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Firstly, it should be known that our feelings, thoughts
and attitudes aremanipulated bymedia and that
it is driven by ratings, in other words, andmoney.
Media literacy is a concept which urges you to realize
that everything you see and hear is fictional and
emphasizes that media content can bemanipulated.
Given this, media literacy provides a perspective
for individuals to seemore clearly the boundaries
between the real world and theworld fictionalized by
media.
CURRENT SITUATION IN THEWORLD
The European Center for Media Literacy describes its
mission as supporting children and adults in living and
learning in a global media culture.. The center thinks
this is onlypossible throughmedia literacy education
developed especially for children.The aims of the
center’s education programare as follows:
●
To understand that themediawas established
to transfer notions, information and news via
someone else’s perspective;
●
To understand that special techniques are used to
create emotional effects;
●
To realize the purposes and effects of those
techniques;
●
To understand that themedia serves the interests
of some peoplewhile excluding others;
●
To askwho takes advantage of andwho is
excluded from themedia and find answers to these
questions;
●
To find alternative information and entertainment
sources;
●
To usemedia for one’s own benefits and pleasure;
●
To be active rather than passive.
UNESCO’S OPINION
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) has put an emphasis onmedia
literacy education since the end of 1970s. Having
stressed that media literacy education should be given
throughout one's lifetime starting frompre-school
period, UNESCO endeavored to create an international
awareness on thismatter. The first call madewithin
this scopewas “Grünwald Declaration onMedia
Education”. The declaration reads as follows:
“We therefore call upon the competent authorities to
initiate and support comprehensivemedia education
programs - frompre-school to university level, and in
adult education - the purpose of which is to develop
the knowledge, skills and attitudes whichwill
encourage the growth of critical awareness and,
consequently, of greater competence among the
users of electronic and print media. Ideally, such
programs should include the analysis of media
products, the use of media asmeans of creative
expression, and effective use of and participation in
availablemedia channels”.
CURRENT SITUATION IN TURKEY
Discussions on howmedia literacy can protect
youth, especially children, from the negative effects
of media have becomemore popular in Turkey since
themid-2000s. Researchers keep coming upwith
newprograms andmeasures to explain themeaning
and importance of media literacy. The Turkish Radio
and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) brought up
thematter to its agendawhen scientists started
focusing on it. As a result, an initiativewas then
launched in order tomakemedia literacy education
an elective course in primary schools.
MEDIA LITERACY IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS
Curriculum for media literacywas prepared by a
committee of experts from the National Ministry
of Education and the RTÜK and academicians who
work on communication. The programwas prepared
with opinions and suggestions fromcommunication
experts, sociologists and education experts. It
was accepted after being discussed at the Turkish
Education Board of theMinistry of National
Education in Aug. 8, 2006.
Pilot scheme of the project was launched in the
2006-2007 academic year. Within this context,
780 seventh-grade students fromfive primary
schools in five cities tookmedia literacy course. The
subject was offered in primary schools in Turkey
as an elective for sixth, seventh and eighth grade
students. According to data obtained from the
Ministry of National Education, just over 1 million
students across Turkey took course in the 2008-
2009 academic year.
Seminars, informative and introductorymeetings
were held for educators offering this course. It is still
being discussedwhether the number of students
enrolled inmedia literacy should be increased and
whether the class can be taught by graduates
with communication degrees after making it a
compulsory course.
yesilay.org.tr
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YEŞiLAY
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October-November-December 2015