Media Information Literacy

Audio Media

Communication relying on sound to transmit information, convey emotion, or establish context

Immediacy and Intimacy

Sound creates direct personal connection and triggers emotional engagement without visual friction

Accessibility (Audio)

Allows multitasking; primary channel for emergency environments like radio traffic updates and sirens

Spatial "Theater of the Mind"

Brain builds mental images using tone, pitch, pace, and sound effects since audio lacks visuals

WAV Format

Uncompressed; Professional standard; Retains all data but results in large files

FLAC / ALAC Format

Lossless compression; Reduces file size without data loss; Ideal for high-fidelity archiving

MP3 / AAC Format

Lossy compression; Common for streaming; Discards imperceptible data to shrink size

Opus / OGG Format

Lossy compression; Highly efficient for modern web streaming and VOIP

Lossless Compression

Reduces file size while preserving all original audio information; Audio can be reconstructed exactly

Lossy Compression

Removes audio information considered less perceptible to humans to drastically shrink file sizes

Dialogue / Voiceover

Primary vocal track delivering facts or stories

Sound Effects (SFX)

Acoustic cues (natural or artificial) that establish action or transitions like a door slam

Music / Score

Background tracks that set emotional tone; Must remain subordinate to voice tracks to avoid masking

Ambience / Natural Sound

Background noise recorded on location like crowd murmur to give a scene physical presence

Audio Masking

Raising background music or noise so high that qualifying statements or disclaimers become inaudible

Selective Splice / Decontextualization

Editing out pauses or negative words like "not" to reverse a speaker's meaning

Sensationalized SFX Layering

Adding terrifying sound effects over routine reports to induce panic

Synthetic Voice Cloning (AI Deepfake)

Using machine learning to generate fake audio clips of public figures

Persistence of Vision

Eye retains images briefly to create illusion of fluid movement at 24-30 frames per second

Selective Truncation

Cutting out context before or after a video clip to change its meaning

Speed Alteration

Slowing down video to make a subject appear intoxicated, confused, or impaired

Audio-Video Desynchronization

Slightly delaying audio so mouth movements do not match words, making speaker appear dishonest

Dark Patterns (Deceptive Interfaces)

UI designs intended to trick users like hidden subscription checkboxes or fake "X" close buttons on ads

Algorithmic Engagement Hooks

Features designed to exploit psychology to keep users hooked like infinite scrolling and automated autoplay

Synthetic Media Verification Checklist

Four-step check: Check Glitches, Check Lighting, Check Source, Check Emotion

People IN Media

Professional practitioners like journalists and anchors bound by formal ethics and institutional accountability

People AS Media

Individual citizens and content creators who act as independent channels without traditional editorial gatekeepers

Media Convergence

Merging of traditional formats (print, radio, TV) and digital technologies onto single platform like smartphone

Convergence Impact

Content moves at light speed; Often increases risk of unverified reports spreading during emergencies

Remember the Human (Digital Citizenship)

Do not post anything you wouldn't say to someone's face

Verify Before Sharing

Sharing unverified alerts during disasters is an act of civic negligence

Respect Intellectual Property

Give proper attribution and credit

Protect Digital Footprints

Recognize that every post creates a permanent record of character

Text Media Characteristics

Asynchronous processing; Low bandwidth; Most accessible during infrastructure failures

Serif Font

Features decorative "feet" like Times New Roman; Best for long-form print like textbooks

Sans-Serif Font

Clean edges without "feet" like Arial; Highly legible on digital screens

Monospace Font

Uniform character width like Consolas; Essential for code and technical data

Display Font

Stylized/artistic fonts for titles; Avoid in body text to prevent reader fatigue

Left-Aligned Text

Natural reading flow for Western scripts

Centered Text

Best for titles and invitations; Unsuitable for long paragraphs

Justified Text

Flush to both margins; Can create "rivers of white space" if spacing is poor

Raster Graphics

Pixel-based images like JPEG and PNG; Effective for photos but subject to pixelation when scaled

Vector Graphics

Math-based lines and shapes like SVG and AI; Scales infinitely; Essential for logos and diagrams

Infographics

Combined data, text, and imagery to communicate complex processes quickly

C.A.R.P. Design Framework

Contrast, Alignment, Repetition, Proximity design principles

Contrast

Using starkly different elements like dark text on light backgrounds to enhance readability

Alignment

Connecting elements to a deliberate grid line to create order

Repetition

Repeating visual choices like fonts and colors to build consistency and unity

Proximity

Grouping related items physically close together so brain recognizes them as single concept

Truncated Bar Graphs

Starting y-axis at number other than zero like 50 to make minor differences look massive

Selective Cropping

Removing context to alter perception like cropping small crowd to make it look large

Color Manipulation

Using alarmist colors like dark red for minor variations to induce panic

Symmetrical (Identical) Synergy

Spoken audio directly describes what is seen like in educational tutorials

Complementary (Additive) Synergy

Visuals show action while audio provides context or history like in documentaries

Contradictory (Dissonant) Synergy

Audio and visuals disagree; Often used for satire, propaganda, or deceptive editing

A-Roll

Primary footage like main interview or anchor

B-Roll

Secondary visuals like action shots or maps cut over audio to illustrate descriptions

Diegetic Sound

Natural audio recorded on location like rain and sirens

Non-Diegetic Sound

Added audio not present in physical scene like background music and voiceover

Audio Masking (Audio-Visual)

Background music louder than voiceover, obscuring critical instructions

Visual Misdirection

Showing dramatic archival footage of old disaster while reporting on mild current weather

Pacing Clashes

Pairing fast video edits with slow narration, creating cognitive friction