As we continue in our special series of #K12Media chats; this week’s discussion will centre on Concept 6 from the 8 Key Concepts of Media Literacy: Media have social and political implications. Last week we discussed Key Concept 5: Media have ideological and value messages. We looked at kids’ TV and began to think about some of the messages and ideologies targeted at this age group through popular children’s television programs.
Media have many spheres of influence—political and social change can stem from shifts that occur within and because of media. The sensory input from visual and aural media, for example, can influence people’s impressions of leaders, world events, and catastrophes. New media has just as much of an impact, connecting people in ways not possible before their advent; shifting how people socialize and form connections.
As we continue in our ongoing special series of #K12Media chats; this week’s discussion will centre on Concept 5 from the 8 Key Concepts of Media Literacy: Media Contain Ideological and Value Messages. Last week was our midpoint mash-up, we discussed how audience negotiates meaning in news media (a combination of key concept #3 and discussion hot topic from week one’s discussion). This week, the focus shifts back to the text itself and flips the question: How does the text reflect or influence the values/priorities of the audience?
This week marks the halfway point in our examination of the Eight Key Concepts of Media Literacy. The discussions thusfar have provided us with much to think about. Each week, the hour seems to fly by and it seems as though we have just begun to explore the ideas generated. We thought it might be fun to use this week’s discussion to consolidate our talks thus far. The discussion topics proposed below are inspired by the concept of the mash-up. It’s a way for us to recombine the previous weeks’ concepts and topics in a fresh way, giving us a chance to revisit ideas from earlier discussions and to further expand ideas using a different framework. Vote for your favourite below and we look forward to seeing you on October 17 @ 8pm!
From OXO and Pong to NHL games and World of Warcraft, videogames have changed. From a basic black and white screen to an immersive world, it is not simply the games themselves that have changed, but (perhaps more importantly for our purposes) how audiences make meaning from those games. Even early on, games were a social experience. They gave people of all ages another way to play together using new technology.
What strikes me most about the above video is the enthusiasm of the players. These men created the game, have presumably played it many times over and, despite their best efforts to formally introduce the game, they can not help but get caught up in it. Videogames allow for a powerful connection between the audience and the media text itself, as well as other players.
As we progress through this special series of #K12Media chats, our discussion continues with a closer look at Key Concept 4 from the 8 Key Concepts of Media Literacy: Media have commercial implications. Last week we discussed how audiences can negotiate meaning, focusing on the topic of video games.
The study of media requires an awareness of how media are deeply rooted in commercial interests and how these interests affect content, technique, and distribution. Profits must be made and thus, ownership and control impact what is produced by the media we consume.
This week marks the halfway point in our examination of the 
4. Media have commercial implications