There’s one actor that tends to play a role in each US election that can sometimes seem bigger than the ones played by the candidates, the parties or even the voters: the media.
But what do we mean when we talk about either “The Liberal Media,” “The Corporate Media,” or simply “The Media,” (beyond the use of this catch-all term to refer to everything from newspapers, radio stations and television networks that have been delivering the news for decades, or the more modern Internet media that is in the process of absorbing or replacing those traditional news sources)?
To understand the role the media plays in our thinking process, we need to understand the importance of background knowledge to any critical thinking exercise. For no amount of logical or rhetorical skill can make up for not having the slightest idea of what we’re talking about. And, for better or worse, the bulk of our background knowledge of not just the election, but of anything going on in the world, comes to us via media sources.
This week’s podcast takes a look at the fundamentals of media and media literacy, and takes a close look at how the Internet is changing not just media and politics, but us (or more specifically, our brains).
This week’s resources include:
Critical Voter – Media Literacy – Quiz
Critical Voter – Media Literacy – Lesson Plan
Critical Thinker Academy on the importance of background knowledge
Book Reference: Trust Me, I’m Lying: Confessions of Media Manipulator
Book Reference: The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to our Brain
The post Critical Voter – Podcast 7 – Media Literacy appeared first on Critical Voter.