer it was that I was having terrible connectivity issues for this webinar since I had to keep my camera off to stay connected. Fortunately, the others in this small group spoke up with great personal stories! This webinar came right in the middle of a unit on Visual Literacy in our English 11 classes. We literally worked on an assignment where we were deconstructing, analyzing, and evaluating movie stills for camera distance, angles, lighting, color, framing, and proxemics. How very timely! During the webinar, my colleague (Heather Ouellette-Cygan) and I were texting each other about how we could incorporate what the webinar was covering. We did the “favorite movie / stand-out scene/ connect to which film technique” activity the very next class meeting and the discussion was so lively. Our students were speaking with such knowledge of what filmmakers were doing to make these scenes work – bringing in specific terms as well as referring to the Core Concepts of Media Literacy. We will next be going into a blended unit on Persuasion and Advertising / Representation. I can see using the See <em>Jane video</em> (perhaps as a writing prompt?) leading into our viewings of <em>Killing Us Softly</em> and <em>Miss Representation</em> and I’m looking forward to exploring the materials shared with us! </p> <p><strong>50 Best Media Literacy Books</strong><br>The timing of this webinar was perfect! Just in time to order a pile of books to arrive before summer vacation started. Our English 11: Media Literacy team has been talking about including more voices and perspectives so learning about <em>The Dark Fantastic: Race and the Imagination from Harry Potter to The Hunger Games</em> was exciting. Another unit in the course that we are building up is teaching about bias and fake news. Several of the books that you and Frank suggested are proving to be very helpful with this (most notably, <em>Won’t Get Fooled Again: A Graphic Guide to Fake News</em> written by Erin Steiger, illustrated by Alan Spinney, Y<em>ou’re Being Duped: Fake News in Social Media</em> by Jennifer Peters, <em>The Influencing Machine: Brooke Gladstone on the Media </em>written by Brooke Gladstone, illustrated by Josh Neufeld and T<em>rue or False: A CIA Analyst’s Guide to Spotting Fake News</em> by Cindy L. Otis). <br>Media Literacy books I read over the summer included:</p> <ul><li><em>Won’t Get Fooled Again: A Graphic Guide to Fake News</em> written by Erin Steiger, illustrated by Alan Spinney</li><li><em>Media Meltdown: A Graphic Guide Adventure</em> written by Liam O’Donnell, illustrated by Mike Deas </li><li>Y<em>ou’re Being Duped: Fake News in Social Media</em> by Jennifer Peters </li><li><em>The Influencing Machine: Brooke Gladstone on the Media </em>written by Brooke Gladstone, illustrated by Josh Neufeld</li><li><em>Keep Calm and Log On: Your Handbook for Surviving the Digital Revolution</em> by Gillian “Gus” Andrews</li><li><em>The Attention Merchants: The Epic Scramble to Get Inside Our Heads</em> by Tim Wu</li><li><em>True or False: A CIA Analyst’s Guide to Spotting Fake News</em> by Cindy L. Otis </li><li><em>Tech Like a Pirate: Using Classroom Technology to Create an Experience and Make Learning Memorable</em> by Matt Miller </li><li><em>Teaching Media Literacy</em> (Second Edition) by Belinha S. De Abreu </li><li><em>Close Reading the Media: Literacy Lessons and Activities for Every Month of the School Year</em> by Frank W. Baker </li><li><em>You are the Product: How Your Data is Being Sold</em> by Avery Elizabeth Hurt </li><li>Representation in Media by Diane Dakers </li><li><em>Seeing Things: A Kid’s Guide to Looking at Photographs</em> by Joel Meyerowitz </li><li><em>Shitstorm </em>by Fernando Sdrigotti </li><li><em>Parable of the Sower </em>by Octavia Spencer</li><li><em>The Bluest Eye</em> by Toni Morrison</li><li><em>The Dark Fantastic: Race and the Imagination from Harry Potter to The Hunger Games</em> by Ebony Elizabeth Thomas</li></ul> <p><strong>Analyzing the Visuals of the 9/11 Anniversary </strong><br>So, it’s early evening on September 11, 2021. All morning, I was watching the reading of the names of the victims of the attacks and sobbing. I was watching the ceremonies of tribute in New York and Washington, D.C. and Shanksville, Pennsylvania and sobbing. I was listening to the former president, and the current president, and the current vice president, and the former Secretary of State, and the former White House Press Secretary. And former and current firefighters, and police officers, and first responders, and doctors, and military servicemen, and family members of the victims. And sobbing. And, perhaps foolishly, I watched the news channel run their real-time coverage of the events as they happened on that tragic day. And, guess what? Yup. But as I was watching, I started working on something for my English 11: Media Literacy classes. I created a slideshow of the front pages of newspapers from all over America – and the world – on September 12th and made a reaction sheet prompting students to do a close reading of them. It is very early in the school year, but this seems like a timely introduction to many concepts and skills that we will cover as the course moves along. I found a cool <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.nytimes.com_2021_09_10_insider_front-2Dpage-2Don-2D9-2D11.html&d=DwMFaQ&c=dWz0sRZOjEnYSN4E4J0dug&r=RVWG2HLoOsC9hvIuLG9nSg&m=WsCkoeNEio3AK8vzvvCAupgWbblU4cuwLtFVPhAwLck&s=wjmfiUX5ZWByTvQP0Xw7OrwDxIBEWS1cTlATy6qqd1k&e=" target="_blank"><em>New York Times </em>article</a> examining their front pages on September 11th and September 12th – just looking at them shows how the world changed (from fashion week and school dress codes to terrorist attacks). I have also adapted the activity that we did during the webinar — comparing and contrasting the two trailers (<em>9/11: Inside the President’s War Room</em> and <em>NYC Epicenters: 9/11 → 2021½). </em>I’m sharing it with my colleagues and doing the activity on Monday.</p> <p></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://mediaedlab.com/2021/10/22/the-ela-media-literacy-connection/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>1</slash:comments> <media:thumbnail url="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/10/screen-shot-2021-10-22-at-11.03.00-am.png" /> <media:content url="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/10/screen-shot-2021-10-22-at-11.03.00-am.png" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">screen-shot-2021-10-22-at-11.03.00-am</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://1.gravatar.com/avatar/4da0d826b1931cf4ff25ebd7773eb84edf748e3c653f7f72799c9a86d6afe222?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">reneehobbs2007</media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title>VVH at NAMLE21</title> <link>https://mediaedlab.com/2021/07/17/vvh-at-namle21/</link> <comments>https://mediaedlab.com/2021/07/17/vvh-at-namle21/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Renee Hobbs]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 17 Jul 2021 17:18:10 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Conferences]]></category> <category><![CDATA[digital literacy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[instructional practices]]></category> <category><![CDATA[media literacy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[reflection]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[#digiURI]]></category> <category><![CDATA[#NAMLE21]]></category> <category><![CDATA[connect to learn]]></category> <category><![CDATA[digital learning]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://mediaedlab.com/?p=3892</guid> <description><![CDATA[A protocol for developing trust and respect through structured discussion with a dyad partner]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Virtually Viral Hangouts is an online community that was established on March 16, 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic created a condition of social isolation. For one hour every day (Monday thru Friday), anyone could stop in to the Zoom meeting and meet new friends through a structured program of social interaction. </p> <p>During the pandemic, educators learned to develop alternative ways of getting to know learners, creating conditions for respect and trust to develop. At the <a href="https://mediaeducationlab.com">Media Education Lab</a>, we developed routines for Anytime and Real-Time learning that build upon a model that emphasizes three elements:</p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-large is-resized"><a href="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/screen-shot-2021-07-10-at-8.10.37-am.png"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="3894" data-permalink="https://mediaedlab.com/screen-shot-2021-07-10-at-8-10-37-am/" data-orig-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/screen-shot-2021-07-10-at-8.10.37-am.png" data-orig-size="1038,852" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="screen-shot-2021-07-10-at-8.10.37-am" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/screen-shot-2021-07-10-at-8.10.37-am.png?w=300" data-large-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/screen-shot-2021-07-10-at-8.10.37-am.png?w=450" src="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/screen-shot-2021-07-10-at-8.10.37-am.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-3894" width="186" height="152" srcset="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/screen-shot-2021-07-10-at-8.10.37-am.png?w=186 186w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/screen-shot-2021-07-10-at-8.10.37-am.png?w=370 370w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/screen-shot-2021-07-10-at-8.10.37-am.png?w=150 150w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/screen-shot-2021-07-10-at-8.10.37-am.png?w=300 300w" sizes="(max-width: 186px) 100vw, 186px" /></a></figure></div> <p><strong>Connect to Learn</strong>: Strategies that promote social interaction and build trust and respect </p> <p><strong>Create to Learn:</strong> Compose a variety of forms of media, individually and collaboratively, to gain confidence in self expression and advocacy. </p> <p><strong>Guide to Learn:</strong> Use the process of inquiry learning to identify productive questions and discover and generate ideas through viewing, reading, listening and encountering new ideas and diverse points of view. </p> <p></p> <p>In this VVH at #NAMLE21 session, we begin with a socio-emotional check-in activity from the <a href="https://bestonlinemeetings.com">Best Online Meetings guide</a> that was created by the participants of Virtually Viral Hangouts as a culminating activity in June of 2020. </p> <p>Then we offer 2 rounds of the Fast Friends Protocol, modified especially for #NAMLE21 participants. </p> <p><strong>Protocol Rules</strong></p> <ul><li>Each participant freely chooses a question they would like to answer. </li></ul> <ul><li>One at a time, participants alternate between speaking and listening roles. </li></ul> <ul><li>Don’t get sidetracked into non-profocol conversation. Follow the path. </li></ul> <p></p> <p><strong>ROUND ONE</strong></p> <ol><li>What do you remember about when you first encountered the term “media literacy”?</li><li>When you were growing up, what was the first memory you have of making some form of media?</li><li>Were your parents or family members media literate? Why or why not?</li><li>What’s one example of media that you have a passionate love for? </li><li>What’s one example of media that you have a passionate loathing for?</li><li>Do you consider yourself a leader in media literacy? Why or why not?</li><li>What’s a book, movie, song or video game that really made a deep impact on you? </li></ol> <p><strong>ROUND TWO</strong></p> <p><br>1. Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?<br>2. Would you like to be famous? In what way?<br>3. Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why?<br>4. What would constitute a “perfect” day for you?<br>5. When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?<br>6. If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?<br>7. Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?<br>8. Name three things you and your partner appear to have in common.<br>9. For what in your life do you feel most grateful?<br>10. If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?<br>11. Take four minutes and tell your partner your life story in as much detail as possible.<br>12. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?</p> <p></p> <p>Education activist Kristin Ziemke is fond of saying that before you can teach someone, you must know 10 things about them. Use the Fast Friends Protocol to get to know your students —and your colleagues. Through Connecting to Learn, you can build trust and respect that are important foundations for participating in democratic life. </p> <p><strong>Learn More</strong> <strong>about Anytime & Real Time Learning from the Media Education Lab</strong></p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright size-large is-resized"><a href="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/anytime-and-real-time-learning-qrg.png"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="3910" data-permalink="https://mediaedlab.com/anytime-and-real-time-learning-qrg/" data-orig-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/anytime-and-real-time-learning-qrg.png" data-orig-size="1158,814" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="anytime-and-real-time-learning-qrg" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/anytime-and-real-time-learning-qrg.png?w=300" data-large-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/anytime-and-real-time-learning-qrg.png?w=450" src="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/anytime-and-real-time-learning-qrg.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-3910" width="228" height="160" srcset="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/anytime-and-real-time-learning-qrg.png?w=228 228w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/anytime-and-real-time-learning-qrg.png?w=456 456w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/anytime-and-real-time-learning-qrg.png?w=150 150w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/anytime-and-real-time-learning-qrg.png?w=300 300w" sizes="(max-width: 228px) 100vw, 228px" /></a></figure></div> <p>Use this 6-page Quick Resource Guide to introduce your school community to the digital learning practices we modeled at the Summer Institute in Digital Literacy. It’s the perfect resource for a staff development program!</p> <p>Created by Renee Hobbs, Julie Coiro, and Yonty Friesem<strong>, </strong>these 3 guides (elementary, middle school, and high school) feature some of the most robust instructional practices developed by the participants of the Summer Institute in Digital Literacy</p> <p><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Learning-Anytime-Real-Time/dp/1324019581" target="_blank">Pre-Order: Elementary</a></p> <p><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Learning-Anytime-Real-Time/dp/1324019573/ref=sr_1_18?dchild=1&qid=1626010181&refinements=p_27%3ARenee+Hobbs&s=books&sr=1-18&text=Renee+Hobbs" target="_blank">Pre-Order: Middle School</a> </p> <p><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Learning-Anytime-Real-Time/dp/1324019565/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&qid=1626010219&refinements=p_27%3AYonty+Friesem&s=books&sr=1-2&text=Yonty+Friesem" target="_blank">Pre-Order: High School</a></p> <p>Since the start of the pandemic, educators all over the world have been learning on the fly how to use the power of digital texts, tools, and technologies for “remote emergency instruction.” As teachers quickly discovered, conducting nearly nonstop Zoom meetings, in an effort to replicate in-classroom learning in an online environment, is both ineffective and exhausting.</p> <p>In this series of three guides, we introduce central principles to guide instructional planning for real time (synchronous) and anytime (asynchronous) learning. Each guide unpacks the application of these principles―to connect, guide, and create―with specific lesson examples and technology tips tailored to one level of schooling: elementary, middle, or high school.</p> <p>FAST FRIENDS PROTOCOL SOURCE: <a href="https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/36_questions_for_increasing_closeness">36 Questions for Increasing Closeness</a></p> <p></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://mediaedlab.com/2021/07/17/vvh-at-namle21/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>1</slash:comments> <media:thumbnail url="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/screen-shot-2021-07-10-at-8.10.37-am.png" /> <media:content url="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/screen-shot-2021-07-10-at-8.10.37-am.png" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">screen-shot-2021-07-10-at-8.10.37-am</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://1.gravatar.com/avatar/4da0d826b1931cf4ff25ebd7773eb84edf748e3c653f7f72799c9a86d6afe222?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">reneehobbs2007</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/screen-shot-2021-07-10-at-8.10.37-am.png?w=1024" medium="image" /> <media:content url="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/anytime-and-real-time-learning-qrg.png?w=1024" medium="image" /> </item> <item> <title>Not Knowing</title> <link>https://mediaedlab.com/2021/06/10/not-knowing/</link> <comments>https://mediaedlab.com/2021/06/10/not-knowing/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Renee Hobbs]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 10 Jun 2021 06:17:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[birthday]]></category> <category><![CDATA[grief]]></category> <category><![CDATA[memoir]]></category> <category><![CDATA[overdose]]></category> <category><![CDATA[zodiac]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://mediaedlab.com/?p=3860</guid> <description><![CDATA[In Greek mythology, Mercury was the messenger of the gods, who brought the power of communication to people on Earth. <a class="more" href="https://mediaedlab.com/2021/06/10/not-knowing/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In Greek mythology, Mercury was the messenger of the gods, who brought the power of communication to people on Earth. </p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright size-large is-resized"><a href="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/roger-at-sea.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="3886" data-permalink="https://mediaedlab.com/2021/06/10/not-knowing/roger-at-sea/#main" data-orig-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/roger-at-sea.jpeg" data-orig-size="720,960" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Roger at Sea" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/roger-at-sea.jpeg?w=225" data-large-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/roger-at-sea.jpeg?w=450" src="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/roger-at-sea.jpeg?w=720" alt="" class="wp-image-3886" width="-999" height="-1332" srcset="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/roger-at-sea.jpeg 720w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/roger-at-sea.jpeg?w=113 113w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/roger-at-sea.jpeg?w=225 225w" sizes="(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" /></a></figure></div> <p>It was 12,053 days ago, on a Friday, that my son Roger J. Hobbs was born, as a Gemini sun sign in the house of Mercury. It was the year of the Dragon, exactly 33 years ago. </p> <p>What a beautiful baby he was! From an early age, Roger was a child who played with words. He treasured his sister, Rachel, who readily played the part of the noble warrior, defending her slow-moving and gentle brother from all manner of goblins and monsters, real and imagined, on the playground and in the woods back of the house. </p> <p>Growing up together, they romped in places near and far, where history, myth, and fantasy combined, from Walden Pond to the Fruitlands, and from the sandy streets of the Viareggio Carnivale to the mountain valleys surrounding the Oberammergau Passion Play.</p> <p>Watching Roger grow up was nothing short of miraculous. His openness and vulnerability attracted friends with similar creative talents and imaginations. He enthralled audiences with his plays and stories and comedy and he performed the identity of HOBBS, replete with the costume of the hard-boiled writer guy. Later, as a professional writer, he leveraged his many talents to share his work with others, and built meaningful relationships with the people who loved his writing and cared for him. </p> <p><strong><strong>In Retrograde</strong></strong></p> <p>Messenger to the gods, Mercury is closest to the sun.</p> <p>A lot of things happened quickly on November 14, 2016, the date of his death. Three times a year, the planet Mercury appears to travel backward across the sky, creating confusion and frustration for many. In the months before his death, it seemed to us that Roger had abruptly switched directions and was starting to move in reverse. Something was wrong but we had only a vague sense of the problem. Had the stresses of his meteoric career been too much for him? Was he plagued by self-doubt and insecurity? Was he experiencing clinical depression? Had the recent news about the election of Donald J. Trump as President of the United States created a triggering crisis as he faced the rapid shift in our country’s values and sense of direction? </p> <p>Clever wit and out-of-the-box thinking would not be enough to rescue Roger. The power of opiods was too great. Roger died of a drug overdose, taking his last breaths at Edgefield Hotel in 2016. We had suddenly become members of a terrible club, which includes more than 350,000 families who lost members of their family to drug overdose in the past 5 years. </p> <p><strong>Not Knowing is Most Intimate</strong></p> <p>Not knowing is most intimate<strong>,</strong> as the Zen masters remind us. I repeat the phrase to myself daily. I don’t really know what it means. But “not knowing” has become something I am getting comfortable with, as the inner essence of my experience. I don’t know how or why he took that very first little white pill. I don’t know what hurt – was it body, mind or heart? I don’t know about the secrets he kept as addiction crept into his life. I don’t know about those last precious moments of his life, as his breath slowed far down. </p> <p>I don’t even know how much I had taken his living for granted, even up to the moment when the police arrived at our house to inform us of his death. </p> <p>Yet the exquisite intimacy of “not knowing” has opened me up to what matters most, to what was there all along: the eternal love of a parent for a child. All through life and far beyond it, this love is all that matters. </p> <p>As I face the 5th anniversary of life without my dear son, my grief is tempered and even. I am now accustomed to the empty space where he lives in my heart. The agonizing pain of grief is of the past and what remains is sublime. My memories of Roger have woven themselves deep into the fabric of my being and every day I feel gratitude to have had him in my life. I am honored to have experienced Roger’s voice, his humor, and his stories– even if only for 28 years. His kind and loving heart cannot be forgotten. </p> <p>But I miss him so much, my Ghostman. </p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://mediaedlab.com/2021/06/10/not-knowing/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>4</slash:comments> <media:thumbnail url="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/screen-shot-2021-06-09-at-6.15.29-pm.png" /> <media:content url="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/screen-shot-2021-06-09-at-6.15.29-pm.png" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">Screen Shot 2021-06-09 at 6.15.29 PM</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://1.gravatar.com/avatar/4da0d826b1931cf4ff25ebd7773eb84edf748e3c653f7f72799c9a86d6afe222?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">reneehobbs2007</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/roger-at-sea.jpeg?w=720" medium="image" /> </item> <item> <title></title> <link>https://mediaedlab.com/2021/06/05/3852/</link> <comments>https://mediaedlab.com/2021/06/05/3852/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Renee Hobbs]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 05 Jun 2021 16:35:23 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[education]]></category> <category><![CDATA[media literacy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[research]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rhode Island]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://mediaedlab.com/?p=3852</guid> <description><![CDATA[Share your opinions about media literacy education in Rhode Island elementary and secondary schools. ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Rhode Island Statewide Survey</h2> <p><strong>Media Literacy Education in Rhode Island</strong></p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-large is-resized"><a href="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/screen-shot-2021-05-02-at-2.22.48-pm.png"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="3855" data-permalink="https://mediaedlab.com/screen-shot-2021-05-02-at-2-22-48-pm/" data-orig-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/screen-shot-2021-05-02-at-2.22.48-pm.png" data-orig-size="782,584" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="screen-shot-2021-05-02-at-2.22.48-pm" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/screen-shot-2021-05-02-at-2.22.48-pm.png?w=300" data-large-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/screen-shot-2021-05-02-at-2.22.48-pm.png?w=450" src="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/screen-shot-2021-05-02-at-2.22.48-pm.png?w=782" alt="" class="wp-image-3855" width="244" height="182" srcset="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/screen-shot-2021-05-02-at-2.22.48-pm.png?w=244 244w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/screen-shot-2021-05-02-at-2.22.48-pm.png?w=488 488w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/screen-shot-2021-05-02-at-2.22.48-pm.png?w=150 150w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/screen-shot-2021-05-02-at-2.22.48-pm.png?w=300 300w" sizes="(max-width: 244px) 100vw, 244px" /></a></figure></div> <p>If you are a parent, educator, school leader, or citizen who lives or works in Rhode Island, you are invited share your opinions about media literacy education in elementary and secondary schools. </p> <p><a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MLRI">Click here to access the survey</a></p> <p>If you choose to complete this survey, you can participate in a sweepstakes to be conducted on August 30, 2021 for an iPad Mini valued at $399. The survey will take about 15 minutes to complete. </p> <p>Thanks in advance for helping us learn more about the state of media literacy in Rhode Island. </p> <p>Sincerely,</p> <p>Pam Steager Media Literacy Now Rhode Island</p> <p>Renee Hobbs, Media Education Lab, University of Rhode Island</p> <p>NOTE: This research has been approved by the University of Rhode Island Institutional Review Board. </p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://mediaedlab.com/2021/06/05/3852/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:thumbnail url="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/screen-shot-2021-06-05-at-12.37.03-pm.png" /> <media:content url="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/screen-shot-2021-06-05-at-12.37.03-pm.png" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">Screen Shot 2021-06-05 at 12.37.03 PM</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://1.gravatar.com/avatar/4da0d826b1931cf4ff25ebd7773eb84edf748e3c653f7f72799c9a86d6afe222?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">reneehobbs2007</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/screen-shot-2021-05-02-at-2.22.48-pm.png?w=782" medium="image" /> </item> <item> <title>First Media Literacy Badge</title> <link>https://mediaedlab.com/2021/05/10/first-media-literacy-badge/</link> <comments>https://mediaedlab.com/2021/05/10/first-media-literacy-badge/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Renee Hobbs]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 10 May 2021 14:06:18 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[badge]]></category> <category><![CDATA[media literacy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[professional development]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://mediaedlab.com/?p=3836</guid> <description><![CDATA[Dave Jablonsky is a high school ESL, Social Studies, and Media Studies teacher on the southwest side of Chicago. He <a class="more" href="https://mediaedlab.com/2021/05/10/first-media-literacy-badge/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Dave Jablonsky is a high school ESL, Social Studies, and Media Studies teacher on the southwest side of Chicago. He also serves as his school’s English Language Program Teacher, Student Voice Committee facilitator, and civic engagement coordinator. He is particularly interested in exploring the effects of digital media on culture, misinformation, and reading comprehension. He received his Masters in Literacy Education in 2015. As part of his continued professional development, he has taken programming on Youth and Civic Media (at UC-Riverside), KQED Teach, and the Stanford History Education Group’s Civic Online Reasoning. Dave participated in the 2020 <a href="https://digiuri.com">Summer Institute in Digital Literacy</a> as a McCormick Fellow. </em></p> <p>A Guest Post by Dave Jablonsky</p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-large is-resized"><a href="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/screen-shot-2021-05-10-at-9.53.56-am.png"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="3838" data-permalink="https://mediaedlab.com/screen-shot-2021-05-10-at-9-53-56-am/" data-orig-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/screen-shot-2021-05-10-at-9.53.56-am.png" data-orig-size="1006,776" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="screen-shot-2021-05-10-at-9.53.56-am" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/screen-shot-2021-05-10-at-9.53.56-am.png?w=300" data-large-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/screen-shot-2021-05-10-at-9.53.56-am.png?w=450" src="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/screen-shot-2021-05-10-at-9.53.56-am.png?w=1006" alt="" class="wp-image-3838" width="256" height="197" srcset="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/screen-shot-2021-05-10-at-9.53.56-am.png?w=256 256w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/screen-shot-2021-05-10-at-9.53.56-am.png?w=512 512w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/screen-shot-2021-05-10-at-9.53.56-am.png?w=150 150w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/screen-shot-2021-05-10-at-9.53.56-am.png?w=300 300w" sizes="(max-width: 256px) 100vw, 256px" /></a><figcaption><strong><em>Dave Jablonsky is the first recipient of the Media Education Lab’s Media Literacy Badge.</em></strong></figcaption></figure></div> <p>I attended SIDL 2020 and have been enjoying your webinar series with Frank Baker this year. If I’m going to lose the battle of limiting my screentime, it’s fortunate that in part it’s at the expense of high-quality professional learning opportunities. I’ve attended each of the sessions offered this calendar year, and I’d be interested in receiving the Media Literacy Badge. Below is a brief summary of my learning and classroom applications: </p> <p><a href="https://mediaeducationlab.com/big-game"><strong>The Big Game, January 11th</strong>. </a>In this webinar, we explored means of using Super Bowl ads in the classroom. I appreciated the consideration of the purpose of advertisements and the emotional connection to specific ads. The Reese’s and Google ads especially stuck with me. In teaching my senior Media Studies class, I used Frank’s Super Bowl ad analysis sheet to allow students to reflect on 2021 ads. I used the M&M ad to model for students, but they were then able to select and analyze three additional ads of their own.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://mediaeducationlab.com/reading-pictures">Reading the Pictures, February 10t</a>h.</strong>This presentation underscored how easy it is to adapt visuals for student learning. Some great resources shared included Michael Shaw’s Reading the Pictures website, NYTimes’ “What’s Going On in This Picture?,” and the documentary <em>War Photographer. </em>I have applied the four-part close image analysis (What do you 1. feel, 2. notice, 3. think, 4. interpret?) with my students.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://mediaeducationlab.com/teaching-capitol-siege">Teaching the Capitol Siege, February 16th</a>.</strong>I appreciated the thoughtful conversation and collaboration around the capitol siege. Similar to Reading the Pictures, we analyzed images from that tragic day. I recall participating in a spirited breakout over the Lego playset about whether it was an appropriate parody and where it originated. Having covered the insurrection for two days in January, I subsequently utilized the “Influencers and Insurrectionists” clip from the Vlog Brothers with my class.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://mediaeducationlab.com/tournaments-value-teaching-oscars">Tournament of Value: Teaching the Oscars, March 30th.</a> </strong>As a big movie fan and one-time Film Studies teacher, I really enjoyed this webinar. We began with looking at the language of moving images, including an activity where we applied this language to scenes from our favorite films. Then we considered representation in Hollywood (<em>NYTimes</em> and <em>Jane</em>). We concluded with a small group discussion on cultural celebrations from adolescence. I look forward to digging through Frank’s Language of Film site and plan to use the think/pair/share activity (three pieces of good news and 3 pieces of bad news). This week, we discussed Sunday night’s production and whether Chadwick Boseman was robbed of Best Actor honors.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://mediaeducationlab.com/vaccine-propaganda">Vaccine Propaganda, April 20th</a>. </strong>In this most recent webinar, we looked at advertising, PSAs, and propaganda surrounding vaccinations. We discussed the relationship between each of these terms and watched several ads commenting on their effectiveness. I used quite a few (Sam Adams, the presidents, “Abuelita”) to cap off a lesson considering whether minors should need parental consent for vaccinations. Last year I had students give testimonial style PSAs via Flipgrid on COVID and safe reopening protocols. I especially appreciated the class-developed PSA on global warming. It’s inspiring to see students contribute to that level of production at such a young age. Lastly, it was nice to be reminded of the tobacco Truth ads that I grew up with as a child, which recalled the tactics of Adbusters, which gravitated towards in college. </p> <p><a href="https://mediaeducationlab.com/webinars-and-online-learning">Learn more about how you can earn your Media Literacy Badge from the Media Education Lab. </a></p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/screen-shot-2021-05-10-at-9.58.44-am.png"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="295" data-attachment-id="3842" data-permalink="https://mediaedlab.com/screen-shot-2021-05-10-at-9-58-44-am/" data-orig-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/screen-shot-2021-05-10-at-9.58.44-am.png" data-orig-size="2592,748" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="screen-shot-2021-05-10-at-9.58.44-am" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/screen-shot-2021-05-10-at-9.58.44-am.png?w=300" data-large-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/screen-shot-2021-05-10-at-9.58.44-am.png?w=450" src="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/screen-shot-2021-05-10-at-9.58.44-am.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-3842" srcset="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/screen-shot-2021-05-10-at-9.58.44-am.png?w=1022 1022w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/screen-shot-2021-05-10-at-9.58.44-am.png?w=2044 2044w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/screen-shot-2021-05-10-at-9.58.44-am.png?w=150 150w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/screen-shot-2021-05-10-at-9.58.44-am.png?w=300 300w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/screen-shot-2021-05-10-at-9.58.44-am.png?w=768 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://mediaedlab.com/2021/05/10/first-media-literacy-badge/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:thumbnail url="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/screen-shot-2021-05-10-at-9.53.30-am.png" /> <media:content url="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/screen-shot-2021-05-10-at-9.53.30-am.png" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">Screen Shot 2021-05-10 at 9.53.30 AM</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://1.gravatar.com/avatar/4da0d826b1931cf4ff25ebd7773eb84edf748e3c653f7f72799c9a86d6afe222?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">reneehobbs2007</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/screen-shot-2021-05-10-at-9.53.56-am.png?w=1006" medium="image" /> <media:content url="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/screen-shot-2021-05-10-at-9.58.44-am.png?w=1024" medium="image" /> </item> <item> <title>Commit to Be the Change</title> <link>https://mediaedlab.com/2021/04/29/commit-to-be-the-change/</link> <comments>https://mediaedlab.com/2021/04/29/commit-to-be-the-change/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Renee Hobbs]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 29 Apr 2021 12:19:49 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[digital literacy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[social justice]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://mediaedlab.com/?p=3813</guid> <description><![CDATA[When our team faced the Twitter storm in response to my impulsive photo sharing, Julie Coiro and I got together <a class="more" href="https://mediaedlab.com/2021/04/29/commit-to-be-the-change/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When our team faced the Twitter storm in response to my impulsive photo sharing, Julie Coiro and I got together to reflect on our ongoing commitment to social justice. We acknowledged the need to do more. We benefitted from the feedback we received. </p> <p></p> <p>As we reflected on our 9-year journey together to build a robust learning community, we acknowledge that the efforts we are making are small ones. Much is still needed to address the profound inequalities that are present in schools and society. </p> <p></p> <p>But we also want our friends and colleagues to see the whole picture, how we are finding ways to use the Summer Institute in Digital Literacy to advance our interests in social justice. We are counting on you to help us find more ways as we approach our 10th anniversary in 2022. So we share with you the digital media we created to represent our journey and to honor the many people who are helping us along the way! </p> <p></p> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Click on the visual timeline below:</h4> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.sutori.com/story/the-9th-annual-summer-institute-in-digital-literacy--jbwFMc1FdTqnbzt3E4fZ5vDU">Our Ongoing Commitment to Social Justice</a> </h2>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://mediaedlab.com/2021/04/29/commit-to-be-the-change/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>1</slash:comments> <media:thumbnail url="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/04/screen-shot-2021-04-29-at-8.16.11-am.png" /> <media:content url="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/04/screen-shot-2021-04-29-at-8.16.11-am.png" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">screen-shot-2021-04-29-at-8.16.11-am</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://1.gravatar.com/avatar/4da0d826b1931cf4ff25ebd7773eb84edf748e3c653f7f72799c9a86d6afe222?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">reneehobbs2007</media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title>Not Representative</title> <link>https://mediaedlab.com/2021/04/02/not-representative/</link> <comments>https://mediaedlab.com/2021/04/02/not-representative/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Renee Hobbs]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 02 Apr 2021 14:37:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[#digiURI]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://mediaedlab.com/?p=3805</guid> <description><![CDATA[I apologize]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Yesterday, after a great planning meeting of the Summer Institute faculty, I spontaneously tweeted out a thank you to the team, showcasing their photos in a tweet. Within minutes, I received feedback that my communication was interpreted as evidence of a lack of diversity and inclusiveness. Many people sent disapproving and shaming messages to me and the Summer Institute faculty, telling me that my visual depiction was not OK. </p> <p>At the time I tweeted it, I wanted to honor the time and effort that these people are investing to advance the Summer Institute’s mission to support leadership in digital literacy. </p> <p>I failed by not understanding how an image that depicts 11 white women and men could be interpreted in ways that do not reflect our values. The feedback I received via tweets is appreciated. </p> <p>I want to honor the diverse talents and life experiences of our team even I know that we can and must work harder to increase the racial diversity of our team. </p> <p>My communication failure is not the ideal way to welcome Amber Coleman-Mortley from iCivics as our keynote speaker. Her work aims to elevate diverse voices and perspectives within the civic education space. </p> <p>I want to apologize to the 2021 Summer Institute team, too. You have chosen to participate in the program because you know and appreciate our enduring values. You are giving your time and talent because of your loyalty to the program — and you are doing it for little pay and few benefits. I’m sorry that you have been subjected to critique for participating in the program. </p> <p>This experience speaks to the real need for us to do better — and do more — to recruit people of color as program faculty and leaders. Stay tuned as as we focus our attention on this important issue. </p> <p></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://mediaedlab.com/2021/04/02/not-representative/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>2</slash:comments> <media:thumbnail url="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/04/screen-shot-2021-04-02-at-10.29.31-am.png" /> <media:content url="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2021/04/screen-shot-2021-04-02-at-10.29.31-am.png" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">screen-shot-2021-04-02-at-10.29.31-am</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://1.gravatar.com/avatar/4da0d826b1931cf4ff25ebd7773eb84edf748e3c653f7f72799c9a86d6afe222?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">reneehobbs2007</media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title>Propaganda Everywhere</title> <link>https://mediaedlab.com/2020/12/09/propaganda-everywhere/</link> <comments>https://mediaedlab.com/2020/12/09/propaganda-everywhere/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Renee Hobbs]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 09 Dec 2020 17:46:50 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Mind Over Media]]></category> <category><![CDATA[New York Times]]></category> <category><![CDATA[propaganda]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://mediaedlab.com/?p=3763</guid> <description><![CDATA[When journalists use the term "propaganda" in ways that reinforce its negative connotations, it may foreclose productive thinking about the many ways that propaganda enters into everyday life. ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong><em><span class="has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color">A Look at how The New York Times Writes about Propaganda</span></em></strong></p> <p>Some of my friends and colleagues think I’m obsessed with propaganda. It’s true. But I’m not alone. Nearly the entire past five years has been all about so-called “fake news” with the explosion of interest in disinformation and misinformation that’s spread by politicians, bad actors, bots and trolls. This has led to numerous arguments about our “polluted” and “poisoned” information ecosystem. But when people refer to propaganda as a “poison,” this really makes me angry.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright size-large"><a href="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/propaganda-everywhere.jpg"><img loading="lazy" width="512" height="279" data-attachment-id="3775" data-permalink="https://mediaedlab.com/propaganda-everywhere/" data-orig-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/propaganda-everywhere.jpg" data-orig-size="512,279" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="propaganda-everywhere" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/propaganda-everywhere.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/propaganda-everywhere.jpg?w=450" src="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/propaganda-everywhere.jpg?w=512" alt="" class="wp-image-3775" srcset="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/propaganda-everywhere.jpg 512w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/propaganda-everywhere.jpg?w=150 150w, https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/propaganda-everywhere.jpg?w=300 300w" sizes="(max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" /></a></figure></div> <p>For too many people, the digital landscape is now conceptualized as a treacherous place that’s been damaged by Silicon Valley’s technologies as people now spread the “poison” through social media, moving it up the chain to “infect” mainstream media and make bad ideas seem believable. </p> <p>The pendulum swing <em>from empowerment to protection </em>has been severe. The language of pollution and poison compel audience attention, that’s for certain. But the sensationalism of the poison metaphor functions as a form of propaganda that I don’t find helpful. Why? When misinformation, disinformation and propaganda are conceptualized as poison, it sets up a simple hierarchy that is rooted in the primal need for sanctity and purity over degradation. <a href="https://moralfoundations.org/">Scholars of religion</a> point out how these moral ideas are shaped by the psychology of disgust and contamination. </p> <p>Theories of media literacy invite us to be alert to how such metaphors can activate strong emotions in ways that limit or degrade “strong sense” critical thinking. Even when used by well-meaning academics and activists, poison-type metaphors activate either-or thinking that may cause people to overlook the deeper complexities of misinformation, disinformation and propaganda in pluralistic, global societies. </p> <p><strong><em>It’s important to address the nature of propaganda in its fullest sense, not merely as a “smear word” to label things we dislike, but as strategic communication that can be effective in influencing large numbers of people.</em></strong> As I explain in my book, <em><a href="https://mindovermedia.us">Mind Over Media: Propaganda Education for a Digital Age</a></em>, propaganda is an essential part of the democratic process: It is one important way by which people are induced to act together. Propaganda is a vital tool of civic activism and it should not be demonized. </p> <figure class="wp-block-pullquote" style="border-color:#cf2e2e;"><blockquote><p>When journalists use the term “propaganda” in ways that reinforce its negative connotations, it may foreclose productive thinking about the many ways that propaganda enters into everyday life. </p></blockquote></figure> <p>Let’s take a closer look at three stories from Monday, December 7, 2020. In this day’s news from <em>The New York Times</em>, there is a solid examination of propaganda at the blurry intersections of information, entertainment and persuasion. Indeed, numerous articles in this particular issue address the topic of propaganda, which is an indication of the extent to which propaganda is a dominant theme in contemporary life. A review of three of articles from this issue leads to questions about the editorial policies at <em>The New York Times</em> regarding the use of the term propaganda. Could editorial policies be limiting how people think about and understand the concept of propaganda?</p> <p><strong><span class="has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color">Propaganda Relies on Intensify-Downplay Formulas</span></strong></p> <p>Some readers saw the headline: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/06/world/asia/china-covid-origin-falsehoods.html?searchResultPosition=1">Propaganda Machine Muddies Virus’s Origin.</a> In this story about “the China virus,” the print edition of <em>The New York Times</em> used the word “propaganda” but the digital edition of the story featured a different headline: “China Peddles Falsehoods to Obscure Origin of Covid Pandemic.” Reporter Javier Hernandez explains how China is working hard to redirect global attention towards other countries as a way to reduce global anger about China’s initial mishandling of the coronavirus outbreak by pushing theories that the pandemic virus originated outside China. The reporter uses the term “propaganda” four times in the article to refer to China’s deflection strategies. Deflection strategies are a classic tool of persuasion, part of the “intensify-downplay” scheme as originally described by ancient Greek scholars. </p> <p>What I appreciated about this article is the way in which Hernandez explains how propaganda can include falsehoods — but not always. Some propaganda results from strategic public relations-style framing. Propagandists may use truths, half-truths or lies to accomplish strategic goals. This was illustrated well in the article. After explaining how China tried to disseminate pseudoscientific evidence in the form of a research publication, Hernandez showed how a propagandist did not need to construct elaborate falsehoods. Instead, the remarks of a World Health Organization expert could simply be <em>re-interpreted to align with a propaganda goal.</em> For example, a public health expert spoke about the need for a rigorous investigation into how the virus spread from animals to humans, but Chinese media interpreted these comments as a statement that the virus existed around the world but happened to be discovered in Wuhan. The reporter noted that such strategies resemble similar efforts from American lawmakers, who also re-interpret the words of scientists to push a propaganda message. But these efforts were not labelled as propaganda. I wonder why the word propaganda was removed from the headline of the NYT digital edition. When the word “propaganda” is used only in relation to the Chinese government, it becomes merely “a smear word.” </p> <p><strong><span class="has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color">Both </span></strong><span class="has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color"><strong>Terrorism and Documentaries Can Function as</strong> <strong>Propaganda</strong></span></p> <p>A news story about the controversy surrounding a new Canadian documentary, “Les Rose” explains <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/06/world/canada/quebec-rose-october-crisis.html?searchResultPosition=1">the work of filmmaker Felix Rose</a>, whose father had been leader of a violent Canadian extremist group, the Front de Liberation du Quebec (F.L.Q.). Journalist Dan Bilevsky points out that critics have claimed that the new documentary “turns murderers into heroes,” whitewashing history in ways that downplay the historical crisis of the early 1970s, a period of time with so much violent conflict that armed soldiers patrolled the streets of Montreal. In their efforts to seek independence, F.L.Q. activists engaged in kidnapping and murder even as other activist groups pursued peaceful change through legal action. </p> <p>In making the film, the filmmaker wanted to better understand his own father’s actions, so the film is highly sympathetic to the F.L.Q. In those times, French-speaking Quebecois faced profound discrimination. One of the most powerful quotes in the story comes from the filmmaker, who notes, “My father told me that kidnapping a man was a way to be heard because he no longer had a voice.” </p> <p>The NYT journalist doesn’t use the word “propaganda” as he describes the film’s many errors of omission. But the article actually touches upon two different forms that propaganda can take. First of all, terrorism is itself a form of propaganda. In the 19th century, anarchists discovered that publicizing violent acts of retaliation turns such actions into propaganda that influences public opinion and promotes social change. They called acts of terrorism “propaganda of the deed.” </p> <p>Secondly, documentary film can function as propaganda by framing social issues and events from a particular limited point of view. “Advocacy documentary” is the term generally applied to films that are produced independently, outside the orbit of commercial or public TV marketplace, that bring points of view that are often countercultural or that challenge authoritative accounts. While documentary scholars emphasize the “truth-telling” values at the heart of the genre, advocacy documentaries are highly personal in nature, using selective emphasis and omission to capture the filmmaker’s understanding of social reality. As a result, advocacy documentaries are commonly criticized by journalists for failing to tell “the whole truth.”</p> <p>On the subject of film propaganda produced in the United States, it’s worth noting that <em>The New York Times </em>seems to avoid the use of the word “propaganda” even in the most extreme cases where the term is obviously appropriate. For example, in 2018, a NYT reporter attended a screening of <em>Death of a Nation</em>, a film by Dinesh D’Souza that <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/17/us/politics/dinesh-dsouza-death-of-a-nation.html?searchResultPosition=6">compares Democrats to Nazis</a> and blames illegal immigrants, minority groups, and the news media for our nation’s woes. In this somewhat lighthearted(!?) article, I find it truly shocking that no mention of the term is made. Why does <em>The New York Times</em> not call such films for what they are? </p> <p><strong><span class="has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color">Public Service Messages are Beneficial Propaganda</span></strong></p> <p>In an NYT op-ed entitled, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/07/opinion/covid-public-health-messaging.html?searchResultPosition=1">“It’s Time to Scare People About Covid,”</a> Dr. Elizabeth Rosenthal reviews a variety of upbeat and positive messages about people coming together to fight the coronavirus, noting how boring and bland they are. Then she points out how it may be more effective to use fear to change people’s behavior, by “showing in a straightforward and graphic way what can happen with the virus.” </p> <p>The word “propaganda” is not used in this editorial, but Rosenthal certainly describes it well. She conjures up imaginary health messages that depict people struggling to free themselves from the ventilator, tethered to an ICU bed, with tubes in the groin. Could such terrifying images of medical care be more effective in getting people to stop feeling that they are immune from the risks of infection? </p> <p>Personally, I doubt that depicting medical care as frightening would produce the change in behavior that Dr. Rosenthal seeks — and it might even backfire, leading people to avoid going to the hospital. Professional propagandists know that activating fear is a strategy that must be used with extreme care. It cannot be done lightly. Perhaps the medical <em>symptoms</em> could be make to look scary — but the medical <em>procedures</em> used to heal people should not be depicted in ways that induce fear. This editorial would have benefitted from some additional reading and research on propaganda, that’s for certain. How did it ever get published? Could NYT editors themselves have some blinkered preconceptions about propaganda that limit their editorial judgment?</p> <p>Journalists at elite newspapers have the power to broaden public understanding of propaganda, shifting away from the purely negative connotations of the term. I can imagine that NYT editors, acknowledging the negative connotation of the word, are cautious about its use. But when propaganda can be found in politics, news and information, marketing, activism, education, and entertainment, it seems odd to restrict the use of the term only as a metaphor for poison. It’s time to honor the deeper complexities at work in the ways in which propaganda reflects complex power dynamics at work in efforts to shape and control public opinion. </p> <p><strong>Propaganda is essential for societies because it serves as a form of social glue that binds us to others.</strong> As the American Historical Association explained back in 1944, propaganda, <a href="https://www.historians.org/about-aha-and-membership/aha-history-and-archives/gi-roundtable-series/pamphlets/em-2-what-is-propaganda-(1944)/the-story-of-propaganda">“In its origins ‘propaganda’ is an ancient and honorable word.”</a> Because we are attracted to propaganda that aligns with our pre-existing beliefs and values, we might not recognize unifying propaganda that takes the form of aphorisms or truisms about our democracy. Because of the negative connotation, we have a blind spot in recognizing and respecting beneficial propaganda that builds consensus. Only with a broader, less negative conceptualization of the term can activists and change agents take epistemic responsibility for their identity as “positive propagandists.” As we do this honestly and with integrity, we can work together to de-polarize our communication behavior. </p> <p><strong>But we must stop perpetuating the myth that people are victimized by propaganda.</strong> Propaganda requires the willingness of the listener, reader, or viewer to participate in the meaning-making process. Propaganda does not work without our active participation. Because we are not wholly independent in how we evaluate propaganda, it might seem like groups of people are “brainwashed.” But all of us are situated within our particular time and place in culture. All of us have a partial and incomplete view of reality. The study of propaganda’s harms and benefits requires reflection on the significance of the interpretive frames that are constructed by individuals, culture and society. When propaganda ceases to be used as a smear word, someday, I hope, we can honor our identities as proud propagandists — as people who try to use the power of communication to make a difference in the world. </p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://mediaedlab.com/2020/12/09/propaganda-everywhere/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>1</slash:comments> <media:thumbnail url="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/propaganda-everywhere.jpg" /> <media:content url="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/propaganda-everywhere.jpg" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">propaganda-everywhere</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://1.gravatar.com/avatar/4da0d826b1931cf4ff25ebd7773eb84edf748e3c653f7f72799c9a86d6afe222?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">reneehobbs2007</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://mediaeducationlab.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/propaganda-everywhere.jpg?w=512" medium="image" /> </item> </channel></rss> If you would like to create a banner that links to this page (i.e. this validation result), do the following:
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