Author: Vanessa Greenwood, Ph.D.

Professor at Montclair State University, New Jersey, USA | Research interests include media literacy, communication, education, and technology.

Just Start a Conversation

media literacy, media literacy week

The phrase media literacy has accrued a lot of mileage since 2016. It means different things to different people. Diversity of viewpoints applies just as much to the media literacy movement as it does to politics, art, economics, culture—and whether pumpkin flavoring should be added to anything other than pie.

Diversity of views is what fuels (not fumbles) the movement towards media literacy. At PLAY, we think of media literacy as a continuous (lifelong) journey rather than a destination that one finally arrives at. But such a stance can be overwhelming, we know. So, our recommendation during Media Literacy Week (Oct 21-25, 2019) is to share this 2-minute video from Media Smarts with a family member, friend, student, and/or colleague. And then talk. Together. See where the discussion leads.

Use some Common Sense during #MediaLiteracyWk

media literacy week, resources

Common Sense Media is a non-profit, non partisan organization that has been around since 2003. Common Sense caters primarily to three different constituencies: Common Sense Media (parents), Common Sense Media Education (teachers), and Common Sense Action (advocates). Its organizational mission is to “provide education and advocacy to families to promote safe technology and media for children.” While “safe use” can sometimes allude to protectionism rather than empowerment, the Common Sense web site tells otherwise (in both Spanish and English).

We at PLAY think that if there is just one new resource families can add to their media literacy toolkit to commemorate National Media Literacy Week (Oct 21-25, 2019), it should be Common Sense Media. Here are just a few reasons:

Why We Like Adam Ruining Stuff

education, media literacy, media literacy 101, media literacy education, media literacy education resources, media literacy week

TruTV describes “In Adam Ruins Everything host and investigative comedian Adam Conover embarks on a comically inventive yet unrelentingly serious quest to reveal the hidden truths behind everything you know and love. Tackling topics ranging from the workplace and voting to forensic science and security, he gives you not just fun facts to share with your friends, but information that will make you see the world in a whole new way. If knowledge is power, then Adam Conover will have you laughing all the way to the top.” “Adam Ruins Hollywood” is particularly salient to watch during the award shows season (November through March). Other episodes that tap directly into the #fakenews conversation are “Adam Ruins the Internet” and “Adam Ruins Conspiracy Theories.” We also recommend “Adam Ruins Immigration” as it taps into current (misunderstood) political controversies.Why Do We Love Adam? (Hint: He Cites His Sources) Not only does he cite his sources in each episode, but there is an entire website devoted to source documentation for each episode. We love you, Adam.

Exposing Astroturfing As Only John Oliver Can

excerpts, Healthy Teens Archive

Astroturfing is the deceptive practice of presenting an orchestrated public relations or marketing campaign under the guise of unsolicited comments from members of the public. The term originated from the artificial grass astroturf applied to an artificial  grass-roots campaign.

Astroturfing is rampant across industries that are inextricably connected to health: Food, beverages, climate, and safety, just to name a few. Oliver humorously calls out [click title to read more]

Nutrition Education: The Political Version

book content, Healthy Teens Archive, resources

The Atlantic offers an excellent conversation-starter video (5 minutes) about the myths of nutrition education that have been perpetuated throughout public schooling for decades. A food media literate person investigates the Food Pyramid with such questions as: “Whose interests are served?” “What is left out?” “Whose voices are excluded?” and “At what cost? And to whom?” [click title to read more]

McNormalizing the McNugget

excerpts, Healthy Teens Archive

Food media literacy is essential to health. Achieving both requires not just unpacking the ingredients of foods but also decoding how the messages about them are packaged and delivered for ideological consumption. McDonald’s is masterful at (among other things) feeding public demand for “behind the scenes” information to dispel rumors about their food products while at the same time downplaying their potential hazards [click title to read more]

Celling Your Soul

Healthy Teens Archive, News Events

To commemorate the 3rd Annual National Media Literacy Week (Nov 6-10) PLAY executive director and professor in the School of Communication and Media Vanessa Domine hosted a screening of Joni Siani’s documentary film Celling Your Soul (Bullfrog Films) in the new Presentation Hall in the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University. The film takes viewers on a personal journey with a group of high school and college students who through a digital “cleanse” discover the power of authentic human connectivity. Does there exist an app or piece of technology that can replace the benefits of human connection? [click title to read more]