Media Literacy Activity: Investigating Local Ownership of Radio Stations

Introduction

Activity Objective

In this activity, you will apply the critical process to learn more about which organizations own the top stations in your own radio market.

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Reviewing the Critical Process

Developing a media-literate critical perspective involves mastering five overlapping stages that build on one another. Let’s review the critical process you’ll be using below:

  1. 1. Description: paying close attention, taking notes, and researching the subject under study
  2. 2. Analysis: discovering and focusing on significant patterns that emerge from the description stage
  3. 3. Interpretation: asking and answering “What does that mean?” and “So what?” questions about one’s findings
  4. 4. Evaluation: arriving at a judgment about whether something is good, bad, or mediocre, which involves subordinating one’s personal taste to the critical “bigger picture” resulting from the first three stages
  5. 5. Engagement: taking some action that connects our critical perspective with our role as citizens to question our media institutions, adding our own voice to the process of shaping the cultural environment

Description

First, determine the top eight radio stations in your radio market. Look at the Nielsen Topline Ratings site for your market, which you can find at Nielsen Topline Ratings or by searching for “Nielsen Topline Ratings.”

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Analysis

Now, focus on the patterns that emerge.

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Interpretation

Next, let’s dig deeper into the patterns you identified to interpret your findings.

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Evaluation

Through the following questions, express your views as you assess the trends in media ownership.

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Engagement

Let’s take action! Use what you have learned to engage with media ownership moving forward. For example, one way to get involved is to join your college or university radio station and start producing local content.

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