A recent conference held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, brought to the attention of communication practitioners the importance of the concept of media literacy - the ability to sift through, and analyse media messages for truthfulness and accuracy. Lynda Bardfield, the Associate Director for Strategic Communication with Family Health International (FHI), gave the paper, entitled Linking behaviours: a challenge for strategic communication professionals at the practicum on alcohol, gender and HIV, organised by the African Network for Strategic Communication in Health and Development (AfriComNet). Over 80 experts in the fields of advocacy, mass media, interpersonal media and HIV counselling attended the practicum.

According to According to Bardfield, it is important for young people to learn the concept of media literacy as a means of deciphering truth for themselves, especially when they ‘read’ media messages. This is because media organisations often have an agenda to make as much profit as possible, thereby promoting lifestyles that sell, but might prove to be risky (for instance, sexual promiscuity and alcoholism). Media literacy is therefore a tool that enables audiences to ask pertinent questions about what they view, read or listen to, and ask questions about what lies behind media productions— the motives, the money, the values and the ownership.

• In the United States, media literacy is widely taught to youths, and is even included in many of the high schools’ curricula as a course. Would this be a relevant course for Africa’ s youth in light of the fact that most are not exposed as widely to the mass media? Or is it more relevant in the African context where most youth gain their only knowledge about sex and lifestyle habits from their peers and the media – and not the family unit?

• Can media literacy be integrated into media courses for students and practising journalists as a means of encouraging individual readings of media messages and issues around HIV?

• The commonly agreed role of journalists is to be objective and unbiased in their reporting. Can the concept of media literacy when reporting on issues be used to highlight the fact that many factors – political, social, economic, and otherwise – go into the development of messages, even those that are ultimately meant to serve the public interest. 

Sources

1. http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/teachers/media_literacy/what_is_media_literacy.cfm
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_literacy
3. http://www.ofcom.org.uk/advice/media_literacy/
4. http://interact.uoregon.edu/medialit/MLR/home/