Media and Information Literacy

INFORMATION LITERACY

 It is the ability to recognize when information is needed and to locate, evaluate, effectively use and
communicate information in its various formats.

5 COMPONENTS OF INFORMATION LITERACY

by Seminole State Library

MEDIA AND INFORMATION SOURCES

• Indigenous knowledge (IK) is the local knowledge – knowledge that is unique to a given culture or society. IK contrasts
with the international knowledge system generated by universities, research institutions and private firms. (Warren
1991)
• owned, controlled and managed by indigenous peoples in order for them to develop and produce culturally
appropriate information in the languages understood by the community by utilizing indigenous materials and
resources, reflecting community needs and interests, visions and aspirations, and independent from vested interest
groups. (Indigenous Media, Freedom of Expression and Right to Information: A S E A N S c e n a r i o, 2014)

CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIGENOUS MEDIA

• oral tradition of communication
• store information in memories
• information exchange is face-to-face
• information are contain within the border of the community

DECONSTRUCTING MEDIA MESSAGES

• The “text” of the message (These are what we actually see and/or hear: written or spoken words, photos, drawings,
logos, design, music, sounds, etc.)
• The “subtext” of the message(This is what you think the hidden or unstated meaning)

WHAT IS CRITICAL THINKING?

• Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing,
synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection,
reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action ( Scriven and Paul, 1987)
• Critical thinking is thinking about your thinking while you're thinking in order to make your thinking better (Paul,
1992)
• In essence, critical thinking requires you to use your ability to reason. It is about being an active learner rather than a
passive recipient of information.
• Critical thinkers rigorously question ideas and assumptions rather than accepting them at face value. They will always
seek to determine whether the ideas, arguments and findings represent the entire picture and are open to finding that
they do not.
• Critical thinkers will identify, analyze and solve problems systematically rather than by intuition or instinct.
• The ability to recognize fallacies of thinking is one of the fundamentals of critical thinking.

A fallacy is, very generally, an error in reasoning. This differs from a factual error, which is simply being wrong about the facts.
To be more specific, a fallacy is an "argument" in which the premises given for the conclusion do not provide the needed degree
of support. A deductive fallacy is a deductive argument that is invalid (it is such that it could have all true premises and still
have a false conclusion). An inductive fallacy is less formal than a deductive fallacy. They are simply "arguments" which appear
to be inductive arguments, but the premises do not provided enough support for the conclusion. In such cases, even if the
premises were true, the conclusion would not be more likely to be true.
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LOGICAL FALLACIES

1. Ad hominem attacks can take the form of overtly attacking somebody, or more subtly casting doubt on their
character or personal attributes as a way to discredit their argument. The result of an ad hom attack can be to
undermine someone's case without actually having to engage with it.
Example: After Sally presents an eloquent and compelling case for a more equitable taxation system, Sam asks
the audience whether we should believe anything from a woman who isn't married, was once arrested, and
smells a bit weird.
2. Strawman. By exaggerating, misrepresenting, or just completely fabricating someone's argument, it's much
easier to present your own position as being reasonable, but this kind of dishonesty serves to undermine
honest rational debate.
Example: After Will said that we should put more money into health and education, Warren responded by
saying that he was surprised that Will hates our country so much that he wants to leave it defenseless by
cutting military spending.
3. Loaded question fallacies are particularly effective at derailing rational debates because of their inflammatory
nature - the recipient of the loaded question is compelled to defend themselves and may appear flustered or
on the back foot.
Example: Grace and Helen were both romantically interested in Brad. One day, with Brad sitting within
earshot, Grace asked in an inquisitive tone whether Helen was having any problems with a drug habit.
4. Begging the question. This logically incoherent argument often arises in situations where people have an
assumption that is very ingrained, and therefore taken in their minds as a given. Circular reasoning is bad
mostly because it's not very good.
Example: The word of Zorbo the Great is flawless and perfect. We know this because it says so in The Great
and Infallible Book of Zorbo's Best and Most Truest Things that are Definitely True and Should Not Ever Be
Questioned.
5. Black-or-White. You presented two alternative states as the only possibilities, when in fact more possibilities
exist. Also known as the false dilemma, this insidious tactic has the appearance of forming a logical argument,
but under closer scrutiny it becomes evident that there are more possibilities than the either/or choice that is
presented. Binary, black-or-white thinking doesn't allow for the many different variables, conditions, and
contexts in which there would exist more than just the two possibilities put forth. It frames the argument
misleadingly and obscures rational, honest debate.
Example: Whilst rallying support for his plan to fundamentally undermine citizens' rights, the Supreme
Leader told the people they were either on his side, or they were on the side of the enemy.
6. Slippery Slope. The problem with this reasoning is that it avoids engaging with the issue at hand, and instead
shifts attention to extreme hypotheticals. Because no proof is presented to show that such extreme
hypotheticals will in fact occur, this fallacy has the form of an appeal to emotion fallacy by leveraging fear. In
effect the argument at hand is unfairly tainted by unsubstantiated conjecture.
Example: Colin Closet asserts that if we allow same-sex couples to marry, then the next thing we know we'll be
allowing people to marry their parents, their cars and even monkeys.
7. The burden of proof lies with someone who is making a claim, and is not upon anyone else to disprove. The
inability, or disinclination, to disprove a claim does not render that claim valid, nor give it any credence
whatsoever. However it is important to note that we can never be certain of anything, and so we must assign
value to any claim based on the available evidence, and to dismiss something on the basis that it hasn't been
proven beyond all doubt is also fallacious reasoning.
Example: Bertrand declares that a teapot is, at this very moment, in orbit around the Sun between the Earth
and Mars, and that because no one can prove him wrong, his claim is therefore a valid one.
8. Composition or Division. Often when something is true for the part it does also apply to the whole, or vice
versa, but the crucial difference is whether there exists good evidence to show that this is the case. Because
we observe consistencies in things, our thinking can become biased so that we presume consistency to exist
where it does not.
Example: Daniel was a precocious child and had a liking for logic. He reasoned that atoms are invisible, and
that he was made of atoms and therefore invisible too. Unfortunately, despite his thinky skills, he lost the
game of hide and go seek.
9. Bandwagon. The flaw in this argument is that the popularity of an idea has absolutely no bearing on its
validity.
If it did, then the Earth would have made itself flat for most of history to accommodate this popular belief.
Example: Shamus pointed a drunken finger at Sean and asked him to explain how so many people could
believe in leprechauns if they're only a silly old superstition. Sean, however, had had a few too many Guinness
himself and fell off his chair.
10. Appeal to Emotion. Appeals to emotion include appeals to fear, envy, hatred, pity, pride, and more. It's
important to note that sometimes a logically coherent argument may inspire emotion or have an emotional
aspect, but the problem and fallacy occurs when emotion is used instead of a logical argument, or to obscure
the fact that no compelling rational reason exists for one's position. Everyone, bar sociopaths, is affected by
Media and Information Literacy

emotion, and so appeals to emotion are a very common and effective argument tactic, but they're ultimately
flawed, dishonest, and tend to make one's opponents justifiably emotional.
Example: Luke didn't want to eat his sheep's brains with chopped liver and brussel sprouts, but his father told
him to think about the poor, starving children in a third world country who weren't fortunate enough to have
any food at all.

MEDIA AND INFORMATION LANGUAGES (GENRE, CODES AND CONVENTIONS)

What is genre?
 comes from the French word meaning 'type' or 'class‘
 can be recognized by its common set of distinguishing features (codes and conventions)
CODES
 are systems of signs, which create meaning
CONVENTIONS
 are the generally accepted ways of doing something

TYPES OF CODE

Technical Codes
 ways in which equipment is used to tell the story (camera techniques, framing, depth of fields, lighting and
exposure, etc.)
Symbolic Codes
 it show what is beneath the surface of what we see (objects, setting, body language, clothing, color, etc. )
Written Codes
 it the use of language style and textual layout (headlines, captions, speech bubbles, language style, etc. )

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY FAIR USE AND CREATIVE COMMONS

What is piracy?

• the unauthorized reproduction or use of a copyrighted book, recording, television program, patented invention,
trademarked product, etc.(www.dictionary.com/browse/piracy)

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (IP)

• refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names and
images used in commerce.

• IP is protected in law by, for example which enables people to earn recognition or financial benefit from what they
invent or create. By striking the right balance between the interests of innovators and the wider public interest, the IP
system aims to foster an environment in which creativity and innovation can flourish.

• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is the global forum for intellectual property services, policy,
information and cooperation

• The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is the UN agency responsible for treaties involving copyright,
patent, and trademark laws. WIPO can be a force for progressive change, helping the world take into account public
interest and development needs.

TYPES OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

1. Copyright
 a legal term used to describe the rights that creators have over their literary and artistic works
 books, music, paintings, sculpture and films, to computer programs, databases, advertisements, maps and
technical drawings.
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2. Patent
 an exclusive right granted for an invention
 provides the patent owner with the right to decide how - or whether - the invention can be used by others
3. Trademarks
 a sign capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one enterprise from those of other enterprises.
 TM means the owner of the mark has common law rights even though the mark has not been registered while
the ®, on the other hand, is only used for marks that have been granted registration.
 Infringement refers to the violation of a law or a right.
4. Industrial Design
 constitutes the ornamental or aesthetic aspect of an article
 may consist of three-dimensional features, such as the shape or surface of an article, or of two-dimensional
features, such as patterns, lines or color
 An industrial design right protects only the appearance or aesthetic features of a product, whereas a patent
protects an invention that offers a new technical solution to a problem. In principle, an industrial design right
does not protect the technical or functional features of a product. Such features could, however, potentially be
protected by a patent.
5. Geographical Indications and Appellations of Origin
 signs used on goods that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities, a reputation or
characteristics that are essentially attributable to that place of origin
 most commonly includes the name of the place of origin of the goods.

FAIR USE

Fair use means you can use copyrighted material without a license only for certain purposes. These include:

 Commentary
 Criticism
 Reporting
 Research
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 Teaching

GUIDELINES FOR FAIR USE

 A majority of the content you create must be your own.

 Give credit to the copyright holder.
 Don't make money off of the copyrighted work.

CREATIVE COMMONS

 Is an American non-profit organization devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build
upon legally and to share. The organization has released several copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons
licenses free of charge to the public.
 Attribution: You must credit the creator.
 Non-Commercial: You can't make a profit.
 No Derivative Works: You can't change the content.
 Share Alike: You can change the content, but you have to let other people use your new work with the same license as
the original.

Legal, Ethical, and Societal Issues in Media and Information

Plagiarism

• the act of using another person's words or ideas without giving credit to that person (http://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/plagiarism)

• The practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own.
(https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/plagiarism

TYPES OF PLAGIARISM

TYPES OF PLAGIARISM: SOURCES NOT CITED

1. “The Ghost Writer”

 The writer turns in another’s work, word-for-word, as his or her own.
2. “The Photocopy”
 The writer copies significant portions of text straight from a single source, without alteration.
3. “The Potluck Paper”
 The writer copies from several different sources, tweaking the sentences to make them fit together while
retaining most of the original phrasing.
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4. “The Poor Disguise”

 The writer has altered the paper’s appearance slightly by changing key words and phrases.
5. “The Labor of Laziness”
 The writer takes the time to paraphrase most of the paper from other sources and make it all fit together.
6. “The Self-Stealer”
 The writer “borrows” generously from his or her previous work.

TYPES OF PLAGIARISM: SOURCES CITED (BUT STILL PLAGIARIZED)

1. “The Forgotten Footnote”

 The writer mentions an author’s name for a source, but neglects to include specific information on the
location of the material referenced.
2. “The Misinformer”
 The writer provides inaccurate information regarding the sources, making it impossible to find them.
3. “The Too-Perfect Paraphrase”
 The writer properly cites a source, but neglects to put in quotation marks on text that has been copied word-
for-word, or closes to it.
4. “The Resourceful Citer”
 The writer properly cites all sources, paraphrasing and using quotations appropriately. The catch? The paper
contains almost no original work!
5. “The Perfect Crime”
 The writer properly quotes and cites sources in some places, but goes on to paraphrase other arguments from
those sources without citation.

WHAT ABOUT IMAGES, VIDEOS, AND MUSIC?

Without receiving proper permission or providing appropriate citation, the following are considered plagiarism:
• Copying media (especially images) from other websites to paste them into your own papers or websites.
• Making a video using footage from others’ videos or using copyrighted music as part of the soundtrack.
• Performing another person’s copyrighted music (i.e., playing a cover).
• Composing a piece of music that borrows heavily from another composition.

DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP, NETIQUETTE, DIGITAL FOOTPRINTS AND DIGITAL ISSUES IN THE PHILIPPINES

• Digital Citizenship
• is the norms of appropriate, responsible technology use (http://www.digitalcitizenship.net/)
• a holistic and positive approach to helping children learn how to be safe and secure, as well as smart and
effective participants in a digital world (http://mcc.gse.harvard.edu/files/gse-
mcc/files/social_media_resource_list_0_0.pdf)
• Netiquette
• set of rules for behaving properly online( The Core Rules of Netiquette by Virginia Shea )
• respecting other users’ views and displaying common courtesy when posting your views to online discussion
groups(http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/guides/about-netiquette)

THE CORE RULES OF NETIQUETTE

Rule 1: Remember the human

Rule 2: Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life
Rule 3: Know where you are in cyberspace
Rule 4: Respect other people's time and bandwidth
Rule 5: Make yourself look good online
Rule 6: Share expert knowledge
Rule 7: Help keep flame wars under control
Rule 8: Respect other people's privacy
Rule 9: Don't abuse your power
Rule 10: Be forgiving of other people's mistakes

DIGITAL FOOTPRINT

 A digital footprint is a trail of data you create while using the Internet. In includes the websites you visit,
emails you send, and information you submit to online services.
 A passive digital footprint is created when data is collected without the owner knowing, whereas active digital
footprints are created when personal data is released deliberately by a user for the purpose of sharing
information about oneself by means of websites or social media.
(http://techterms.com/definition/digital_footprint)
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