Mil Module 1-5

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
Module 1: Introduction to Media and Information Literacy if you accidentally left your mobile phone at home, or you are not able to
connect to the internet and chat with your friends? Do you feel a sense of
At the end of the module, I can: distance or disconnection from the world?
1. Describe the nature of communication and the concepts related to it. Humans are social beings. Despite the few occasions of solitude, chatting
2. Describe how communication is affected by media and information. with friends either face-to-face, through a telephone, or online seems to be a
3. Identify the similarities and differences of media literacy, information more likable situation to be in. People value the simplest opportunities to
literacy, and technology literacy. communicate not just with themselves, but most especially with other people.
4. Editorialize the value of being a media and information literate Communication is a natural and inescapable fact of life. Every individual
individual. is born with it. This is precisely the reason why you are taught to learn how to
5. Relate critical thinking with media and information literacy in the speak, read, write, or use communication gadgets at an early age.
production, consumption and transfer of media, and information Communication is all about these skills your parents would like you to learn
products by the society. when you were younger.
6. Identify the characteristics of responsible users and competent
producers of media and information. Defining Communication
7. Share media habits, lifestyle, and preferences to other people. Littlejohn and Foss (2008), who are scholars and experts in the field,
regard communication as “one of those everyday activities that is intertwined
Without consulting other sources of information, ask yourself what the with all of human life so completely that we sometimes overlook its
following words mean to you: pervasiveness, importance, and complexity.”
 Communication They suggest that communicating feels so natural to people that
 Media oftentimes the act itself is taken for granted.
 Information Whether it is through verbal or nonverbal, or at this day and age, digital,
 Technology humans are creatures of expression. This is so, by necessity and desire. People
 Literacy communicate to be more closely integrated with and to the society they belong
to.
Try to compare your own understanding of these terms to those You communicate because expressing yourself means contributing ideas
presented in this module. How similar or different are your ideas with those for whatever purpose or cause; but first, you must understand the concept of
in the discussion? communication. Perhaps one good way to do so is by looking at the origin of
the word.
You have heard time and again the adage “No man is an island.” What Communication is from the Latin term communicare, which means “to
does this saying really mean to you? How do you feel when you are alone? share” or “to divide out.” It may also be thought to originate from another
And you have no one else to talk to or share your thoughts with? How about Latin word communis, which roughly means “working together.”
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GRADE 12 | MEDIA AND INFORMATION LITERACY
You now begin to understand that communication has a lot to do with a One such revision is a model by Claude Shannon and Warren Weaver
sense of sharing. As explained by Bulan and de Leon (2002) in their book which incorporates the concept of noise that refers to anything that interferes
Practical Speech Fundamentals, “without speech or oral communication, with the message. The model is a more mechanical look at communication.
societies could not attain levels of civilization; communities could not
organize into living and working groups, mark and ritualize practices and
traditions, debate and decide difficult issues, and transform society for its
good.” Essentially, what they tell you is that communication functions in
more ways than you can imagine.
Explaining the Communication Process through Models

To understand better the process of communication, here are some Fig. 1.2. Shannon Weaver’s Communication Model
models as discussed by communication scholar Denis McQuail (2005) in his
book McQuail’s Mass Communication Theory: Another transmission model is by Bruce Westley and Malcolm Maclean,
1. Transmission Models. Perhaps the most popular among these is Jr. Where they argued that instead of a having a sender merely relaying
Harold Laswell’s representation of communication as an attempt to messages, you have a communicator who relays his or her account of a
answer the question “Who says what to whom, through what medium, selection of events or views/voices in society. Westley and Maclean, Jr. Also
and with what effect?” said that communication is “guided by interests and demands of an audience
that is known only by its selections and responses to what is offered (McQuail,
2005).”
Fig. 1.1. Laswell’s Communication Model
The model is relatively straightforward and tells you that communication

originates from someone and their message flows through a channel, either
through sound waves or light waves, and that someone on the other end
receives the message with a corresponding effect. Later improvements in the
model were introduced by other experts in communication Fig. 1.3. Westley and Maclean Model of Communication
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A more sophisticated transmission model was provided by George 4. Reception Model. In this model, you come to understand
Gerbner where “someone perceives an event and reacts in a situation through communication as an open process, which means that messages sent and
some means to make available materials in some form and context conveying received are open to various interpretations based on context and the
content of some consequence (McQuail, 1985).” culture of the receiver. In other words, there might be various meanings
Relating these transmissions] models to your own communication to a single statement that is communicated. One such model illustrating
experiences: for example, you are telling a story to a friend; your primary this is Wilburs Schramm’s depiction of cyclical communication where the
intention is to successfully get across the story from you to him or her as sender and receiver have alternating roles in the loop. A communicator
accurately and as clearly as possible so that he or she can respond who produces and sends the message is called an “encoder” and the one
accordingly. Can you think of any other instances where you see the who receives and interprets is the “decoder.”
application of these transmission models?
2. Ritual or expressive model. This is an alternative way of looking at

how communication works. In the expressive model, communication
happens due to the need to share understanding and emotions.
Communication has an integrative consequence in the society it is done to
build social relationships. An example would be when you use certain
symbolisms or euphemisms to indirectly refer to certain things, but you are
sure that your audience still understands what you are trying to say.
The communication is ritualized because the meaning is suggested more than
explicitly stated and the understanding of it, though connotative, is mutual. Fig. 1.4. Schramm’s Model
3. Publicity Model. This model explains that communication involves Another reception model is the one by David Berlo that accounted for
audiences as “spectators rather than participants or information receivers factors that affect how communicators are influenced when they send and
(McQuail, 2005).” Attention is important because it is a measure of how receive a message. These factors include the following:
successful the communication has transpired.  Communication skills such as reading, writing, speaking, listening,
Imagine yourself telling a friend about a potentially boring story but you tell and watching.
it in a compelling and animated manner to keep his interest and attention.
 Knowledge about a subject or topic.
Another example is how television commercials aggressively convince the
 Attitude toward the topic and the audience.
audience to buy the products that they advertise.
 Social and cultural aspects that influence the content of the message
and the manner by which it is sent.
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all the more made possible through the use of media. Ponder on one of those
occasions where you read a magazine, watched a program on television,
listened to the radio, went to see a film at a movie house, or surfed the Internet.
Any such activity involves media, information, and communication. In a sense,
you cannot do away with communicating, that is, getting and sharing
information and utilizing media to achieve both.
A Closer Look at Media and Information

Have you ever wondered what word mediate means? The base word of
this term is media. Like communication, media have been defined in several
ways by different sources. Strictly speaking, media is the plural form of
medium, although the former is already acceptable as a singular noun. Take a
look at Table 1.2 for some of these definitions of media and a description of
categories of media in Table 1.3.
Table 1.1. Berlo’s Model
The reception models show that it is not just about saying the message Table 1.2. Different Definitions of Media
but also considering how the message may be received because of factors Source Definition
that may influence reception. That is why when someone breaks a bad news Oxford Learner’s  The main ways that large numbers of people
to someone else, he or she does not say it as straightforward and blatant. He Dictionaries receive information and entertainment, that is
or she will have to consider how the other person will react to the news or television, radio, newspaper, and the internet.
what possible interpretations the other person might have about the news. UNESCO Media and  Refers to the combination of physical objects
Information Literacy used to communicate or mass communication
Media and Information: The Means and the Ends in Communication Curriculum for through physical objects such as radio, television,
What is evident among all the models discussed is that there are many Teachers computers, or film, etc.
ways of defining what communication is or how it works. But you have  Also refers to any physical object used to
probably observed two distinct elements that are intrinsically interconnected communicate media messages.
with the concept of communication media and information. They are so  Source of credible information in which contents
intertwined that information is one of the reasons why communication is are provided through an editorial process
done in the first place; and this information can be shared through media. determined by journalistic values and therefore
When you further study communication in a more advanced level, you editorial accountability can be attributed to an
would learn that one of the functions of communication is to inform. This is organization or a legal person.
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The Penguin  Means of distributing texts and messages to a Mass media form TV, radio, print, Internet, telephone, or mobile
Dictionary of Media large mass of people. Media modality refers to the nature of message, whether it is relayed
Studies (2007)  Carries a certain degree of intellectual baggage or using text, audio, video, graphics, animation, or a combination of any of these
currency with it. things. The media format is the way the data is arranged. The data or
David Buckingham  Something we use when we want to communicate message may be transmitted through radio waves (for audio) and light waves
(2003), director of the with people indirectly, rather than in person or by for other modalities. The mass media form refers to the particular media
London University face-to-face contact. technology to which the message is transmitted.
Centre for the Study of  Provide channels through which representations All the definitions of media suggest that it is a conduit for transmitting
Children, Youth and and images of the world can be communicated something called information. With the proliferation of media technology, you
Media (Callison & indirectly. are bombarded with numerous information from a vast collection of sources
Tilley, (2006) that you are hardly able to distinguish what is useful to you and what you can
Encyclopedic  Any means, agency, or instrument of discard. There may be occasions where you even get confused as to where to
Dictionary of communication. start looking for information that you need. One of the more convenient
Semiotics, Media, and  The physical means by which a sign or text is sources of information nowadays is the World Wide Web. But with the
Communications encoded (put together) and through which it is volume of information it provides comes the challenge of choosing which to
(2000) transmitted (delivered, actualized) use. This presents a problem in communication because sharing wrong,
Presidential Decree  Refers to the print medium of communication, inaccurate, or lacking information distorts the quality of your message to your
No. 1018 (1976) which includes all newspapers, periodicals, audience.
magazines, journals, and publications and all
advertising therein, and billboards, neon signs and But before you begin to identify the information you need and the places
the like, and the broadcast medium of to look for it, you have to be familiar with the nature of information. The
communication, which includes radio and UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Curriculum for Teachers regard
television broadcasting in all their aspects and all information as a “broad term that can cover data, knowledge derived from
other cinematographic or radio promotions and study, experience, or instruction, signals or symbols.” when you use media,
advertising. information is referred to as the “knowledge of specific events or situations
that has been gathered or received by communication, intelligence, or news
Table 1.3. Categories of Media reports.”
Category Examples As can be seen in the communication models presented earlier, media
Modality Text, audio, video, graphics, animations serves as a source and a channel for relaying information. Information is the
Format Digital or analog content that you share during communication. Thus, the ubiquity of
Way of transmitting Electromagnetic or radio waves, light waves communication, media, and information makes it imperative for you to be
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skilled in the access and use of each of these. This is where media and  It also refers to the ability to understand and use
information literacy enters the picture. information in multiple formats from a wide
Media, Information, and Technology Literacy: Laying the Groundwork range of sources when it is presented via
In general terms, you may come to understand literacy to be equivalent computers and to a person’s ability to perform
to a skill. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural tasks effectively in a digital environment.
Organization, or UNESCO, defined literacy as the “ability to identify,  Digital literacy includes the ability to read and
understand, interpret, create, communicate, and compute, using printed and interpret media, to reproduce data and images
written materials associated with varying contexts.” through digital manipulation, and to evaluate and
apply new knowledge gained from digital
Table 1.4. Definition of Media Literacy, Information Literacy, and environments.
Technology Literacy
Media Literacy  This involves understanding and using mass Technology advances every now and then, and literacy is a measure of
(UNESCO Media and media in either an assertive or non-assertive way, how well you keep up with the pace of these advancements. With the
Information Literacy including an informed and critical understanding multitude of technological platforms for social, cultural, and political
Curriculum for of media, what techniques they employ and their participation, literacy in media, information, and technology is a recipe for
Teachers) effects. success. From the simple choice of clothes to buy, or food to eat, or to the
 The ability to read, analyze, evaluate and produce more complex ones such as ideas to include in a research or an opinion to be
communication in a variety of media forms, e.g. shared in a discussion, you consult and, perhaps, rely on media and other
television, print, radio, computers, etc. forms of technology for information you need. As UNESCO puts it, “a literate
 Another understanding of the term is the ability community is a dynamic community, one that exchanges ideas and engages
to decode, analyze, evaluate, and produce debate; illiteracy, however, is an obstacle to a better quality of life and can
communication in a variety of forms. even breed exclusion and violence.”
Information Literacy  Refers to the ability to recognize when
(UNESCO Media and information is needed and to locate, evaluate, The Danger of Desensitization
Information Literacy effectively use, and communicate information in According to Potter (2011) in his book Media Literacy, there is a need to
Curriculum for its various formats. be media and information literate to counteract “the physiological and
Teachers) psychological tendency (automaticity) towards the much information that is
Technology (Digital)  This is the ability to use digital technology, encountered every now and then.” Automaticity, or automatic response, is “a
Literacy (University of communication tools or networks to locate, state where our minds operate without any conscious effort from us.” In other
Illinois) evaluate, use, and create information.
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words, you become so desensitized with the things you encounter because
they already seem so natural to you.
Potter also explained that “the programmed and predictable response What It Takes to Be Media and Information Literate
(normalization) toward the information that limits your opportunity to There are two factors that can influence you to become a media and
recognize and maximize the gains of that message” is something that media information literate individual. One is clarifying your goals and motivations
and information literacy can address. Normalization is when “the mass media for seeking information. The greater your need, the more effort you exert to
continually reinforce certain behavioral patterns of exposure until they become selective of the information at your disposal. Another is acquiring
become automatic habits.” more skills in discerning, appreciating, and filtering information. This
According to Callison and Tilley (2006), you are a media and involves being more media savvy and better acquainted with information
information literate individual if you are able to do the following: sources.
 Pose worthwhile questions Table 1.5 shows the typology of media literacy provided by Potter (2011)
 Evaluate the adequacy of an argument which can help you assess the stage you are in as media and information
 Recognize facts, inferences, and opinions and use each appropriately literate individual.
 Deal with quandaries and ill-formed problems that have no fixed or
unique solutions Table 1.5 Typology of media literacy.
 Give and receive criticism constructively Stage Characteristics
 Agree and disagree in degrees measured against the merits of the issue
and audience Acquiring Fundamentals  Learning that there are human beings and
 Extend a line of thought beyond the range of first impressions other physical things apart from one’s
 Articulate a complex position without adding to its complexity self; these things looks different and serve
We live in an environment that is far different from any environment different functions.
humans have ever experienced before. And the environment changes at an  Learning the meaning of facial
ever-increasing pace. This is due to the accelerating generation of expressions and natural sounds
information and the sharing of that information through the increasing  Recognizing shapes, form, size, color,
number of media channels and the heavy traffic of media vehicles traversing movement, and spatial relations
those channels. Messages are being delivered to everyone, everywhere,  Recognizing rudimentary concept of
constantly. We are all saturated with information, and each year the media time-regular patterns
are more aggressive in seeking our attention. It is a hopeless expectation to
keep up with all the information available. The most important challenge
now lies in making good selections when the media are constantly offering us
thousands of messages on any given topic.
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Language Acquisition  Recognizing speech sounds and attach useful.

meaning to them
 Being able to reproduce speech sounds
 Orienting to visual and audio media
 Making emotional and behavior responses
to music and sounds
 Recognizing certain characters in visual
media and follow their movement.
Experiential Exploring  Seeking out different forms of content and
Narrative Acquisition  Developing understanding of differences
narratives
between:
 Focusing on searching for surprises and
- Fiction vs. Nonfiction
new emotional, moral, and aesthetic
- Ads vs. Entertainment
reactions.
- Real vs. Make-believe
Critical Appreciation  Accepting messages on their own terms,
 Understanding how to connect plot
then evaluating them within that sphere
elements
 Developing very broad and detailed
- By time sequencing
understanding of the historical, economic,
- By motive-action-consequence
political, and artistic contexts of message
Developing Skepticism  Discounting claims made in ads
systems.
 Sharpening differences between likes and
 Ability to make subtle comparisons and
dislikes for shows,characters, and actions
contrasts among many different message
 Making fun of certain characters even
elements simultaneously
though those characters are not presented
 Ability to construct a summary judgement
as foils in their shows
about the overall strengths and
Intensive Development  Strongly motivated to seek out weaknesses of a message
information on certain topics
 Developing a detailed set of information
on particular topics (sports, politics, etc.)
 Has high awareness of utility of
information and quick facility in
processing information judged to be
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Social Responsibility  Taking a moral stand that certain

messages are more constructive for The media literate person is in control of his or her media experiences
society than others ; this is a because he or she understands the basic conventions of various media and
multidimensional perspective based on enjoys their uses in a deliberately conscious manner. The media literate person
through analyses of the media landscape understands the impact of music and special effects, for example, in
 Recognizing that there some actions an heightening the drama of television program or film. However, this
individual can take to make a constructive recognition does not lessen the enjoyment of the action.
impact on society
Source:http://uk.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/34589_2.pdf(a What Have I Learned So Far?
ccessed16September2015) 1. Who is a media and information literate individual?
2. How is critical thinking related to media and information literacy?
Critical Thinking: An Important Component of MIL 3. Write a 1000-word blog entry in the form of a reaction paper to discuss
As producers and consumers of information, you must displays the what you can contribute to your community and to your country if you are a
ability to evaluate the kind of information you access and share. This ability media and information literate individual. You may use the following to guide
is known as critical thinking. Being critical means being capable of judging you in developing your arguments:
the merit of something based on certain standards or parameters. According  Media and information literacy as practiced on both personal and
to media scholar Art Silverblatt, there are eight fundamental elements of professional level
media literacy:  Media and information literacy as expression of freedom of
1. A critical thinking skill enabling audience members to develop speech/expression
independent judgments about media content  Media and information literacy as tool for civic responsibility and
2. An understanding of the process of mass communication nation-building
3. An awareness of the impact of media on the individual and society
4. Strategies for analyzing and discussing media messages Beyond Walls 1.1 Apply It in Real Life
5. An understanding of media content as a text that provides insight into Imagine yourself to be a content writer for an online health magazine.
our culture and our lives You are commissioned by your editor to write an article about Garcinia
6. The ability to enjoy, understand, and appreciate media content cambogia which is a component of most slimming supplements. Your
7. Development of effective and responsible production skills dilemma is that you are not familiar with it and your editor expects that you
8. An understanding of the ethical and moral obligations of media create a highly informative article! You have been given a tight deadline; thus,
practitioners your only resort is to look for information online. You have been told by your
Do you agree that these elements also pertain to attributes of a responsible editor that he will evaluate your article’s factual accuracy and quality of
user and a competent producer of mediated communication? information before publishing it in the Web site.
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How will you handle the situation knowing that you have no idea about you are technologically or digitally literate, you are able to utilize different
the topic? “digital technology, communication tools or networks to locate, evaluate, use,
How will you manage the diverse information available online? and create information.” Critical thinking is necessary for discerning the
media source and the kind of information that you use.
Beyond Walls 1.2 Go Online
It has been mentioned earlier how critical thinking is important to an
individual in evaluating the source and kind of information one needs. In the
Web site below, you are to download and accomplish the critical evaluation
survey as an exercise for testing the extent of your media and information
literacy.
http://www.schrockguide.net/uploads/3/9/2/2/392267/evalhigh.pdf(accessed
on 16 September 2015)
After answering the critical evaluation survey, find a partner in class and
collaborate on writing a synthesis paper comparing your survey results. Use
your learning on what it takes to be media and information literate as guide
for your discussion in your paper. The paper should be saved as .doc or .pdf
file and uploaded in a file sharing platform that your teacher has set up for
your class.
ESSENTIAL LEARNING
Communication is a process that involves transmission of messages,
performance of rituals, competing over attention, and reception of messages
as dictated by context and culture. There are various attempts to explain the
process and these explanations are presented through communication models.
Apparent in most of these models are the concepts of media and information
and how they relate to the process of communication.
Media and Information are necessities of your communicative lives.
When you understand and use various media forms to access information,
you consider yourself media literate. An information literate person, on the
other hand, is able “to recognize when information is needed and to locate,
evaluate, effectively use, and communicate it in its various format.” When
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Module 2 The Evolution of Traditional to New Media Over the years, media forms and the technology that come with them have
involve dramatically. This display of ingenuity is a testament of how media
At the end of this module, I can: has been ingrained in every human beings sensibility. Now take a look at this
1. Identify traditional media and new media, and their relationships. picture. What d you think does it suggest?
2. Assess the type of media in the Philippines vis-a-vis the normative theories
of media.
3. Editorialize the roles and functions of media I democratic society.
4. Search latest theory on information and media.
Study the media forms indicated in the first column on the table below. Put a
check mark on the corresponding cell identifying whether the media form is
traditional or new.
Media form Traditional New Fig 2.1. Evolution of Media

The McLuhan Mantra
Magazine Marshall McLuhan, Who is famous for the phrase “the medium is the
message” and is the proponent of the media theory on technological
Tabloid determinism, believed that society is driven by changes in media and
communication technology. McLuhan (2007) explained that society adapts to
Broadsheet advances in technology. Thus, changing cultural, political, and even historical
Paperback Novel aspects of that society. Take for instance the case of a mobile phone and a
computer. How did these two gadgets change the way people live their lives
Radio today? Some of you might think that it is almost unimaginable to revert back
Television to the old times where these two did not yet exist. People who agree with the
technological deterministic idea believe that media and communication have
Online Video Games and will always significantly affect and change our way of life.
Web Video Portals The only thing constant and inevitable is change. Thus, some look at
technology as an indication of progress. Social change is typically associated
Online Telephony and
with technological advancement. As technology stabilizes, users and
Messaging Capability
consumers adapt their behavior to the features and perceived benefits of this
technology, oftentimes making people overly reliant to technology.
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Milestones in Media Evolution

For McLuhan (1962), the three most significant inventions in
communication would be the phonetic alphabet, the printing press, and the
telegraph. Each of them linked one period to another. As mentioned earlier,
the most recent forms of media carry the features of the older media.
In the media map shown, there are four main periods in the history of
Fig. 2.2. Evolution of Media Perceived by McLuhan (1962) communication. It begins with the tribal age where hearing was the
The picture above illustrates McLuhan’s (1962) view of the evolution of predominant and most valuable sense of reception. Early human ancestors
media and communication technology. A media form that emerges from an relied heavily on their sense of hearing to hunt for food and to stay alert from
older form has its features and format primarily patterned from the one that it danger. The next period is the literacy age where the sense of sight was
followed. The internet is not exactly an original concept but rather a hybrid dominant. If the tribal age was highly acoustic, the literate age was highly
or derivative of the older forms such as print media, broadcast media, and visual. This is because of the invention of the alphabet, allowing humans to
film. The mobile phones are built on the old idea of telephony, and smart learn to read.
phones and tablets, on the idea of the internet and computer technology. The printing press was invented in the print age, which meant
mass-producing written texts. Having more copies of these texts gave humans
Hot and Cold Media? the liberty to read them at their own pace and to share them to others. With a
In the language of McLuhan, “hot” growing number of produced and reproduced reading materials came the
media refer to the forms requiring little inevitable. The building of libraries and other repositories.
involvement from the audience and McLuhan’s (1989) idea of the “global village,” a community where
examples include film and television. everyone in the world is interconnected through media, was evident in the
They are hot because, metaphorically electronic age. In this period, the telegraph was invented which paved the way
speaking, they cannot be “touched” and to the invention of more recent technologies such as the telephone, television,
thus the experience is relatively passive mobile phone, and the Internet. The communication technology at this time
and static. “Cool” media are those with led humans to instantly connect to each other even in great distances. An
high-level user interactivity, where the example is when you log on to play in an online video game while
experience is more dynamic and the simultaneously chatting with other players from other parts of the world. The
audience is more involved. Media electronic age is the age of sound and tactile sense of reception. An example
forms utilize animation, such as video would be the incorporation of touch screens in smart phones, tablets, and
games, or provide participation, like laptop computers these days.
online media platforms, are examples of cool media. In addition to the media map of history are two other time periods not
Fig. 2.3. Media Map of History covered in McLuhan’s periodization. One is information age when the world
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entered into a new era of media experience in the 21st century. Also known as traditional media is one-directional. The media experience is limited and the
the digital or new media age, this is a time in human history where sense receptors used are very specific (i.e., print media requires sense of sight,
everything relied heavily in the use of computers to run major industries. radio requires sense of hearing, and television and film requires both).
Information was utilized based on personalized needs and motivations. With new media, the experience is more interactive. The audiences are
Global communication and networking were enhanced. more involved and are able to send feedback simultaneously. New media
Digital technology and Internet become pervasive, thus, pushing the integrates all the aspects of traditional media.
world to enter the infrastructure age. A car with global positioning system It is much less easy to distinguish these media from each other than it
built with it, a railway system which runs digitally, or even simple appliances used to be. This is partly because some media forms are now distributed
or gadgets at home that can be controlled using the internet are all examples across different types of transmission channels, reducing the original
of infrastructures in this age. There is more involvement in the cyberspace. uniqueness of form and experience in use. Secondly, the increasing
Internet banking transactions and online purchases are other proofs to this. convergence of technology, based on digitalization, can only reinforce this
tendency.
Culture Shapes Technology -Dennis McQuail (2005)
Despite the views provided by McLuhan, not everyone agrees with his
propositions. Contrary to the idea of technology affecting change to society, What is New about New Media
cultural determinism explains that culture and society shapes technology. There are four main categories of new media and all of them share
According to Winston (1986), a media scholar who advanced the idea of “certain channel similarities and are approximately differentiated by types of
cultural determinism, society is still in control of technology and the use, content, and context,” according to McQuail.
innovations over time do not dictate how it must adapt and function in 1. Interpersonal communication media. Examples would be the telephone,
relation to these technologies. The radical potential of a given technology to mobile phone, and e-mail where “content is private and perishable and the
affect change may be suppressed by societal factors. In other words, relationship established and reinforced may be more important than the
technology is a product of need and not the other way around. If there is no information conveyed.”
need for the technology, or it does not have a practical use, it will perish. 2. Interactive play media. Video and computer-based games, plus virtual
reality devices compose this category.
Traditional vs. New Media 3. Information search media. The Internet and the World Wide Web
In the beginning of this lesson, you were asked to identify which of the become repositories or sources of a vast collection of information that can
media forms stated are considered “traditional” and which ones are “new.” be accessed real-time despite geographical location. Broadcast teletext
What were your bases for your answers? and radio data services are also examples. Information retrieval is no
Traditional Media are those forms in the earlier periods of McLuhan’s longer limited to personal computers because this functionality has been
media map. They are traditional because of the specific characteristics that extended to smart phones and tablets. Other means of information storage
they have functionalities that they offer. According to McQuail (2005),
13
and retrieval include the personal video recorder, CD-ROM, compact 3. Provide a platform for public political discourse, facilitating the
disc, and DVD. formation of “public opinion” and feeding that opinion back to the public
4. Collective participatory media. This refers to the use of the internet from whence it came, [including] the provision of space for the expression of
for “sharing and exchanging information, ideas, and experiences and dissent;
developing active (computer-meditated) personal relationships (McQuail, 4. Give publicity to governmental and political institutions (known as the
2010).” “watchdog” role of journalism); and
5. Serve as a channel for the advocacy of political viewpoints.
Key characteristics of new media, according to McQuail, include
interactivity, social presence (or sociability), media richness, autonomy, Media and Government: A Love-Hate Relationship
playfulness, privacy and personalization. New media use expanded The relationship of media and government is oftentimes adversarial. This
opportunities for self-expression especially among the youth through Web is normal and healthy because media, being a “watchdog,” keeps everything at
logs, online forums, Web discussion boards, social media, and messaging bay. Before you can fully understand the nature of media in the Philippines,
applications. familiarize yourself first with the normative views of media. Table 2.1
summarizes the four theories of the press.
The new media generation considers itself globally networked made
possible by the internet. But as much as there is greater virtual participation Table 2.1 Normative Theories of the Press
by this generation, the members of this group have grown to be more isolated View Propositions
and extremely expressive of their thoughts. Observe your social media  All forms of communications are under the
account for such manifestations. control of the governing elite, authorities, or
influential bureaucrats.
Functions of Communication and Media  Controlling the media is necessary to
Media, whether traditional or new, has a role to play in the proper protect and prevent the people from national
functioning of a democratic society such as the Philippines. In order for a threats through any form of communication
Authoritarian
democratic society to function in an ideal wa, media and communication (information or news).
(communicationtheory.org.)
must fulfill its mandate. According to McNair, communication and media  The government has all the rights to
function to restrict/censor any sensitive issue from press
1. Inform citizens of what is happening around them (also called the to maintain peace and security in the nation.
monitoring function);  Different types of censors include political
2. Educate the audience as to the meaning and significance of the censor, moral censor, religious censor,
“facts”; military censor, and corporate censor.
Soviet Media  The government undertakes or controls the
14
(communicationtheory.org.) total media and communication to serve unlimited private franchise.

[and educate] working classes and their  Media has obligations to society, and media
interests. ownership is a public trust.
 The state has the absolute power to control  Media should follow agreed codes of ethics
any media for the benefits of the people. and professional conduct.
 The state puts an end to private ownership  The government must not merely allow
of the press and other media. freedom; it must actively promote it when
 Government media provides positive necessary; therefore, the government should
thoughts to create a strong socialized society act to protect the freedom of its citizens.
as well as providing information, education,  Under some circumstances, the government
entertainment, motivation and mobilization. mat need to intervene to safeguard public
 The public is encourages to give feedback interest.
which would be able to create interests
toward the media. As you can see, the normative theories mentioned place expectations on
 Liberalism means information is knowledge how media conduct themselves and illustrate the dynamics between media and
and knowledge is power. government vis-a-vis censorship.
 Libertarianism is free from any authority or
any control or censorship and is an idea of ESSENTIAL LEARNING
individualism and limited government Traditional media is still prevalent despite the emergence of new media.
which is not harmful to another. New media may be viewed as an addition rather than a replacement for old
Libertarian
 The people are more than enough to find media. Media experience has been enriched by new media forms because of
(communicationtheory.org.)
and judge good ideas from bad [because] the added value they provide. In a democratic society such as the Philippines,
people are rational. the media has a very important role and function as a great equalizer. Media
 The press should not restrict anything, even monitors events, educates the audience, provides a venue for debate, acts as a
a negative content may give knowledge and “watchdog,” and serves as a channel for active participation in political
can help make better decision during worst affairs.
situations. Theories on media and information are helpful lenses in understanding,
 Social responsibility should be reached by interpreting, analyzing, and communicating assumptions, concepts,
Social Responsibility
self-control, not government intervention. explanations, and principles on media, information, and communication.
(McQuail, 2005, pp.
 View media ownership as a form of public
171-172)
trust or stewardship, rather than as an
15
Module 3 Information Literacy  Determine the extent of information needed

 Access the needed information efficiently and effectively
At the end of this module, I can:  Evaluate information and its sources critically
1. Define information needs.  Incorporate selected information into his or her knowledge base
2. Locate sources of information.  Use information to accomplish a specific purpose
3. Assess, organize, and communicate information.  Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding access
4. Identify relevant ethical standards or principles in information and and use of information
media use.  Access and use information ethically and legally
5. Demonstrate ethical use of information. Information literacy is an important skill in life. An individual who is
literate in the location, access, evaluation, and use of information also displays
Assess yourself. a certain sense of critical literacy. When you are information literate, you are
1. What is your primary source of information especially for able to evaluate what information you need, what to discard, and how to use
schoolwork? the information you selected. As students, you unknowingly and unwittingly
2. What are your considerations when looking for particular information? display information literacy when you search for information to address
Do you need a quick fact or a critical analysis? certain tasks such as projects, assignments, or research papers.
3. Do you prefer unbiased information or an opinion? Current Information takes many forms. It is often interchanged with data which is
information or a historical one? essentially “raw information” and knowledge which is characterized by
4. Do you automatically use a Web search engine to locate for the effective use of information.
information you need? What do you use and why?
5. Do you check just any kind of Web site? What are your personal What Determines Your Need of Information?
criteria for selecting a Web site as your source of information? Information seeking is relatively synonymous to the idea of research.
6. If you use traditional sources of information such as print, broadcast, When you locate information, you employ the necessary skills to engage in
and electronic media, which among these do you often refer to and why? the research process. Your need for information depends on your prior
7. What good and bad practices do you commit during information knowledge and experience, as well as your goals and objectives. Your
search and sharing? information needs to rely on what questions or problems you would like to
solve or simply, what you need the information for. These needs also depend
In module 1, you have been introduced to the concept of information and on the relevance of the information you seek to the task you are supposed to
information literacy, as well as the characteristics of a media literate accomplish. Ask yourself who will consume and/or benefit from the
individual. But before you dive deeper into information literacy approach, information you are trying to locate. You must also identify how much
you have to take note that an information literate individual is one who can information you need and its adequacy to address your task. Consult your
do the following:
16
personal knowledge base so that you can plan what else to search to augment Factual Information is based on evidences and findings provided
what you already know. by reliable sources. These sources may include academic texts such as
books, encyclopedia, periodicals, or technical reports by agencies and
The Effective and Efficient Information Seeker. A successful search institutions. Analytical information, on the other hand, is an analysis or
strategy is one that allows you to judge at the onset what information is interpretation of facts by an individual, usually an expert on the subject.
relevant, thus, limiting the possible overload of information sought. It also Examples of such would be feature articles, commentaries, or reviews.
involves and understanding of information search systems such as indexes, 2. Subjective vs. Objective
online catalogs, or Boolean logic. When you are able to judge the “potential When you consult and expert opinion, such as those found in the
value of information,” you will be able to maximize its use. According to editorial section of a newspaper or in Web log entries of prolific writers,
Callison and Tilley (2006), an effective and efficient information seeker is you are using a subjective kind of information. This is because the
one who can do the following: information is about the discussion and elaboration of a thesis statement
 Understands how to utilize a variety of information sources and agencies, which is still anchored on facts. It is important to evaluate the validity of
as well as human resources, in order to gain useful information the claims in subjective information because a valid argument is more
 Understands the value of consulting with resource specialists and critical often than not a successful argument. If the information is unbiased and
peers to reframe and refine questions and inquiries, if necessary does not lead you to judge the information in a certain way, then it is
 Identifies information important to a need and assesses its reliability, objective information. Scientific papers and news reports are common
bias, authority, and intent. sources of objective information.
 Organizes new information in meaningful ways to determine where gaps 3. Current vs. Historical
may exist and to formulate the central question or thesis that can be The currency of information refers to how up-to-date or how recent
addressed (Doyle, 1994) the information is. It does not necessarily follow that the more current the
information, the more reliable and useful it is. There are information that
Aside from being information literate, you are also expected to display are historical or old but are very helpful in providing insights and
information fluency which refers to “the ability to analyze information needs comparison of events. Publication date of the source material is the usual
and to move confidently among media, information, and computer literacy basis for currency. A combination of current and historical information,
skills, resulting in the effective application of a strategy or strategies that will especially in research, provides a more holistic picture. You are able to
best meet those needs (Callison & Tilley, 2006).” establish trends or patterns when you make use of both.
But the requirement for the use of either current or historical
Typology of Information information depends on the discipline that makes use of them. In the hard
According to www.lib.odu.edu, the kind of information you are looking or natural sciences, the more recent findings are preferred. For the
for may be categorized as the following: humanities, historical information is primarily used to describe an event
1. Factual vs. Analytical
17
or phenomenon. The social sciences usually consult both current and and graphics
historical information.  Articles are usually
very short
4. Scholarly (Academic/Professional/Technical) vs. Popular References Almost always include a list Rarely include a list of sources
When you are asked to write an academic paper, what sources does of sources consulted consulted
your teacher ask you to consult? Scholarly information comes from
academic sources. It is a product of an author’s expertise and study on 5. Primary vs. Secondary vs. Tertiary
the subject matter. It is usually peer reviewed. Popular information, on The origin and the levels of transfer of the information is also an
the other hand, appeals to general interest and is usually found in general important factor to consider in your information search. A description of
circulation materials such as magazines, coffee table books, or online and examples for primary, secondary, and tertiary information is shown in
feature articles. Table 3.1 differentiates a scholarly source and a popular Table 3.2.
source of information.
Table 3.2. A Comparison of Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources
Table 3.1. Scholarly Resources vs. Popular Resources Information Characteristics Examples
Scholarly Resources Popular Resources Source
Authors Written or reviewed by Written by the publication’s Primary  Original, first-hand  Creative work
experts in the discipline staff writers information.  Diary
Audience Written for researchers or Written for the general public  Hasn’t been interpreted,  Speech
practitioners in a particular or lay person analyzed, condensed, or  Letter
discipline changed.  Interview
Publisher Professional society or Commercial publisher  Information may need to  News film footage
organization or university be constructed with raw  Autobiography
Content In-depth analysis of topic or Review of an event or data.  Photograph
report of original research research project, highlighting  Official record
key points  Historical document
Language Use technical language which Understandable by a lay  Email written by a
may not be understood by a person researcher to a colleague
lay person which includes data from
Appearance  Illustrations include  Often use slick paper an experiment
graphs and tables and more color  Professor’s lecture
 Articles are usually long  Many advertisements  Tweet or other dispatch
18
via a social media outlet If your answer to the most questions is “Yes,” then be confident that the
Secondary  One or more steps  News commentaries Web site or page is stable enough for you to use as information source.
removed from a primary  Articles in magazines and
source and may interpret newspapers Information seeking, like any other human activity, expects that a certain
or analyze a primary  Critical review of a level of ethical conduct be upheld. The Online Dictionary for Library and
source literary scholar Information Science defined information ethics as “the branch of ethics that
 Usually written by  Textbooks focuses on the relationship between the creation, organization, dissemination,
someone other than the  Encyclopedias and use of information, and the ethical standards and moral codes governing
original researcher or  Research papers human conduct in society.” responsible handling of information from access
author. down to sharing is necessary to promote a fair and just utilization of
Tertiary  Topic review; and  Bibliography (citation information.
usually include list) of primary and
bibliographies of primary secondary sources about a ESSENTIAL LEARNING
and secondary sources. person or topic There is a lot of information out there. Among the many challenges that
 Provide access to  Encyclopedias you face is managing this vastness of information. Information literacy equips
materials on specific  Databases and indexes you with the ability to effectively and efficiently identify your information
topics. needs and handle the access, evaluation, utilization, and relay of information.
Information is very valuable to a student like you. There are various
6. Stable vs. Unstable categories or typologies of information that may address your information
Information may be stable or unstable. Stability becomes a needs. And while you address these needs, you should evaluate your sources
consideration especially when the information you have obtained is of information appropriately by employing the tips on searching for
published digitally over the internet. It is often difficult to know how information in physical and online archives. Knowledge of ethical standards
long a certain web site or page will last. But an online source may still be related to information literacy will also guide you to be responsible consumers
predicted to be stable or otherwise by evaluating it based on the and transmitters of information.
following questions (Ballenger 2009):
 Has it been around for a long time?
 Is it routinely updated?
 Are print versions of an online document available?
 Is the site associated with a reputable institution?
19
Module 4 Types of Media Gutenberg in 1440. This eventually led to the mass production of books, which
gave people an access to knowledge that they never dreamt of during those
At the end of this module, I can: times. Print media can either be in the form of a book, a newspaper, or a
1. Classify contents of different media types. magazine.
2. Define media convergence through current examples. Books are the very first mass media in human history. Baran (2010)
3. Relate media with culture. considers books as very personal because they contain records of past
4. Discuss in class how a particular individual or society is portrayed in experiences and human knowledge that are passed on to later generations.
public using different types of media. Books also provide opportunities for escape and personal reflection as
5. Demonstrates the role of Philippine media in the global media landscape. experienced by one who reads a novel. Although targeted to a specific kind of
audience, books are very specialized in that they offer more ideas about a topic,
All about the Different Forms of Media unlike other mass media forms which are beholden to advertising rules. When
It has been argued earlier in Module 2 that as media evolves, the newer you read a book, you are able to stretch your imagination and think deeper
one carries with it the features of the predecessor. If you are to trace the about ideas that you do not normally encounter in your everyday life. Books
history of media and communication technology, you will observe that the are movers and shakers of culture. As a testament to this, books in physical
usual observable sequence of the main media forms or types would be: form are being stored digitally as e-books.
In contrast to books, newspapers and magazines are advertising-based.
PRESS-->CINEMA-->RADIO-->TELEVISION-->VIDEOGAMES--> This means that a larger bulk of the earnings of magazine and newspaper
INTERNET/WWW publishers come from advertising products rather than selling the magazine or
the newspaper. Newspapers and magazines are published regularly, whereas
Some will argue against this arrangement. But more than their historical books may come out depending on the publisher’s prerogative.
sequence, it is important to note what each of these media types are, what they Magazines and newspapers may be targeted for the general audience or
offer, and how they complement each other. may address the interests of a particular group of readers. Magazines typically
contain features or human interest articles, whereas newspapers will definitely
Print Media have news stories and occasionally has other types of articles. Both the
Media is undeniably the most efficient way of communicating to a large magazine ad the newspaper may also have online versions for them to reach a
audience because of its capacity to relay the message across cultures and wider and larger audience who are more often virtually connected through the
distances. The variety of media forms provides a menu of choices for where Internet.
and when you can access information. One such media form is print media.
Also known as the press, this type of media refers to materials that are written Film/Cinema
and are physically distributed. Perhaps the most significant event in the The film as a media form is one that is considered impressionable and has
history of printing in the invention of the printing press by Johannes a cathartic effect to its audience. With moving/motion pictures, the film is able
20
to enhance the media experience of its consumer because of the audio-video Video Games
component which heightens both the sense of hearing and sense of sight. Video games continue to grow popular to both young and old because of
Films are very important cultural artifacts because, like books, they reflect the their increased interactivity, “from game consoles to personal computers to
desires, ideologies, and sensibilities of the culture to which they originate the Internet to cell phones (Baran, 2010)”. The internet, on the other hand, is a
from. development in media technology that is at the heart of all the convergence
Broadcast Media that you see occurring in traditional media. The internet made it easier to
One of the most distinctive characteristics of the broadcast media is their address a wider audience in all corners of the world. Ideas reach other people
ubiquity. They are considered” household” media because they can be found in a shorter span of time. Thus, societies are more connected than ever. Access
in practically any corner of a home. The broadcast media come in two forms – to content whenever and wherever is almost possible.
radio and television. According toBaran(2010), radio was the first electronic
mass medium and the precursor of television. Because of radio, television was Points of Intersection among Media Forms
a success in most parts of the world. Synergy and convergence are what describes the media of today. According to
For a long time, radio was the “young people’s media”. This is evident in the freedictionary.com, synergy is an “interaction of two or more agents or forces
proliferation of FM radio stations catering to the musical taste of younger so that their combines effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects”.
generations, also known as format radio. Convergence, on the other hand, means the combination of various elements
In the Philippines, you customarily expect FM programming to be format to create a new whole. Think of the traditional media forms converging into a
radio, whereas AM programming is dominated by a news format. The newer media from that optimizes your media use.
landscape is slowly changing as news format has already gone into frequency
modulation. The AM radio still remains the same but more specialized radio There is a very thin line that separates each media form. Synergy is the
broadcasts have emerged catering to particular niches such as community rationale behind the concentration of media in one company or organization.
radio. Say for instance, a local network giant that has its main free-air channel with
Broadcasting has also started to conquer the internet and mobile affiliate cable channels and a cable company subsidiary owning a print media
technology through internet-based radio and television. arm and a film production unit.
Some people have mixed feelings about television as a media form. Some
Synergy is also a driving force for mergers and acquisitions in the media
think that next to printing press, it is the second most important invention.
and telecommunications industries, according to Baran. You probably have
“Television has changed the nature, operation, and relationship to their
heard of the news in recent years about a telecommunication magnate having
audiences of books, magazines, movies, and radio.” Others think that
an interest to buy another local television station to directly compete with the
television has significantly dumb-down its content to adhere to what they call
biggest network in the country so far.
the “least common denominator” which means that television programs avoid
burdening the audience of complex and complicated messages. Convergence is a trend that cannot be done away with because the
audiences are getting more fragmented. Media organizations would like to
21
reach as many as they can by diversifying the delivery of their message. Also, television
audiences are no longer biased over one form of media to access content.  Internet-based television
Smart phones these days have radio and television applications, which is a  Video on the Internet
clear example of convergence.  Interactive television
 Phone-over cable
Media Type/Form Convergence
 Mobile video
Book  E-books  Television recording
 Print on demand (POD)
Video game  Online interactive gaming
Newspaper  Online version  Internet-capable handheld game devices
 Mobile application version  Advergaming
 Advocacy gaming
Magazine  Online publishing
 Custom publishing Internet and the World  Functionalities of the traditional media
 Movement from print to television (vice Wide Web moving to the Web platform
versa)  Internet technology incorporated to
 Advertorial mobile technology (e.g., smart phones
and tablets)
Film  Concept movies  Internet connected, Wi-Fi capable
 Sequels, remakes, and franchises television monitor
 Television, comic book, and video game
remakes
Radio  Digital radio Potter (2011) considered cross media convergence as a way of breaking down
 Internet-based radio and podcasting barriers that separate each traditional media. An illustration that you probably
can relate well with would be memes and videos over the Internet that people
 Radio on television (and vice versa)
customize so they are able to produce their own version.
Television  Video cassette recorders (VCR)
ESSENTIAL LEARNING
 Digital video disc (DVD)
 Digital Video Recorder (DVR) Media utilizes mass communication to reach a large number of audiences. It
 Digital television or high-definition transcends boundaries and cultures. This may seem overwhelming for some
but media may be utilized to address certain needs of an individual and
22
society to become better members of the community. The information Module 5 Media and Information Sources
offered through media technologies come from diverse sources, thus, At the end of this module, I can:
requiring that you as consumers of information should be very critical of the
content you consume.  Compare potential sources of media and information.
 Assess information quality.
Media and culture are very well ties together in that media becomes a  Interview an elder from the community regarding indigenous media
storyteller of culture. They portray images and interests of a society that they and information sources.
cater to. Print media, such as books, magazines, and newspapers, serve as
repositories of our past. Film or cinema enhances the experience earlier Which information sources (i.e., indigenous, library, internet, mass media) do
provided by print media because of film’s use of audio and visual elements. you prefer to use for the following topics? Why?
Broadcast media, such as radio and television, are so pervasive that they
1. Human genome project
attempt to appeal to the “least common denominator” or the lay people. 2. The cultural practices of the Lumads of Mindanao
Video games have significantly improved through time and have attracted 3. The current state of the touism and hospitality industry in the
attention of more adults and young people alike. Video games also reflect the Philippines
culture, the values, and sensibilities of its consumers. 4. Political conflicts and strife in different parts of the world
5. Human expedition on Mars
The lines that separate these media forms have become blurred due to 6. Agricultural practices in Central Luzon
media convergence. Convergence, or the coming together of various media 7. Recent events in the last decade that changed the world
components to create a new whole new media, is what characterizes the 8. The ASEAN integration
Internet and other technological infrastructure that goes with it. 9. Most promising careers for graduates of senior high school
10. The trends in the mobile application industry
Philippine media is very much involved in the global media landscape as 11. The history of the Bangsamoro
can be seen in the importation of foreign concepts and localizing them for 12. Human organization and behavior
13. The global phenomenon on Korean pop
Filipino audiences, as well as exportation of media product, such as
14. Paralympics
Philippine soap operas, which are growing in popularity in other parts of the
world.
Your information needs to dictate your choice of media and information
sources. Sources are not all the same and are not created equal. In an article
written by Meyer (2005) on the nature and the effective use of information in
rural development, it was suggested that resources may be evaluated by
looking at the information that they contain. In other words, the content says a
lot about the source.
23
Judging the value of information is not as easy as it seems. It becomes all local-level decision making in agriculture, health care, food preparation,
the more difficult for you when you have a limited idea about what you are education, natural resource management, and a host of other activities in
looking for. You may not realize it, but there are occasions when you feel rural communities.
dumfounded when there is too much information available. This puts you to
a dilemma of whether to adapt the whole gamut of information or just ignore  Warren (1991)
them and look for some other sources that can provide you with simpler and Indigenous knowledge is relayed either through people media (which are
more straightforward information. the persons involved in the use, analysis, evaluation, and production of media
Information, unlike raw data is processed and refined. It is an and information) or through indigenous media. The Asia Indigenous Peopled
interpretation of the data by the author or producer of the information. As a Pact or AIPP defined indigenous media as media:
consumer, you have to exert more effort to look past the information and … owned, controlled ad managed by indigenous people in order for
check its validity and relevance to you. Information may also become them to develop and produce culturally appropriate information in the
obsolete and may not be applicable to current contexts and utility. In your languages understood by the community by utilizing indigenous materials
case as students, you are expected to discern the changes in the content and and resources, reflecting community needs and interest groups. It is
claims of the information that you locate, use, and share. highly participatory, involving the community members in planning,
Uncertainty is a key driver for one to seek information. As someone management and production.
curious about how things work, you would like to reduce this uncertainty by  AIPP (2014)
consulting various materials that come from different sources. These sources
may be in the form of indigenous or community knowledge, physical Also known as community media, indigenous media is any form of media
materials in archives such as libraries, multimedia, texts, and objects found in that is created and controlled in the community, for the community, about the
the internet, or media messages from the different mass media forms. community and by the community (either a geographic community or a
community of identity or interest) [and] is separate from commercial media,
state-run media, public broadcasting.
Indigenous Knowledge and Indigenous Media Indigenous communities are typically known to adhere to oral tradition of
A rather unconventional source for information is the so-called communication. This means that they are not reliant on mainstream media.
indigenous knowledge (IK). Indigenous knowledge is defined by Warren They store information in their memories so the danger of losing the
(1991) as the “knowledge that is unique to a given culture or society.” information is greater. Information exchange is characterized by face-to-face
interaction, limiting the transfer and access of information over long distances
IK contrasts with the international knowledge system generated by and containing it within the borders of the community. And because of this,
universities, research institutions and private firms. It is the basis for
24
the creation and maintenance of indigenous media helps in storing to information among indigenous peoples (IPs). An example in the Philippines
indigenous knowledge for posterity. is the Northern Dispatch Weekly, or NORDIS, which is a weekly newspaper
covering the Ilocos Region, the Cordilleras, and the Cagayan Valley region
The AIPP observed that “the ASEAN media landscape is generally places where indigenous communities in Northern Luzon live. NORDIS
characterized by an urban-centric media system in flow, content, extends its effort for media to reach the IPs and the rural communities. The
consumption and ownership that limits indigenous people’s access to media newspaper is a nonprofit and promotes a more democratic ownership of media
and information and news coverage of their own issues and conditions.” facilities, and more reader-oriented industry practitioners.
Some of the other observations of the group include the following:
The Library as Repository of Information
 Flow of information starting from metropolitan areas, tending to be
one-way as no effective mechanisms are in place for media You know libraries to be places “in which literary, musical, artistic, or
organizations to gather news from rural indigenous areas. reference materials (as books, manuscripts, recordings, or films) are kept for
 Distant locations of many indigenous territories and poor use but not for sale (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary).” Libraries came
infrastructures as big obstacles to indigenous peoples’ access to into existence because of the birth of printing press.
information from mass media.
Libraries are evaluated on the extent of their collection of materials and
 Complex biases and serious lack of interest in the lives of indigenous
the kinds and quality of services they offer to information seekers. Libraries
communities in news coverage and selection of mainstream media.
are expected to select and provide you contents that are easy to access.
 Privately owned mainstream media catering more to interests of
Libraries are considered to be stewards of good information collection.
urban consumers rather than the needs of rural communities,
particularly indigenous ones. Libraries bought books (which they then owned ), organized them,
made them available through library facilities, and took steps to ensure
Indigenous Media as Tool for Expression and Participation
the longevity of the volumes for future use… Libraries acquire and secure
Information offered by indigenous media is primarily to “open up other ownership of digital content (typically through license), store the content
spaces for the discussion of indigenous peoples’ issues (AIPP, 2005).” New on local servers, and make it accessible to a target community. Libraries
media and ICT infrastructures have dramatically helped boost community attempt, as protocols permit, to ensure long-term access to the digital
media in certain parts of ASEAN region “providing the opportunity for collection through license conditions and through practices to create
extending communication outreach in remote rural areas.” The AIPP added backup and redundancy, and to migrate the content over time. In a
that the indigenous youth of some ASEAN countries are exploring online variation of the model, some libraries host commercial content or
platforms such as social media for their news and information consumption. centrally manage content of other campus units. In both of these cases,
the classic collection stewardship model is sustained largely intact. A
In the ASEAN region, there are indigenous organizations that have defining characteristic of this traditional model is the library’s ability to
initiated the promotion of freedom of expression and have increased access
25
exercise primary responsibility for and control over the content and
future access to that content. Media
PROS CONS
Type/Form
- Council on Library and Information Resources
 Portable/transferable  “Print is dead” or is it?
The main role of a library is to organize and provide you access to information  Costly typesetting and
information. This role is no longer static or limited to purely collecting  Affordable by volume, design
physical materials for archiving. It has extended to acquiring new modes of depending on size of print  Costly publication in
providing information such as the use of digital sources and facilities that run multilingual editions
utilize media. A library is one place where you can expect ne search  Enduring medium that can  Expensive storage and
strategies to be employed, thus, motivating information seekers like you to be Books last for many years shipping
more adept in effectively and efficiently locating information.
 Ideal for content that may  Prohibitively expensive
Libraries are no longer limited to being repositories of informational not change drastically over reprinting/revising of
materials. Modern libraries are connected to the internet to provide library time (historical, academic outdated information
uses of a myriad of sources and databases from various places in the world. works, catalogues of  Environmental issues
According to the Council on Library and Information Resources, “Library cultural artifacts/works of
Facilities also serve a social function, providing a common ground for users art)
to interact or a neutral site for individuals from different disciplines to come  Loyal (but shrinking)  Newspaper valid only for
together. readership a day
Magazines  Target a geographical area  Message can be lost
Media as Information Tools and  Can be shared with others (most papers have more
Apart from indigenous knowledge and library sources, media also Newspapers  Inserts and leaflets attracts than 60% advertising)
provides information as previously stated in the earlier modules in this unit. attention  Magazines have niche
Media has been extensively discussed in Module 2. For your purpose of audiences
understanding media as a source of information, ponder on the advantages
 Reaches many  Expensive production
and disadvantages of each media type shown in Table 5.1 as outlined by the
demographics, literate or  May or may not hold
World Heritage Communication and Media Training Workshop in 2013.
Cinema illiterate interest attention
 Can be entered in
local/international film
Table 5.1 Pros and Cons of the Different Types of Media as Sources of festivals and competitions
Information
26
for further exposure  24/7 interaction with target

 Trusted medium with loyal  Niche market: stations audiences
followers cater to specific types of
 Community radio has loyal listeners
audiences interested in  Audience will tune out
local activities  Background medium  Reach the correct audience  Very time consuming to
Radio
 National broadcasters can (hard to hold attention) through hashtags/following engage directly with
carry messages for  Difficult to incite action relevant groups followers
nationwide events (hard to remember  Attract large number of  Need to keep content
broadcasted contact people in short time fresh across platforms to
details or website URLs  Drive traffic to other stay visible
communication actions  Cannot control the
 Quickly spreads the  Expensive
 Bring people together message or how people
message on different  Short message that must
channels and times of day  Gather information about react to online contents
be repeated to sink in Social Media
target  Campaigns can get
 Improves credibility  Advertisements can be
 Easy feedback hijacked by detractors
 Best suited for large-scale skipped through PVRs
Television  Place for real-life  Bad news can go viral
communications activities (Personal Video
experiences to be  Mistakes can happen in
Recorders)
exchanged real time with thousands
 Traditional TV is less
watched by younger  Give a voice to timid of witnesses
people  Negative feedback cannot
people
be ignored
 Main point of contact  Perceived difficulty to set  Do not capture tone
between user and audience up
 Acts as a hub for all other  High cost maintenance
World Wide activities/content (constant updating) Evaluating Your Information Sources
Web (audio/video/text/events/so  Information control
cial media aggregator) When the information suits your needs, it is considered of good quality.
 Easy to access from To measure information quality, you may consider the following aspects.
multiple platforms
27
1. The information provided by a source is credible and reliable. One

aspect of judging credibility of information is the reputation of the
source. The authoritativeness of the information and the source must
be readily verifiable; otherwise, the information may not be useful.
2. Breadth and depth of the discussion on a topic is also a consideration.
The extent of the research done by the source to organize the
information is an indication of rigor and judiciousness. A lazy source
is one who is content on providing secondary and tertiary sources as
well as popular and less academic information.
3. The information can be cross-referenced. This means that the
information can also be checked in other sources and can be
supported by them.
4. The manner on how the information has been dealt with by the source
is ethical and legal.
ESSENTIAL LEARNING
Almost everything at your grasp is a source of information. It just

depends on what you need them for and how you use them. When the
information is unrefined or unprocessed, it is called raw data. The data will
only make sense when it is interpreted and utilized based on your needs.
Validity, reliability, credibility, and relevance are the primary considerations
for evaluating information. But not all sources offer the same quality of
information. These sources may be indigenous or community knowledge,
physical materials libraries, or media resources. As you strive to become
more media and information literate, the higher is the expectation to be
judicious and more selective and critical of your information sources because
quality is everything with the vast information you can assess.
28

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SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

Explaining the Communication Process through Models

Fig. 1.1. Laswell’s Communication Model

The model is relatively straightforward and tells you that communication

2. Ritual or expressive model. This is an alternative way of looking at

A Closer Look at Media and Information

Language Acquisition  Recognizing speech sounds and attach useful.

Social Responsibility  Taking a moral stand that certain

Media form Traditional New Fig 2.1. Evolution of Media

Milestones in Media Evolution

(communicationtheory.org.) total media and communication to serve unlimited private franchise.

Module 3 Information Literacy  Determine the extent of information needed

for further exposure  24/7 interaction with target

1. The information provided by a source is credible and reliable. One

Almost everything at your grasp is a source of information. It just

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