Skip to Main Content

English 201 Madsen Research Guide: Media Literacy

Information on source types and evaluating information for English 201

Media Literacy

"Media literacy is:

  • the ability to access, analyze, create and act using all forms of communication
  • the ability to access, share and create media across multiple formats and platforms while utilizing critical thinking skills to evaluate the purpose and potential impact of the material
  • understanding how various groups are represented in the media, including whose stories are highlighted and whose are marginalized
  • understanding media ownership structures and its impact on what we see

News literacy is:

  • one part of media literacy
  • the ability to judge the reliability and credibility of news reports" (ALA 7)

Information Literacy

"Information literacy is:

  • the ability to realize when information is needed
  • the ability to locate, analyze and use effectively the needed information
  • knowing how to find the information needed for any task or decision at hand
  • the ability to think critically about varying types of information and analyze whether it is the right information for the intended purpose" (ALA 7)

Work Cited

For definitions, key topics, resources, and overall organization of the Media Literacy pages I am indebted to:

(ALA) American Library Association. “Media Literacy in the Library: A Guide for Library Practitioners.” Nov. 2020, https://www.ala.org/sites/default/files/tools/content/%21%20Media-Lit_Prac-Guide_FINALWEB_112020_0.pdf Accessed 21 January 2021.