Core Concepts of Media Literacy 

Media messages are constructed: 

Media is “constructed” by nature. From your favorite streaming show to a news story on your social media feed, it takes a group of people to create various messages and establish it into media that is accepted as normal, truthful, or real by various audiences. 

It doesn’t mean that forms of media cannot have a sense of purpose or truth. Nonetheless, by viewing media as “constructed,” it allows us to ask this key question: Who created this message, and what is its purpose? 

Media is constructed with creative language with its own set of rules: 

Because the media we consume is visually dominant, audiences must know the essence of visual communication. When you see an advertisement on TV, it may be helpful to note what you notice. If it is a political ad, what kind of colors do you usually see? If it is a commercial for a Marvel movie, why are there certain props involved or symbols involved? The way media makers use techniques such as lighting, composition, camera angles, and editing can influence the meanings and even feelings we experience through our consumption of media. By understanding the way media uses words and visuals, people are less likely to fall victim to manipulation and more likely to find meaning and enjoyment in the media they consume.

People all experience the same message differently:

Just because you and a friend watch the same show, doesn’t mean you will both share the same interpretation of that program. Our differences as people influence the way we view media, and that is often dictated by life experiences and our age, gender, culture, and so forth. 

In turn, our ability to both hold our own interpretation and hear the interpretations of others gives us the analysis and critical thinking skills to respect and appreciate different opinions and cultures. 

Media has embedded values and points of view: 

All forms of media have a set of values, attitudes, and points of view that demonstrate who or what is important. Media makers construct messages and make choices every day about who to feature in news stories and what issues to present in billboard advertisements, for example. 

Often, values and viewpoints become so embedded in media that they reinforce existing social structures and systems. It is no surprise, then, that many people in the U.S. feel their ideas, perspectives, and voices are not fairly represented in news or media culture. It’s also unsurprising that, unless challenged, traditional values and viewpoints perpetuate stereotypes that limit critical thinking. 

Holding essential critical thinking and analysis skills allows us to identify which media we should accept or reject. More importantly, identifying which perspectives are missing from media discourse allows us to present fairer, more holistic viewpoints of our society as a whole.

Most media messages are organized to gain profit and/or power: 

The majority of media and news outlets across the world operate as business enterprises or are owned/controlled and influenced by a set of people, businesses, and even sets of ideology. 

The importance of media literacy in building civic power. 

This toolkit serves as a beacon, shedding light on the significance of media literacy in building civic power. By the end, you will have a profound understanding of how media literacy can empower people and communities.

Using Public (also known as) ‘Solutions-Based’ Journalism

Solutions-based journalism is a paradigm shift in the Solutions-based journalism is a paradigm shift in the media’s role, emphasizing active participation rather than passive observation. From this perspective, journalism is not just about highlighting problems; it’s also finding answers and engaging the community in this process. 

Local journalists and editors can come together with residents, local groups and advocates to enrich discourse on important social and environmental justice issues. By bringing voices into the mix, we can create a more inclusive, informed and engaging local news scene, paving the way for more effective solutions to unique challenges your community might be facing. 

These are the following core elements of solutions journalism: 

• Treating people as participants in public affairs, not just spectators.

• Enhancing public discourse and fostering civic engagement, rather than detachment.

• Shifting newsrooms, editors, and journalists away from traditional, objective reporting into more participation in civic discourse.

• Viewing newsrooms, the media and journalists as fair-minded observers and facilitators of civic and political debates. 

How it works in the real world: 

In 2022, the Listening Post Collective partnered with local journalists, artists, and media makers in the Inland Empire to produce a series of stories about environmental justice and food security. These two themes were identified as priorities for news audiences who believe there needs to be more reporting and media attention put forward on these topics. 

Nine story grants awarded resulted in media makers producing audio stories, short video documentaries, print news stories, art demonstrations, and other civic media projects that represented community voices and storytellers often overlooked by legacy and traditional media. 

This project included some key features of media literacy practice:

• It brought in different community stakeholders -- journalists, organizers, policy advocates, artists, news producers, and publishers -- to create story-based collaboration at a local level.

• It provided an opportunity for people to deconstruct dominant media narratives and create their own messages based on both fact AND experience.

Public engagement on any issue, including clean air and a healthy climate, relies on a foundation of clear, compelling, concise communication. In the busy media ecosystem described above, most people simply won’t engage with content that isn’t easy to digest (clear), immediately relevant to them (compelling), or succinct (concise). 

The thing is: clear, compelling, and concise communication is actually really hard to pull off. It requires a deep understanding of your audience and of the issues on which you are trying to move them to action. 

In this section, we’ll share some basics of communications strategy so you can best understand how to combat disinformation and industry influence in your policy battles. 

The purpose of the section is twofold:

• First, it can help you shape your communications efforts to advance better clean air, climate, and clean transportation policies in your area. 

• Second, by understanding these basics of communications planning, you can “get into the head” of the well-funded, well-coordinated opposition efforts to keep gas-burning cars and trucks crowding your streets. 

Step 2: Identify your audience.

Who are you trying to reach? Are these your closest partners and volunteers? The broader community? A specific neighborhood or a statewide demographic? Policymakers or the general public? 

To identify this audience, you must consider the goals of the communications campaign, and identify the groups who can be reasonably reached who can positively affect the outcome to achieve that goal. 

Knowing your audience allows you to consider their particular needs and experiences. What concerns will this group have that others might not? 

Consider how to use language to best connect with your audience. Think about whether you should be using formal or informal language to speak to the target group, and which language – English, Spanish, Mandarin, etc. – is best to use

[Example: Faith leaders will often invoke readings and rhetoric from their respective scriptures to connect with their audience. Advocates with faith-based messengers can reach these audiences by tapping into the language and themes of religious teachings.]

Demographic information can be useful here (age range, ethnicity, nationality, gender identity, cultural backgrounds, education, etc.), but it is not crucial to get bogged down in data. Rather, ask yourself: who are we speaking to? What do we have in common? How do I connect with these people in spaces where they are already talking? 

In many instances, these groups will be your community, so this will be simple enough. In other cases, you might have to find messengers who will more easily connect with your target audience.

Working question: Who is the best messenger to speak to:

• Policymakers?

• A church group?

• A local labor union?

• A broader group of likely voters?

Other questions worth considering while identifying your audience:

• What might the audience be interested in related to my topic?

• What commonalities do I have with the audience?

• What questions might the audience ask?

• Is the audience already involved in a similar project or campaign or active on a similar issue? 

• What is their current level of engagement? 

• Are there competing influencers in the area who are already speaking to this audience?

Step 3: Identify Key Messages

What are the core ideas that will help you achieve the desired policy or change or behavior? What are the themes that will speak to your target audiences in a meaningful and persuasive way? 

An effective message should attempt to communicate why this campaign goal or project is important and timely in as clear, concise, and simple a way as possible. This message will be consistent across all of your communications channels, from social media posts to handouts to press releases to speeches and testimonies.

In developing the key messages, you need to consider what issues are important to your key audiences. What will resonate with them? What will help you obtain their support? What is your “hook?”

Step 4: From Communications Strategy to Communications Plan

By identifying and naming your goal, your audience, and your key messages, you’ve just created the foundation of a strong Communications Strategy. 

An effective communications strategy is not to be confused with a communications plan, which takes all of the above and refines it into action. A strategy helps us understand what we want to do, whereas a plan lays out the practical steps of how we will accomplish these goals. 

At this stage, you can start to turn your strategy into action with a real tangible plan, and you consider the appropriate tools and tactics to realize the objectives and messages you outlined. 

Here is where you decide what media, channels and methods are the best fit for your goals. Given the number of options, matching the right tools to the right job requires some planning. It’s about finding the most effective ways of reaching your target audiences in a timely and cost-efficient way, and in a way that is realistic for your group’s resources and capacity. .

Creating a timeline is crucial. Your audience has to physically see or read or hear the message before they can be persuaded by it. Try planning your advocacy actions at key moments — when people are usually online, in a public space to see a demonstration, or before a big legislative vote or regulatory hearing. 

Similarly, a budget is especially important when you have limited funds, as you need to maximize how each dollar is spent.

A good budget will the following:

Clearly outlines costs and expectations in your budget for a certain timeframe.

Is realistic and specific about what things actually cost.

Identifies the areas and levels of expertise you’re missing before hiring staff, interns, or

consultants.

Considers how partnering with like-minded organizations can maximize the effectiveness and reach of your advocacy communications.

Module 1 Wrap-Up: Media Literacy and Communications 101

Hopefully, this module has provided a solid foundation of the media and communications landscape. The goal here is to give you tips and strategies for running your own communications campaigns, and also to show you the approaches that savvy communications and PR professionals take. Understanding how communications experts work the media landscape will help you notice when they are active tactics and techniques in your communities.

This should prove especially valuable as we examine how front groups and other bad faith actors work to slow or halt progress on clean air and a healthy climate. 

Additional resources

Strategic Communications Plan Template, from the Rasmuson Foundation

Worksheet: Crafting your media advocacy plan, from the Berkeley Media Studies Group, can help you identify key moments in the political process or opportunities such as holidays, anniversaries, or other key dates far enough in advance that you can prepare and act effectively.