Dabbling in Media Literacy!!!!

In Comm 203, we are now in week six, which means Media Literacy Week.

In a nutshell, media literacy is a determination. It describes how us, people who use and are involved with media, are able to interpret and make decisions the information provided for us.

First, in order to understand media literacy, we must understand how one obtains media information. In the old speech and communication learning, it is taught that interpersonal communication is based on the SMR method, which is to say...

Sender ----> Message ----> Receiver

However, we find one huge problem with the middle term, message.

The word message, comes with a sort of baggage attached, a personal connotation that someone places with the message. Even so, this confusion and sometimes even strenuous decoding of emphasis or ulterior motives of what we thought someone meant. See? even that was confusing..

To eliminate this pesky message; a new term was deemed for collecting media data.

 TEXT!

Yes, the new fancy media term we use is text.

So, what is a text?

Well,

<-------- This is a text

                                  

         ---------------->

        And so is this

But texts can also be books, news, movies, video games,  or body language, or a simple sentence or phrase; basically anything that can be read or interpreted.

By referring to these media objects as texts, we see to eliminate the confusion and unwanted connotation interference.

This brings me to another point, "intertextuality"... now at first glance, it sounds like some nuance of impropriety (haha), but in truth it is a broadly philosophical theory of how we relate one text to the other. In my textbook for my Comm class (not to be confused with the 'texts' we are talking about now) intertextuality is the way that people understand and apply meaning to texts by basing them off of other texts, and other knowledge.

By using intertextuality, it is possible to become media literate by being able to interpret the texts presented to us.

Pictures from

http://media02.hongkiat.com/advertisement_artwork_02/nike-meteors.jpg

http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Third_Party_Photo/2006/11/22/1164197151_7719.jpg

So You Wanna Be a MEDIA RELATIONS MANAGER?

 If you are like me and you love communications, but you like to be organized and be the leader. As tasks go, you manage well. You enjoy the responsibility of people and ideas.  In a media company or other media-oriented group, there will be media personnel, writers, artists, designers, etc. However, to be successful, it not only matters what kind of communication a company has, but rather the quality and literacy of its communicators.
Enter Media Relations Manager.Not only do they have to have the most understanding of the company or business, but also work to regulate and summaries all media activities within the group. Like a jack of all trades, Media Relations Managers, in addition to formulating relationship between their company and the media, also are in charge of any media-communication that occurs. Whether it be editing writers' material, approving designs, or implementing a communications structure, it's a field of all tastes. And for eighty-five grand a year, the pay is not too shabby either.
Related to a Media Relations Manager, but more centralized to a specific field, a Managing Editor. With a position managing a small group of people with a more interconnected goal, all writers, or all freelancers, Managing Editors must make sure all publication information is accurate. Not such a difficult career, but one more driven towards print communication rather than all types. Slightly lower salary however than a Media Relations Manager, about three grand less. However for specialization in one field, that is not so much to give up, and it is probably an easier field to get into.
Not only can these careers be applied in the print section of communications, but also in television, radio, public relations, journalism, and design. Don't expect to get the job right away though, most organizations require years of experience before you make it to one of these higher up positions.
For more information about these two career options: Media Relations Manager Managing Editor  

Please enjoy the sound of the day, ambition- themed career researching music! ^_^