What is media literacy?

Media literacy is the ability to understand and comprehend the multiple types of media we encounter every day. Media is all around us almost all the time. We experience it through reading books, newspapers, and magazines, watching television, or listening to the radio. Media literacy is when we analyze and evaluate the media to see what the main message is that the creator wants to understand while also understanding the subliminal messages hidden within the media.

Being able to understand all the different types of media is becoming crucial in the culture we live in today. Because we are constantly experiencing so many types of media, sometimes multiple occurrences at once, we must be able to sift through all the information being thrown at us. It helps us be aware of what is going on around us and not have our ideas and opinions swayed by what the media wants.