Title
THE IMPORTANCE OF TEACHING MEDIA LITERACY: A CULTURAL APPROACH TO NAVIGATING MEDIA LANDSCAPES
Date of Award
Winter 12-13-2016
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in American Studies (MAST)
Department
Interdisciplinary Studies
First Advisor
Dr. Rebecca Hill
Second Advisor
Dr. Erin Ryan
Abstract
One’s familiarity with the commonplace does not automatically equate to one’s being a discerning, savvy, or knowledgeable consumer of media in any form. Nor does it automatically result in a society of engaged Americans capable of distinguishing between fact and fiction amid the unstoppable surge of media artifacts filling their Facebook and Twitter streams. This thesis constructs an American Studies- and communication-based theoretical framework to teach media literacy to undergraduate students.