Real Communication An Introduction

550 Appendix B   Understanding Mass and Mediated Communication

Becoming a More Mindful Media Consumer

Media scholars argue that the way to avoid or counteract negative media

effects is by becoming media literate (Potter, 2008; Potter & Byrne, 2009).

This means developing an understanding of your own media habits and critically

evaluating and analyzing media sources and messages. To become media literate,

you should practice the following skills.

Monitor Your Media Use and Exposure

Like counting calories or carbohydrates, being aware of what you consume can

end up making you consume less or at least make wiser choices about your me-

dia diet. Parents often find that if they limit the hours per day or week of their

children’s “screen time” (TV, video games, Internet use), children tend to be

much more selective in their media choices. Monitoring your own media use—

including what you read or watch intentionally as well as the peripheral messages

you are exposed to along the way—encourages you to take more responsibility

for your exposure to media messages.

Consider the Source of Media Messages

Remember that every message you receive has a source, and it’s your job to ques-

tion its credibility. If you understand the biases and goals of media sources—

from advertisers and journalists to filmmakers and bloggers—you will be in a

better position to know whether to resist or accept their messages. Bear in mind

the economics of media, and think about how the business of mass communica-

tion might affect the messages you receive. And remember to be just as critical

with material that supports your views as you are with material that does not.

Be Aware of Media Effects

Bear in mind how the media effects we discussed earlier in the chapter influence

the way you receive, interpret, and react to media messages. Which media mes-

sages do you choose to attend to, and which do you tend to ignore? Do the mes-

sages you choose tend to change or reinforce your opinions on specific issues?

Do you think that you are more immune to media effects than others?

Understand the Grammar of Media

Media each have a grammar—a set of rules and conventions that dictates how

they operate. When you grow up with a medium, you often take for granted some

of this grammar: you learned pretty early that the television screen going wavy is a

sign of a flashback or dream sequence. But it is also useful to pay attention to other

forms of television and Internet grammar, such as how news media arrange their vi-

sual clips to maximize emotional impact. Understanding media conventions helps

you recognize the limitations of media, so that you can better separate, for example,

TV sitcom logic from real-life situations. You can also better appreciate the genres

Are you media literate? Do

you critique what you read,

hear, and watch—or is most

of it just background noise

to you? Do you think that

the media you choose not to

attend to might have some

effect on you?

AND YOU?

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