What is media literacy

Media literacy is a set of competencies that allow individuals to analyze, evaluate, interpret, and create media, while understanding how media shapes social, political, and cultural realities.

Why is media literacy political?

Media literacy is political because media itself isn’t neutral, it reflects power structures, ideologies, and institutional interests. Understanding media means recognizing how it can reinforce or challenge systems of power and inequality.

How does media literacy support democracy?

Media literacy allows people to become active, informed citizens who can critically evaluate information, challenge dominant perspectives, and participate in public discourse. Without media literacy, people are more vulnerable to manipulation and misinformation.

How do you analyze media using media literacy?

Ask:

who created this and why?

What values or biases are present?

What is missing or excluded?

Who benefits from this message?

This shows critical thinking.

What counts as media?

Media includes both texts (videos, posts, articles, AI responses) and technologies (platforms, algorithims, AI systems)

analyze both, and not just content.

What changed in media literacy over time?

1.0: focused on analyzing mass media (tv, ads, films)

2.0 includes participation, creation, and digital platforms

today = interactive + algorithm-driven media

Why can AI be analyzed as media?

Ai produces content (text,answers, summaries), meaning it functions as a media system that shapes knowledge and percption. Therefore, it must be analyzed like any other media source.

Why does AI produce misinformation?