Comprehensive Media, Communication, and Information Literacy Overview

Communication

The act or process of using words, sounds, signs, or behaviors to express or exchange information, ideas, thoughts, feelings, etc.

Sender

Source of the message; converts thoughts into symbols/signals.

Receiver

Recipient; interprets symbols into thoughts.

Message

Ideas or thoughts transmitted from sender to receiver.

Channel

Medium connecting sender and receiver (e.g., air, microphone).

Noise

Anything reducing the quality of the signal (garbled sound, low volume, echo).

Feedback

Message from receiver in response to the sender.

Verbal Communication

Oral or written communication.

Non-verbal Communication

Signs, symbols, colors, gestures, body language, facial expressions.

Person-to-Person Communication

Face-to-face interaction.

Mass Communication

Delivery of messages to large, diverse audiences through media.

Media

Main ways large numbers of people receive info (TV, radio, newspapers, internet).

Physical Media

Physical objects used to communicate; credible sources with editorial accountability.

Means of Distributing Messages

Means of distributing texts/messages to a mass audience.

Indirect Communication

Used to communicate indirectly; provides channels for representation.

Print Media

Includes newspapers, magazines, billboards.

Broadcast Media

Includes radio and TV.

Information

Broad term covering data, knowledge, signals, symbols.

Communication Process Models

Frameworks that describe how communication occurs.

Lasswell's Model

Linear model: 'Who says what to whom, through what medium, and with what effect?'

Shannon & Weaver Model

Adds the concept of noise (physiological, semantic, environmental, internal).

David Berlo's SMCR Model

Open process; sender and receiver interpretation depends on knowledge, attitudes, social system, culture.

Osgood-Schramm Model

Circular model; both sender and receiver encode/decode, equal partners.

Media Literacy

Understanding & using mass media critically and effectively.

Information Literacy

Recognizing information needs; locating, evaluating, using, communicating information in various formats.

Technology Literacy

Using digital technology, tools, networks to locate, evaluate, use, create information.

Media & Information Literate Individual

An individual who poses questions, evaluates arguments, distinguishes facts/inferences/opinions, handles complex problems, gives/receives criticism, thinks beyond first impressions, and presents complex positions clearly.

Importance of MIL for Citizens

Enables individuals to make informed decisions, learn about the world, build community, maintain public discourse, and engage in lifelong learning.

Data

Unstructured facts that become information when contextualized or categorized.

Knowledge

Understanding derived from experience, learning, and thinking.

CILIP Skills

Skills required for information literacy including need for information, resources available, how to find information, evaluate results, work with results, ethics/responsibility of use, communicate/share findings, and manage findings.

Ethical Use

The responsible use of information, including privacy, accuracy, and avoiding plagiarism.

Privacy

The principle of avoiding sharing private information on accessible media.

Accuracy

The necessity to ensure correctness of information.

Plagiarism

Using others' words or ideas as one's own.

Typology

Categories of information including Factual/Analytical, Subjective/Objective, Current/Historical, Scholarly/Popular, Primary/Secondary/Tertiary, Stable/Unstable.

Information Literate Individual

An individual who can determine the extent of needed information, access it efficiently, evaluate it, integrate it, use it for a purpose, understand surrounding issues, and access/use ethically.

Lead (Print Media)

The most important information in a print article, typically around 30 words and may include a hook.

Body (Print Media)

The section of a print article that contains crucial information such as arguments, controversies, details, quotes, and photos.

Tail (Print Media)

Extra related information in a print article, which may include blogs, columns, and editorials.

Attributes of Broadcast Media

Includes a conversational style, short sentences (1 idea each), familiar words, and reading aloud for flow.

Online Media

Combines text, audio, and video, and includes clickable related links.

Radio

A form of broadcast media that includes AM (amplitude modulation) and FM (frequency modulation).

Television

A form of broadcast media that transmits visual and sound content.

Film

Motion pictures shown in theaters.

Internet

A global electronic communications network, representing new media.

Prehistoric Age

The period from 1500 BC to 1500 AD characterized by oral language and communication forms such as carvings and pictographs.

Industrial Age

The period from the 1700s to the 1930s marked by a shift to a machine-based economy and inventions like the printing press and telegraph.

Electronic Age

The period from the 1930s to the 1980s characterized by the advent of transistors enabling radios, TVs, and early computers.

Information Age

The current era where digital technology and the internet are integrated into daily life.

Traditional Media

Media that is one-directional with no direct feedback, including radio, TV, newspapers, and books.

New Media

Media that is interactive, allows audience feedback, and integrates aspects of traditional media.