Part 1. LaunchPad for Media and Culture 12e Media Literacy Activity: Comparing Media Regulation Around the World
Introduction
Activity Objective:
In this activity, you will apply the critical process to compare and contrast different ways that media is regulated in various nations.
Let’s get started! Click the forward and backward arrows to navigate through the slides. You may also click the above outline button to skip to certain slides.
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:
Description: paying close attention, taking notes, and researching the subject under study
Analysis: discovering and focusing on significant patterns that emerge from the description stage
Interpretation: asking and answering “What does that mean?” and “So what?” questions about one’s findings
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
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
Research how at least four different nations regulate their media.
Use the space below to answer the following question.
How does each nation regulate aspects of media, such as content, ownership, production, reception, advertising, etc.?
Analysis
Building on your research, let’s explore what patterns emerge in how each nation regulates media.
Use the space below to answer the following question.
1. In what ways are the nations’ media regulations similar to each other?
2. In what ways are the nations’ media regulations different from each other?
Interpretation
Now, let’s dig deeper into the patterns you identified to interpret your findings.
Use the space below to answer the following question.
1. What do the nations’ approaches to media regulation tell you about their goals, values, etc.?
2. What are the consequences of different approaches to media regulation?
Evaluation
Next, express your views as you assess your findings on media regulation around the world.
Use the space below to answer the following question.
1. What ways of regulating media do you agree with? Why?
2. What ways of regulating media do you disagree with? Why?
3. Use what you know about other nations to evaluate the United States’ media regulation. Do you think the United States should change anything about the way that we regulate media?
Engagement
Let’s take action! Do you think the United States should change anything about the way that we regulate media? If so, here are some ways to engage with media regulation:
- Write your elected representatives or the Federal Communications Commission or the Federal Trade Commission.
- Post your views on social media.
- Create a petition or contact people in media to see what they think of your interpretation and evaluation.
Use the space below to answer the following question.
How might you act to express your views about the way the United States regulates media?