Media and Information Literacy and AI Full Course Review

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering Media and Information Literacy, communication theories, AI ethics, intellectual property, and media production stages.

Media Literacy

The ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media in various forms such as TV, films, social media posts, and advertisements.

Information Literacy

The ability to recognize when information is needed and to locate, evaluate, and effectively communicate that information.

Technology Literacy

The ability to use technology responsibly and effectively to access, manage, create, and share information.

Media and Information Literacy (MIL)

A combination of media, information, and technology literacies that enables individuals to think critically and participate actively in society.

The medium is the message

A concept by Marshall McLuhan stating that the way a message is delivered (the medium) is just as important as the content of the message itself.

Access (MIL Step 1)

The first step of MIL involving finding and receiving information through various channels like the internet, TV, or newspapers.

Understand (MIL Step 2)

The stage of MIL where one asks what a message is saying and verifies its accuracy through research.

Evaluate (MIL Step 3)

The stage of MIL where one assesses the reliability, bias, and trustworthiness of the content.

Create (MIL Step 4)

The final step of MIL involving responding by sharing information, creating content, or taking action based on informed judgment.

Media Construction

The core concept that media messages are not direct reflections of reality but are carefully created by people who choose what to include and leave out.

Creative Techniques

Methods used by media creators, such as camera angles, music, colors, and editing, to influence audience emotions and attract attention.

Media Interpretations

The concept that different people may understand the same media message differently based on their age, culture, experiences, and beliefs.

Media Values and Viewpoints

The idea that every media message reflects certain beliefs, perspectives, and ideologies, and is never completely value-free.

Commercial Media Motives

The concept that media is often created for profit or power, with advertisers often buying access to audiences who effectively become the product.

Personalized Content

Content recommended by AI, such as videos or news articles, based on a user's specific online activity and preferences.

Filter Bubbles

A personalized information environment created by algorithms that limits exposure to diverse viewpoints and reinforces existing beliefs.

AI-Generated Content

Media such as deepfake videos, AI-generated images, or articles that can make it difficult to distinguish between real and fake information.

Media Effects

The intended or unintended consequences of media on individuals and society, such as influencing voting behavior or reinforcing stereotypes.

Causality in Media

A relationship where $A$ causes $B$ only if $A$ changes and $B$ changes, $A$ changes before $B$, and $B$ changes specifically because of $A$.

Theory

An organized set of concepts and explanations that helps us understand human experiences.

Post-Positivist Theory

A type of communication theory focused on scientific observation and research.

Cultural Theory

A type of communication theory focused on understanding culture through communication.

Critical Theory

A type of communication theory that examines power, inequality, and oppression.

Normative Theory

A type of communication theory that explores how media should ideally operate.

Magic Bullet / Hypodermic Needle Theory

An early direct effects theory suggesting media messages are 'injected' directly into a passive and easily influenced audience.

Minimal / Limited Effects Phase

A research phase suggesting media influence is limited by factors like age, education, personality, and social environment.

Two-Step Flow Theory

The idea that media does not influence everyone directly, but flows from media to 'opinion leaders' who then influence the general public.

Uses and Gratifications Theory

A theory stating that audiences are active and choose media based on specific needs like entertainment, information, or social connection.

Agenda-Setting Theory

A theory suggesting that media doesn't tell people what to think, but tells them what to think about by setting public priorities.

Spiral of Silence Theory

A theory stating that people with unpopular opinions stay silent due to fear of social isolation, allowing popular opinions to appear even more dominant.

Cultivation Theory

The idea that long-term media exposure shapes a person's view of reality, often making them believe the world is more like what is shown on screen.

Mean World Syndrome

A specific belief stemming from Cultivation Theory where people think the world is more violent and threatening than it actually is due to media exposure.

Cybernetic Tradition

A view of communication as a system of information processing, feedback, and control.

Feedback

Information returned to a system that helps it adjust, such as an algorithm noticing a user's likes and showing more similar content.

Shannon and Weaver Model

A communication model involving a source, message, channel, receiver, and noise.

Noise

Anything that interferes with communication, such as a poor internet connection or physical distractions.

Echo Chamber

A digital environment or community where people mostly encounter and repeat opinions similar to their own.

Technological Singularity

A hypothetical future point where intelligence greater than human intelligence is created, potentially through superintelligent AI.

Existential Threat

A danger that could threaten humanity's survival, such as uncontrolled superintelligent AI or nuclear war.

Intellectual Property (IP)

Legal protection for creations of the mind, providing creators with ownership, recognition, and economic rights.

Patent

Exclusive rights granted for an invention that must be new, inventive, and industrially applicable.

Copyright

Legal protection for original creative works like books, songs, and films, which in the Philippines exists automatically upon creation.

Public Domain

Works that are free for everyone to use because their copyright has expired or they were never protected.

Fair Use

A legal doctrine allowing limited use of copyrighted material for purposes like education, criticism, commentary, or research.

Cybersecurity

The protection of digital systems, networks, and information from threats like hackers, malware, and data theft.

User Authentication

The process of verifying a user's identity, which AI improves through typing patterns and biometric data like face or iris scans.

Human-in-the-Loop

An approach where humans remain involved in AI decision-making to provide ethical judgment, flexibility, and context.

Genre

A category or classification of media based on familiar stories, characters, and situations.

Film Noir

A film genre characterized by dark visuals, shadows, crime stories, and themes of moral ambiguity and fatalism.

Avant-Garde

An experimental film style that breaks traditional rules for artistic expression.

Documentary

A film that attempts to document reality by focusing on real people, events, and issues.

Expository Mode

A documentary style where a narrator speaks directly to the audience to explain events.

Observational Mode

A 'fly-on-the-wall' documentary style where the camera simply observes with little or no interaction.

Reflexive Mode

A documentary style that draws attention to the filmmaking process itself.

Semiotics

The study of signs and meanings, analyzing how everything seen can communicate information.

Signifier

The physical form of a sign, such as the image of a red rose.

Signified

The meaning attached to a signifier, such as 'love' or 'romance' for a red rose.

Pre-Production

The planning stage of filmmaking involving casting, location scouting, budgeting, and scheduling.

Post-Production

The stage where raw footage is edited and elements like sound design, visual effects, and music are added.

Short-Form Videos

Fast-paced, visually engaging media typically lasting between $15\text{ seconds}$ and $3\text{ minutes}$, common on TikTok and Reels.

Homogenization

A risk of AI algorithms where content begins looking and sounding the same because creators follow the same algorithmic preferences.

Primary Sources

Original or firsthand information like diaries, interviews, and original documents.

Secondary Sources

Interpretations or analyses of primary information, such as textbooks and research papers.

Tertiary Sources

Summaries or guides that point to other sources, like encyclopedias or bibliographies.

Local and Indigenous Knowledge

Knowledge developed by communities over long periods, often passed down through oral traditions.

Alternative Media

Independent media organizations that challenge mainstream perspectives and offer viewpoints not commonly seen in major outlets.

CRAAP Test

A method for evaluating information based on Currency, Relevance, Accuracy, Authority, and Purpose.

Archive

A place where important permanent records, historical documents, and artifacts are preserved.

Misinformation

False information shared unintentionally without the intent to cause harm.

Disinformation

False information shared deliberately with the intent to deceive or harm.

Mal-information

True or factual information used maliciously to cause harm, such as leaking private data.

Networked Disinformation

An organized system using fake accounts, influencers, and troll farms to spread political deception.

Artificial Hallucinations

A phenomenon where AI confidently generates false information, fake statistics, or nonexistent sources.

Technological Determinism

The theory that technology is the primary force shaping society, human behavior, and communication.

Numerical Representation

The principle that new media is composed of digital code (numbers), making it programmable.

Modularity

The new media principle where digital objects consist of independent pieces (like images and text on a webpage) that form a whole.

Transcoding

The principle that digital media exists on both a cultural layer (human meaning) and a computer layer (technical code).

Narrow AI

AI designed to perform one specific task, such as Siri, ChatGPT, or Netflix recommendations.

Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)

A hypothetical level of AI that possesses human-level intelligence and can adapt to any task.

Machine Learning

A branch of AI where systems improve their performance over time by finding patterns in data.

Deep Learning

A subset of machine learning using many layers of artificial neural networks, used for image recognition and voice assistants.

Media Convergence

The merging of different media technologies (like camera, phone, and TV) into a single digital environment or device.

Cyberjournalism

Journalism specifically designed for the internet, where multimedia journalists produce content for several platforms simultaneously.

Intelligent Tutoring Systems

AI applications in education that act as tutors by providing explanations, feedback, and practice exercises.

Media Ownership

The concept pertaining to who controls the media and how ownership can influence content and perspectives.

Stereotypes in Media

Oversimplified and generalized beliefs or ideas about a group of people that are often perpetuated by media.

Social Media Literacy

The ability to use social media effectively and critically, understanding both its benefits and threats.

Digital Divide

The gap between those who have easy access to digital technology and those who do not.

Citizen Journalism

The act of ordinary individuals reporting news and information via digital platforms, often as an alternative to traditional journalism.

Participatory Culture

A culture where audiences actively engage with media, contributing to the creation and dissemination of content.

Echo Effect

The phenomenon where repeated exposure to the same ideas or content reinforces existing beliefs within a community.

Algorithmic Bias

The tendency of algorithms to reflect the biases present in their training data, influencing decisions and information delivery.

Privacy Concerns

Issues related to the protection of personal data and the rights of individuals regarding their information.

Digital Footprint

The trail of data a user leaves while online, which can be used to track activities and preferences.

Filter Bubbles

A situation in which a user’s online experience is tailored by algorithms to show only content that aligns with their interests and beliefs.

Media Regulation

Laws and policies that govern the production and distribution of media content, aiming to protect public interests.

Crisis Communication

The strategies used to communicate with the public and manage public perception during an emergency or significant event.

User-Generated Content

Content created by users of a platform or service, which can include video, blogs, comments, and reviews.

Meme Culture

The social phenomenon where ideas, behaviors, or styles spread virally through social media, often in humorous formats.

Media Literacy Curriculum

Educational programs aimed at improving individuals' ability to critically understand and engage with media.