Skip main navigation

New offer! Get 30% off one whole year of Unlimited learning. Subscribe for just £249.99 £174.99. New subscribers only. T&Cs apply

Find out more

Why study media literacy?

Why is it important to know about media literacy? In this article, Dr Rebecca Beirne highlights the pervasiveness of media in the 21st century.
Photo of man reading the news on a tablet
© Unsplash
In the 21st century, media surrounds us. From social media to advertising, digital radio to video streaming, newspapers to blogs, we are constantly receiving, and sometimes also sending, messages. Just like we learn to read written text (literacy) we need to learn to ‘read’ media messages in order to help us to be in charge of our own interpretations.

Media provides a framework for understanding the media and helps enable us to interpret and evaluate media messages for ourselves. Media literacy skills are closely related to critical thinking skills, as they challenge us to think more deeply about not only what we see, but what we know.

Consider

What are some of the reasons people might have to or want to learn more about the media? Engage with this question in the discussion below.


© The University of Newcastle, Australia
This article is from the free online

Understanding Media: Introduction to Critical Media Literacy

Created by
FutureLearn - Learning For Life

Reach your personal and professional goals

Unlock access to hundreds of expert online courses and degrees from top universities and educators to gain accredited qualifications and professional CV-building certificates.

Join over 18 million learners to launch, switch or build upon your career, all at your own pace, across a wide range of topic areas.

Start Learning now