Group items tagged

Some interesting short films here for class use or blog material. "At Updoc, we devote time, energy and creative juices to making films that have nothing to do with corporate sponsorships, but while the whoring trend runs rampant, make no mistake about it, we are all bed partners. You will find plenty of reference to products and corporations throughout many of our films. They are included to illustrate what's behind corporate backing, that the majority of the film industry would prefer you didn't know. The difference between Updoc Films and ninety nine percent of the film-making industry is that we refuse to allow product placement to infiltrate our work. We are not a cog in the wheel. We do not hide behind the notion that these expensive and carefully placed advertisements are a natural part of life and should be included on an average of every three minutes for your viewing pleasure. We won't do that to you. We're different; the kind of different that won't leave you groping for your soul in twenty years. We like sleeping at night."

"Annually, Frank Baker's Media Literacy Clearinghouse offers an updated compilation of resources on his Using Super Bowl Ads in the Classroom.  He shares lesson plans, media literary materials, news articles and streaming video, reminding us that educators can legally record and use Super Bowl ads in instruction. For me, Frank's reminder comes right on the heels of an exciting session I attended at Educon-The Closer Citizen: Linking Close Reading to a Careful Analysis Of Media and Our Lives."

"These outlets, as usual,  omitted the rather awkward fact that this "ISIS plot" did not actually involve anyone in ISIS: At no point was there any material contact between anyone in ISIS and the Edmond cousins. There was, as the criminal complaint  lays out, lots of contact between the Edmond cousins and what they thought was ISIS, but at no point was there any contact with ISIS-the designated terror organization that the US is currently launching airstrikes against. This distinction may seem like semantics, but it's actually quite important when trying to accurately inform the public-only 40 percent of whom read past the headlines-about the reality of the ISIS threat vs. the fear-inducing media spectacle that so often inflates it."

"The videos demonstrate the process of facilitating group learning about media literacy. Students are prompted to think critically about all media messages by asking questions such as: * Who produced this media message, and for what purpose? * Is the information credible, how would you know? * What techniques were used to communicate this message? * Who might be the target audience? * Who might benefit or be harmed by this message? * How might other people interpret this message differently? As shown in the videos, teachers respond with evidence-based prompts such as: "What makes you say that and where is that shown in the document?" These literacy principles are often preceded by content questions that encourage students to analyze media documents, including: * What are the main messages here about… (fill in the blank)? * What bias or point of view do you see here? * What information is left out of this message and why? Project Look Sharp developed these materials after assessing how some teachers present media documents to illustrate key points rather than to engage students. The videos include running annotations that explain how to conduct discussions about media messages using the constructivist methodology. Teachers will learn how to shift their practices from predominantly delivering facts to engaging students in rigorous analysis, application of key knowledge, and reflection on their understanding of the mediated world they live in."

"A new comprehensive study, conducted by The Media Insight Project, shows that trust and reliability in news can be broken down into specific factors that publishers can put into action and consumers can recognize. The study also finds that in the digital age, several new factors largely unexamined before - such as the intrusiveness of ads, navigability, load times, and having the latest details - also are critical in determining whether consumers consider a publisher competent and worthy of trust. The specific factors that lead people to trust and rely on a news source also vary by topic, the study finds. How much consumers value a specific component related to trust depends, for instance, on whether they are seeking news about politics or traffic and weather, let alone lifestyle. On some topics, consumers rate in‑depth reporting and expert sources more highly. In others, ease of use is of higher value. For still others, being entertained is more important. And in social media, consumers are fairly skeptical of content and want cues of trustworthiness such as clear identification of the original reporting source."

"One solution to the problem of cross-media ownership dominating an entire media landscape in Britain and across the world is incorporating a one media owner per one media outlet policy. I have continued to support this idea for media reform but it was fascinating to hear other solutions discussed at an all-day event called the Media Democracy Festival in London last month. "The problem is independent voices are rarely heard. It is essential that we protect journalists working with big corporations - who are put under editorial pressures - if we are to reach media freedom". Natalie Fenton, founder of Media Reform Coalition (MRC) and -professor of media and communications made this point in her speech at the event hosted by the MRC and Goldsmiths University. Her speech was one amongst many made by campaigners, academics and journalists, all there to answer the event's central question: How can we create a more democratic media?"

"Logan Paul's controversial dead body video is a watershed moment in YouTube's effort to grapple with a vast content moderation problem."

"Here are a selection of statements based on examples from a Facebook training document and real-world comments found on social media. Most readers will find them offensive. But can you tell which ones would run afoul of Facebook's rules on hate speech?"

"It started as a viral tweet and video clip and ended in a political firestorm."

"A suspended Twitter account appears to have help spread video of a controversial encounter between a group of Catholic school boys and a Native American elder."

"Accounts vary of what happened when students faced an Native American elder in Washington. Steve Inskeep talks to Adam Benforado, author of Unfair who argues camera angles undermine our legal system."

Teens reveal perceptions and impact of misinformation - from PBS NewsHour

"Social media often catches blame for increasing political polarization in the United States. Does it deserve that reputation? A new study from New York University's Stern Center for Business and Human Rights finds that it does. "We conclude that Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are not the original or main cause of rising U.S. political polarization, a phenomenon that long predates the social media industry. But use of those platforms intensifies divisiveness and thus contributes to its corrosive consequences," the report says. Without internal or government reforms, the researchers say, partisan hatred will continue to have "dire consequences," including further trust lost in institutions, the continued proliferation of misinformation and more real-world violence like the Jan. 6 insurrection. The researchers recommend several ways to reform social media, including investing in alternative social media platforms, empowering the Federal Trade Commission to enforce standards and tweaking algorithms to stop rewarding inflammatory content."