“We are being controlled. We are being force-fed lies. We don't even know it. I can't present truth, they don't allow truth, and they hide it well enough that I can't find it.” Chomsky’s words.
Media we call it! The sources that keep us updated with the events happening around the globe and spread ‘information’ everywhere. They reach to almost every single soul on the planet. We are impressed by the fact that media reaches almost everywhere in no time, and that they show us the ‘inside stories’ which seem otherwise impossible to get revealed. This, in short, gives them power to secretly herd us anywhere they want to.
And, the history bears witness, power corrupts.
Are we sure all media are true? When we witness that we are being literally flooded with information from all sides through media, shouldn’t we try to cast a critical look on news items or other snippets we are thrown at – question their authenticity?
Answers to both the questions are ‘No’ and ‘Yes’, respectively. The reason is that media influences us the most and, hence, we should not buy each and everything from them. You may ask: How to decide between what is true and what is false? Well, it merits a detailed answer and you can check it on Media-Awareness.ca – the site which has much to offer to judge objectivity in news.
This website maintains for you, along with their analysis, news, research, educational games and a body of different interesting assignments to enable you see the difference between ‘good’ and ‘evil’. For instance, the website operates on the word ‘cool’, which, I think, is the second most manipulated word after ‘terrorist’. The site gives a planned activity and a lesson-type discussion to do with the children and asks to “[R]einforce the idea that we tend to think of cool as an external thing, but the best kind of cool comes from inside.” That’s a wrap-up for you; details are on the site. I would also recommend ‘Junk for Jungle’.
It also offers you a set of activities, e.g. The Anatomy of Cool, Be a Tobacco Buster, etc. along with resources to carry out with your family and children so as to understand what actually lies underneath otherwise innocuous media messages. You can browse such activities and resources by clicking either For Teachers or For Parents, according to your respective status.
The section for teachers has a pack of information which will familiarise them with media studies, provide them developmental resources, and telling them how to handle on-campus net facilities. The last of which provides teachers to help youngsters realise importance of surfing safe. Besides, the section has a feature which is a bit more teaching related comparatively: the Lesson Library. It provides teachers option to find a lesson related to media divided in grade- and subject-wise. This would definitely be proved to be a good asset for teachers to let their students be aware of media issues.
Media means not only news and current affairs programs. Advertising, video games and movies can also be considered parts of media. And when it comes to video games and movies, the site argues, also inculcate in youth violent and deviant behaviours. Parents should move to stop their children from getting content which is violent, stereotyping and, the unfortunate of all, adult rated. We should worry because they are not only a span of a couple of hours; it’s a matter of what they’d grow up to be.
Well, a separate section has also been ‘reserved’ for girls in the site. It will provide almost the same information but with a girl-specific perspective. For example, you’ll find a small article on video games where they encourage parents to make it possible for females to buy games which either have no men and women stereotyping or are in line with their very nature – it may include, the site has it, the ones requiring problem solving or strategic skills, and involving interaction.
Although the site’s focus seems to be on youth, the site has a lot to give to adults in its researches and discussion section where they can have material suitable for their ager level. For example, they must be tempted to know ‘How to Detect Bias in the News’. Well, for all the aforementioned stuff, log on to http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/index.cfm.
