The Changing World of News & Opportunities for Media Literacy (May 2005)
Frank Baker, media education consultant


As of this writing, the media and journalism field is taking a hit. Consider:

- Newsweek magazine retracts a "blurb" which claimed American prison interrogators flushed the Koran down a toilet; the story prompted large protests in Afghanistan and elsewhere

-The Senate Commerce Committee holds a hearing on the Bush administration's use of "video news releases"--news stories transmitted to local US TV stations -- which advocated in support of Bush administration policies

-Blogs are exploding, challenging traditional journalism everywhere. One blog in particular claims to have helped a top CNN executive resign after comments he made were published on its blog; another challenged the CBS Evening News version of President Bush's war time service record, causing the network to retract its story, after which Dan Rather resigned as long time news anchorman

-More and more Americans under 40 don't follow the news, says journalism professor and author David Mindich.  Many of today's young people profess they don't read the newspaper daily; they'd rather get their dose of what's happening from a fake newscast: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, which airs nightly on The Comedy Channel

What does this all mean for school library media specialists and their teachers?

I'd like to think these issues (and even more reported every day) are ripe for classroom and lunchroom discussion by both educators and students.  But if our students aren't paying attention to issues, especially media issues, how will they succeed in the 21st Century world in which they live? How will they become engaged and involved in their communities?

It is generally agreed that most of us get our “news” from the media (television, radio, newspaper, Internet). But in 2005, many young people say they don’t have time to follow what is happening in the world, let alone in their own communities.

One study found that young people aren’t reading the newspaper because there is nothing relevant in it for them. Another found that few young people are getting their news from the Internet.

One study in particular: News for a new generation: can it be fun and functional? (March 2005) experimented with different web page designs for news, hoping to come up with the one design that would be visually appealing to young news consumers.

What does all this mean for library/media specialists and for “media literacy”?

I would like to suggest that as the gatekeepers of the media, one of the responsibilities for library/media specialists is to make sure newspapers are not only available but also easily integrated into instruction. Instead of discarding newspapers, perhaps you could:

- create a bulletin board devoted to one news story and an editorial about the same story

- keep a collection of news photographs clipped from papers that represent a diversity of audiences; camera angles

- encourage students to look for bias and or propaganda in writing

- challenge students to read other news sources, instead of the one newspaper your school might subscribe to

- invite news executives to talk to students about the current challenges to the journalism/media industry

- have students consider the myriad of possible career choices offered by newspapers and journalism

- start a “news club” to encourage discussion about issues/concerns

- start your own school newspaper

With the new media literacy standards for school library media specialists in place, you have the opportunity to help your teachers and your students become more “media literate.”  Using the newspaper, and all that it provides, is just one way to encourage media literacy.

As always, I would enjoy hearing from you.  My email address is:
fbaker1346@aol.com