More than Just Disasters: Shedding Light on Global Development and the Media

Media Awareness Network creates new educational resources on media and global issues

Ottawa, May 21, 2008 - Media Awareness Network (MNet) is marking World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development with the release of a new series of lessons for students in Grades 7-12. The lessons, which were funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and are available free on MNet's Web site, offer young people a better understanding of how media portrayals affect our view of global development issues.

"Mass media can bring the world to our doorstep, but have they given us a distorted picture?" says MNet Co-Executive Director Jane Tallim. "Cyclones, earthquakes and tsunamis make the news - but what else do the media show us of the developing world? How can we use the Internet to go beyond sensational images and stereotypes?"

Developed in collaboration with educators from across Canada and designed to support social studies curriculum outcomes, Beyond Media Messages: Media Portrayal of Global Development includes four lessons in English and in French.

The lessons - Media Portrayal of Global Development; Celebrities and World Issues; Finding and Authenticating Online Information on Global Development; and Making Media for Democratic Citizenship - address how media influence our views of developing nations and global development efforts and teach students how to read or view media portrayals critically and become media authors to promote democratic citizenship.

A portal page to the lessons can be found on MNet's Web site.

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About Media Awareness Network
Media Awareness Network is a Canadian not-for-profit centre of expertise in media education. Its vision is to ensure children and youth possess the necessary critical thinking skills and tools to understand and actively engage with media. MNet's programs are funded by its public and private sector sponsors, donors and partners, who include: Bell Canada · CTVglobemedia · TELUS · Microsoft Canada · National Film Board of Canada · Government of Canada.

For more information, contact:

Jane Tallim
Co-Executive Director
Media Awareness Network
Tel: (613) 224-7721, Ext. 230

Cathy Wing
Co-Executive Director
Media Awareness Network
Tel: (613) 224-7721, Ext. 227