Media Literacy and Citizenship

Abstract

Students are inundated with messages via media that relate to their understandings of citizenship. Through the literature review, we find that media literacy and media education has been around for decades, with experiences ranging from watching film to creating their own content in the classroom. Through a holistic approach, this qualitative study uses student surveys and artifacts to help investigate these understandings. Findings include evidence of citizenship demonstrated by students, their beliefs about media, and how media bias impacts their interpretations of current events. In conclusion, there is still some work needed to be done in order to ensure that students have the necessary media literacy skills to help them become more justice-oriented citizens.