The news media affect our understanding of ourselves, our societies, our politics.

There is no global issue, no political arena, no academic discipline in which the statement of problems and the framing of possible solutions are not influenced by media coverage.

This Global Media Literacy course is designed to help students and faculty appreciate distinctive international media models and agendas. The course focuses predominately on those media that transmit news and breaking information and uses cross-cultural and cross-regional analysis to assess, analyze and evaluate the stories the media tell.

How and why do different news media send different messages? What are the roles media play in global affairs and policy?

Using information and media awareness strategies, this media literacy program aims to produce a responsible, globally aware person. Adopting the characteristics Oxfam attributes to a global citizen, this media program seeks to produce a person who:

• is aware of the world and his/her own role as a world citizen
  
• respects and values diversity
• understands how the world works, socially, culturally, politically, economically, technologically, environmentally
• is outraged by social injustice
• participates in and contributes to the community at both a local and global level
• is willing to act to make the world a more sustainable place
  
• takes responsibility for his/her actions.

It is hoped that this course will help initiate international norms regarding media literacy’s role in promoting global awareness and understanding.

A powerpoint introducing this program is available: medialiteracypresentation.ppt