Media Literacy
The Effects of Media and Advertising
Consider the actions that people take on a daily basis. Have you ever thought about how many of those actions are deliberate, well-thought out choices versus how many are influenced by the persuasive messages and opinions of others? The goal of all media is to gain profit or power. People are bombarded with advertisements every day, but the effect they have on behavior are not always apparent. One such example that demonstrates the power of media messages and advertising on public opinion trends is the effect of tobacco advertising on the incidence of smoking in the United States.
View the video clip Tobacco, Advertising, and Cancer: Media Literacy Activities from eMediaVASM to examine the effect of mass media on human behavior through the lens of tobacco and cancer. This video clip is a part of the documentary Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies. As you view the clip, identify the causes that resulted in lower rates of lung cancer in the 21st century
Advertising Techniques
Whenever you encounter an advertisement, you should keep in mind that all media messages are constructed, and they represent specific values, viewpoints, bias, and agendas. By taking apart the media message and examining how its message is conveyed, you can better understand the whole meaning of the message. In this
interactivity, you will explore different types of persuasive techniques used in advertising. Click the player button to begin.
View a printable version of the interactivity.
The advertising techniques that you learned in this topic, such as glittering generalities and beauty appeal, are subtle persuasive tactics that appeal to emotion. However, there are even more inconspicuous advertising techniques that tap into your subconscious feelings. For example, did you know that putting informative text to the right of a product image will make you more likely to buy that item when you are shopping online? View the video clip The Psychology of Color, Emotion, and Online Shopping by Braincraft from eMediaVASM to learn how color, atmospherics, and design cues can have a psychological influence on shopping decisions.
Analyzing Media Messages
Whether a media message comes from television or film, the Internet, print media, or the radio, you should always deconstruct it in order to understand the message as a whole. Taking apart the media message involves looking at elements such as authorship, format, audience, content, and purpose. In this interactivity, you will review a checklist of elements to be examined when analyzing media messages. Click the player button to begin.
View a printable version of the interactivity.
Media in the 21st Century
Whether an advertisement, television show, or public service announcement, the evolution of media from the 20th century to the 21st century aims to more closely reflect the diversity that makes up the American population today. The authors of media messages are paying more and more attention to who their audience is in order to ensure that their message is being received as they intend.
View the video clip The New Mad Men from eMediaVASM to take a closer look at the world of advertising and how it has evolved throughout American history. Maria Hinojosa, the host of this episode of America by the Numbers, will guide you through the history of how advertisers approach American audiences, including both pitfalls and triumphs. The culmination of this multicultural transformation in the world of advertising is highlighted in three commercials that appeared in the 2014 Super Bowl broadcast, spurring numerous other brands to embrace the new age of media messages in the 21st century.
As you view the video, reflect on the following guiding questions. You will be asked recall these topics later.
- Who was the primary target consumer in the United States during the 1960s?
- What mistake do advertisers often make when attempting to include multicultural markets?
- The advertising agency LatinWorks developed a commercial featuring a llama in order to sell candy. According to the video America by the Numbers, what made the llama commercial a hit success?
Media Literacy Review
Now that you have explored important characteristics of and skills regarding media literacy, it is time to review your knowledge and practice what you have learned. In this non-graded activity, read the questions and select the appropriate answers. Click the player button to get started.