Theme: Analyze

What is Analyze?

In media literacy, ANALYZING media content is the process of asking questions about a piece of media in order to identify authorship, credibility, purpose, technique, context, and economics. This includes (but is not limited to):

• Understanding who created a piece of media/information by identifying:
  • The author(s),
  • Whether the author(s) are credible/knowledgeable about the topic,
  • What their intent might be by creating this piece of media–what they want people to think, know, or do in response to this media, 
  • What biases the author(s) has and how that bias is reflected in the content they created. 
• Understanding how the media is constructed by identifying:
  • Techniques used to gain/keep attention,
  • Techniques used to make one think/feel a certain way,
  • Examining the language of the content,
  • Identifying how economics might impact the decisions made when creating a piece of media.
• Examine the content by:
  • Fact checking the information across multiple sources,
  • Looking for evidence-based information,
  • Identifying issues of representation.

Key Questions to ask when ANALYZING media messages:

• Who made this?
• When was it made?
• Who paid for this?
• What does this tell me about [insert topic]?
• What are the sources of information?
• What is left out that might be important to know?
• What techniques are used and why?
• How do the techniques communicate the message?

Additional Reading

How to Conduct a Close Analysis of Media Messages
Center for Media Literacy

Constructivist Media Decoding
Project Look Sharp

Activities/Lessons

Analyzing Media Messages
Scholastic

Analyzing Persuasive Techniques in Historical Media Messages
Library of Congress

Analyzing Primary Source Media
PBS Learning
Grades 6-12

Decoding Media Bias
PBS News Hour
Grades 7-12

Evidence: Do the Facts Hold Up?
NewseumEd
Grades 6-12

Source: Can I trust the creator?
NewseumEd
Grades 6-12

Weed Out Propaganda
NewseumEd
Grades 6-12+

First Contact: Who’s Telling the Story
Project Look Sharp
Grades 6-12

Commercials:  Part 1 | Part 2, Project Look Sharp, Grades PK-2

Questions?

Email us: medialiteracyweek@namle.net!