Media Literacy

Critical Thinking 

A statement by Michael Scriven & Richard Paul, presented at the 8th Annual International Conference on Critical Thinking and Education Reform, Summer 1987:

Critical thinking is 

the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness. (retrieved from criticalthinking.org)

Information Literacy 

When we learn how to develop our critical thinking skills, we become information literate. What does that mean? 

From the ALA Presidential Committee on Information Literacy: Final Report, released January 10, 1989:

"To be information literate, a person must be able to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information. ... Ultimately, information literate people are those who have learned how to learn. They know how to learn because they know how knowledge is organized, how to find information, and how to use information in such a way that others can learn from them. They are people prepared for lifelong learning, because they can always find the information needed for any task or decision at hand."

How do I become media literate?

Becoming a media literate is very similar to being an information literate. It also involves a lot of critical thinking, which will require us to not only ask questions, but also start seeing ourselves as media creators, not mere consumers. That means that, instead of "accepting" or "believing" all information we receive from the media, we will need to interact with it, acknowledge what we do not know, be curious, dig deeper and think critically. By doing that we will be able to critically evaluate an information and its reliability and credibility. As active participants in this process, we will start a conversation about that information. When that conversation happens, we become creators of the knowledge, not mere receivers.

What a media person should be able to do?

According to the Project Look Sharp, becoming media literate involves: 

• Learning how to use media wisely and effectively
• Engaging in critical thinking when evaluating media messages
• Being able to evaluate the credibility of information from different sources
• Recognizing media’s influence on beliefs, attitudes, values, behaviors, and the democratic process
• Encouraging participatory citizenship
• Achieving greater understanding and appreciating multiple perspectives
• Learning to produce communication and express oneself using different forms of media 

Developing the habit of questioning 

One way to start developing critical thinking is by developing the habit of asking questions. See the chart below for some sample questions developed by Project Sharp.