Media education (the term generally used in the
United Kingdom; in the U.S. “media literacy” is more
common) is “the knowledge, skills, and competencies
required in order to use and interpret media”
(Buckingham, 2003, p. 36). Hobbs states that “most
conceptualizations of media literacy now involve a
type of ‘critical’ literacy based on reflection, analysis,
and evaluation, not only of the content and structural
elements of specific media texts but of the social, economic,
political, and historical contexts in which messages
are created, disseminated, and used by audiences”
(Hobbs, 2005, p. 866). In a textbook widely
used in college classes, Potter writes, “Taking control
is what media literacy is all about. Becoming more
media literate gives you a much clearer perspective to
see the border between your real world and the world
manufactured by the media. When you are media literate,
you have clear maps to help you navigate better
in the media world so that you can get to those experiences
and information you want without becoming
distracted by those things that are harmful to you