Covering controversy

The hottest media story in the past week has been the instantly infamous New Yorker cover portraying Barack Obama and his wife Michelle as terrorists. Though the Obama campaign has been measured in its response, media outlets – and particularly bloggers – have been vocal in their disapproval. Some have suggested that the cover crosses the line from satire into hate speech, while others accuse TheNew Yorker of giving ‘aid and comfort to the enemy' by visually depicting the smears and misconceptions that have been aimed at the candidate.

The impact of stereotyping on young people

Generations of North American children have grown up watching “cowboys and Indians” films and TV shows and reading books such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Little House on the Prairie. Popular films and novels reinforced the notion that Indigenous people existed only in the past—forever chasing buffalo or being chased by the cavalry. These images showed them as destined to remain on the margins of “real” society. Such impressions and childhood beliefs, set at an early age, are often the hardest to shake: as Anishinaabe writer Jesse Wente explains, “In the absence of appropriate representations of Indigenous Peoples in the media, misrepresentations become the accepted ‘truth.’”^[1]

Outcome Chart - Ontario - English 11 Workplace Preparation

This outcome chart contains media education learning outcomes from the Ontario, Curriculum for English, Grade 11, with links to supporting resources on the MediaSmarts site.

Outcome Chart - Ontario - Introduction to Computer Programming 11 College ISC3C

This outcome chart contains media-related learning outcomes from the Ontario Introduction to Computer Programming 11 College ISC3C curriculum, with links to supporting resources on the MediaSmarts site.

Outcome Chart - New Brunswick - Goals, Growth and Grit: Skills for Success 120 (Grade 9)

Goals, Growth, and Grit: Skills for Success 120 will provide students with skills in three main areas - positive and productive mindsets and behaviours, organizational patterns, as well as functional and critical literacy. Within the broad learning expectations of the course, specific success skills, strategies, and practices will be explored. Students will be supported to apply and transfer these skills, strategies, and practices to other courses and real-life situations. Students will learn how these support postgraduate pursuits

Teen Focus in a Many Media World

My middle daughter, age 13, read the novel The Outsiders last year. She loved it, and like any good mom who was raised in the 1980s, I bought her a DVD copy of the classic movie. She loved the film version, too.

Manitoba - Multi-Camera Production for Broadcast Media 11A

Goal 3: Demonstrate an understanding of broadcasting theory and media literacy

GLO 3.1: Demonstrate an understanding of broadcasting theory.

11A.3.1.3 Discuss the roles and responsibilities of each member of a multicamera production team, including the director, camera operator, switcher, audio operator, and video playback operator.

Outcome Chart - Manitoba - Broadcast Media 35S

Common Outcomes

Students will…

3. Assess textual, numerical, aural, and visual information, as well as the source of the media, to determine context, perspective, bias, and/or motive. (G-3.2)

4. Self-assess ICT representations and go beyond established criteria by enhancing meaning and/or artistry, according to topic, audience, purpose, and occasion. (Pr-3.2)

Outcome Chart - British Columbia - English 11 First Peoples: Literary Studies + New Media

Big Ideas

• The exploration of text and story deepens our understanding of diverse, complex ideas about identity, others, and the world.
• First Peoples texts and stories provide insight into key aspects of Canada’s past, present, and future.
• Texts are socially, culturally, geographically, and historically constructed
• Self-representation through authentic First Peoples text is a means to foster justice.
• New media influence people’s understandings of

LOLs and OMGs: texting, sexting, and kids

Our kids are coming of age at a time that things like online shopping, Facetime, and texting are all normal everyday occurrences. Technology is enabling people to do some pretty amazing things, and even communicate in a whole new way using a new language. You may know this as texting.