The Media

Click on each question to check your answer.

1. What did Marshall McLuhan mean by the medium is the message?

Answer: With this phrase, McLuhan meant that the content of the message wasn’t as important as the vessel carrying the message. The physical or psychological effects of the vessel differ depending on its form. The vessel, in other words, carrying the message affects how we experience the world, how we interact with others, and how we process and communicate the information contained in the message. McLuhan argued that the medium’s properties are just as influential on the individual and society as the contents of the message carried by the medium.

2. What is the difference between idea diversity and demographic diversity?

Answer: Although both idea diversity and demographic diversity are affected by media concentration, they refer to two different diversities affected by media concentration. Idea diversity refers to the range of viewpoints expressed in the media. Demographic diversity is a question of representation, too, but not of ideas, of human bodies. This is because demographic diversity refers to how the media represents and addresses the interests of a diversity of people from a variety of races, genders, sexualities, and classes.    

3. What is the digital divide?

Answer: The digital divide refers to the inequality evident in societies when it comes to accessing and using information and communication technology. Within societies there is differential access to these technologies in terms of individuals, households, and geographic areas at different socio-economic levels. Between countries, which is referred to as the global digital divide, is a measure of information and communication technology access and use across countries. 

4. What is media literacy and why is it important?

Answer: Media literacy is defined as an educational tool that individuals can use to analyze and evaluate the messages they receive from the media. Media literacy encourages individuals to think critically about the media they are consuming, an important consideration given the research on violence in the media and the pervasive way it influences behaviours and feelings in human societies. Failure to develop our media literacy skills will potentially leave human societies susceptible to more violence in the future.

5. What are the three stages of media literacy education?

Answer: The first stage in a media literacy education is to become aware of one’s own media diet by thinking about the media one consumes daily. Everything from advertisements to films or radio songs should be considered. The second stage of media literacy education is to learn specific skills of critical viewing, which requires an analysis of what’s there and what’s missing in the media you are consuming. The third stage is to question who is behind the media you are consuming and who is responsible for the messages in the media.

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