Media and Information Literacy Repository – South Asia

Visualization in various aspects requires students to understand the meaning clearly, particularly through the skill of visual perception. This article examines how students' visual perception skills are applied in interpreting advertisements. The research method employed is a descriptive qualitative approach with multimodal analysis (linguistics, visual, audio, gestural, and spatial) to uncover the meanings behind advertisements. The respondents involved in this study are students from two universities in Indonesia. The results indicate that students tend to engage more with digital-based advertisements than non-digital ones, with a clear preference for video ads over static images. Additionally, Indonesian students successfully applied multimodal analyses to various types of advertisements. These findings have practical implications for educational practices, especially in enhancing visual literacy and developing critical skills for understanding and creating media. The significance of visual literacy in global educational contexts is highlighted, providing insight into its potential applications in curriculum development and advertising literacy.

The study explores possible methods of assessing the level of advertising literacy by examining it in juxtaposition with artificial intelligence (AI) and human judgement. The ability to understand advertisements is an important part of being able to correctly interpret information in the media, which helps people recognize techniques in advertising and make decisions based on recognition. Traditional approaches to testing advertising literacy, such as surveys, tests, and qualitative techniques, are important, but have limited scope and granularity of analysis. New technologies that incorporate artificial intelligence allow for deeper exploration of behavior and emotion using hybrid models that combine the accuracy of artificial intelligence with human understanding. The present exploration assesses the possibilities and includes attributes such as effectiveness, benefits and barriers of AI-driven tools and combined technologies. The results suggest the necessity to develop tools for specific target groups and propose methods for combining technological advances with human aspects in order to improve the assessment of advertising literacy. The study highlights the potential of using flexible and easily scalable methods to cope with the increasing complexity of advertising in the current digital age.

In our interconnected world, people are witnessing a dramatic increase in access to information and communication. Nevertheless, discerning trustworthy sources, validating information, distinguishing between fact and opinion, determining what content to share, and navigating other related challenges have become increasingly complex. Therefore, people should acquire the knowledge, skill, belief, and behavior to consume and create news informedly and ethically. As young individuals transition into adulthood, they begin to take charge of their life decisions. At this juncture, they must acquire news literacy skills. Thus, the au-thors developed an intervention to enhance news literacy among this age group in a College of Science and Technology employing the student's media competence (SuMeC) framework. Following a three-month training period, the participants' literacy proficiency was assessed through assignments using the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcomes (SOLO) taxonomy. The study adds new dimensions to the existing research pool by focusing on how and to what extent college students apply the competencies in everyday life. The findings demonstrate that the intervention effectively integrates news literacy skills among them and the intervention sets an example of how to generate news literacy skills among students in Indian settings.

With our paper we analyze four renowned media literacy models from Germany, UK and USA to derive, through comparisons, the necessary core competencies which apply to all professions and that are valid across disciplines. In the results, as key-competencies, we identified critical analysis as essential to be able to act as self determined individuals in so called mediatized societies. Further results show that media literacy learning can be developed in formal learning settings, as well as in non formal and in informal learning settings that complement each other. Media literacy promotion is therefore a cross-disciplinary task for all kinds of professionals in the educational and social systems. With referring to the concept of mediatization, we also show the deep social impact of media on people’s lives and explain why it is helpful to see media literacy learning as part of lifelong learning. We finally conclude, that the terms «teaching media literacy» and «media literacy education» are no longer applicable. Instead, we highly recommend the terms «promoting media literacy» and «media literacy learning». By seeing media literacy learning as a cross-disciplinary task and as a process of lifelong learning, our findings can help to unify discussions about media literacy on a global level.

Reception analysis takes into consideration not only individual differences but also cultural differences. On the other hand, there are diverse factors determining audience’s reception and active participation. Education, age, sex, economical status, family background, ethnicity, world –view and similar factors affect the reception process. Besides that, being media literate and fostering a critical approach towards media texts also determines reception. Taking into account all these factors, this research is designed as a comparative reception analysis. We will be comparing the reception of a global product by youngsters (Survivor Show) within the scope of media literacy education and cultural differences. For that purpose we realized focus group discussions with communication faculty students from Spain and Turkey. The research was realized in the framework of literature review including the above mentioned topics.

The article explores how television parody can function as a form of media literacy education. It argues that parody, by using humor and entertainment, can help audiences understand how television works—particularly the techniques, conventions, and persuasive strategies used in media texts. The paper focuses on the animated sitcom The Simpsons, which is widely known for its satirical and parodic style. The author suggests that the show acts as an informal media educator by humorously exposing and critiquing the structures and practices of television itself. Through parody, the program highlights how television narratives, advertising strategies, and promotional messages are constructed.

Media literacy is of fundamental importance for democracy, as it enables individuals to better navigate the complexity of digital media, critically evaluate media content and assess the trustworthiness of media representations. By promoting media literacy, societies can counter disinformation, misinformation, oversimplifications and manipulative practices in public discourse, thereby safeguarding principles of informed citizens’ engagement. Structural position of the individual in the socio‑economic envi‑ ronment affects their media literacy. As individuals navigate their behaviour, they often draw upon social norms, roles and expectations as reference points for what is consid‑ ered appropriate conduct. Thus, while individuals exercise agency in their behaviour, their choices contribute to the maintenance and reinforcement of the social structure. In this article, we examine the relationship between socio‑economic factors and media literacy, with a particular focus on how an individual’s socio‑economic standing influ‑ ences their ability to critically analyse and evaluate media content. We emphasise that the socio‑economic context not only impacts media literacy but also shapes social behaviour in ways that reinforces existing socio‑economic boundaries

The high use of media among adolescents is involved in negative social and health consequences. Therefore, it is critical that adolescents acquire the skills to interact with media content in a healthy way. This study aimed to identify the dimensions and concept of media health literacy (MHL) among adolescents. In this qualitative study, specialists (n = 19) in the field of health education and promotion, as well as a wide range of activists in the field of media and communication and adolescents (n = 20), who met the inclusion criteria were participated in this study. Participants were recruited by purposive sampling. Exploratory, open-ended, and face-to-face interviews based on the interview guide were used to elicit participants' perspectives from October 2021 to May 2022 in Tehran, Iran. The interviews were analyzed by content analysis using the inductive method and MAXQDA 2020. A total of eight health education and promotion specialists (20.51%), nine media and communication specialists (23.07%), two software and programming instructors (5.12%), and 20 adolescents (51.28%) were included in the study. Analysis of qualitative data led to the identification of five categories (media literacy (ML), health literacy (HL), media reference, interactive communication literacy, and basic literacy (BL)) and 25 subcategories. Our findings provide a deep understanding of the concept and domains of MHL. Based on the results, MHL can be defined as a set of knowledge and individual skills needed in the fields of ML, HL, interactive communication literacy, media reference, and BL, which help achieve the appropriate state of MHL among adolescents and its improvement. It is hoped that these findings are used to guide the development of interventions for MHL.

Due to the progressive visualization of everyday communication, it has become increasingly important to understand images and think and learn in terms of images. There should not be any surprise, therefore, that educators express a need to introduce visual literacy into the curriculum. However, the concrete tools to address this need are still missing. The variety of visual methods and approaches provided by visual studies’ literature does not seem to be particularly useful when applied to education. Therefore, I suggest that a focus on teaching the interpretation of journalistic photographs is a crucial component of contemporary education, because it develops students’ visual literacy skills while addressing current requirements in Higher Education, which expect students to be able to interpret, use and create images. Journalistic photographs are commonly perceived as a medium of communication, which informs about current events, or illustrates certain issues, while due to its connotative intertextual potential it can also support teaching. This study evaluates various visual methods and discusses their application to the interpretation of journalistic photographs with the aim of improving the education of visual literacy. To achieve this objective, I propose an approach that will examine two dimensions of photographic interpretation: denotation and connotation. Furthermore, by identifying particular elements of well-established visual methods and techniques, I develop a model tool that can be used in visual literacy classes for the interpretation of journalistic photographs.

The aim of this portfolio is to explore a journey of research examining the role of photography and visual literacy in contemporary society through the lens of COVID-19 media coverage, attending to the misrepresentation of marginalized communities. The digital revolution has made a significant impact on the way photographs are created, modified, and shared, yet not enough attention is devoted to investigating the implications of this shift. Images published on online platforms, including mainstream media, social media and elsewhere, continue to function as public pedagogy, influencing the ways we understand the pandemic, the world, and ourselves. This portfolio presents four artifacts which contribute to the discourse examining the role of visual culture and visual literacy following the digital turn. These items include 1) a literature review; 2) chapters from a book which examines visual documentation of the Capitol Riots; 3) a visual synthesis of a media observatory study which examines discourse on social media and finally, 4) an educational video presentation exploring visual literacy through the lens of COVID-19 media coverage.

The proliferation of images and their increased use in academic and everyday information practices has sparked an interest in visual literacy as an area of research and library instruction. Teaching approaches and student learning are examined using a variety of research methods and utilizing images in the research process. This paper provides a review of research methodology adopted in empirical studies of visual literacy that were published in academic journals between 2011 and 2017. The results indicate that one third (33%) of the examined studies adopted a quantitative approach with surveys being the most popular strategy. Qualitative and mixed-methods studies were a minority but represented a greater variety of strategies and data collection techniques. One third (33%) of the studies in the sample did not report any research methodology. Most of the studies (87%) used visual evidence in the research process

This article introduces an approach to creative media literacy for world issues (WIs) such as Covid-19. In so doing, the article integrates four positions on discourse and media as terrible facets of globalization in the context of critical discourse analysis (CDA). The objectivist position deals with WIs as neutral discourse shared among humanity and distributed through English as an international language and educational media. The ideologist position treats creative media literacy as relations of power between global and local identities in the form of competing discourses associated with WIs. The rhetorical position reveals the hidden strategies used in global media discourse and English as a global language. The social constructionist position provides three levels of analysis for creative media literacy among university students: textual analysis, discourse analysis, and critical discourse analysis. The article concludes with guidelines on how lecturers can implement this approach with English as a foreign language (EFL) students.

Mass media as news producers can be classified into two groups: incorporated and unincorporated mass media. Although both can produce news with the same topic according to actual conditions, the narratives built are not the same. In response to this, readers' criticality is needed to sort out objective and not tendentious information so that the information does not trigger social conflict in the community. This study aims to compare the characteristics of news discourse of the two mass media groups with a critical discourse analysis approach within the framework of media literacy. Data on legal mass media is based on data on the dewanpers.or.id page. The results show that there are obvious differences from the point of view of linguistic features between the news of digital mass media with legal status and those without legal status. This research is expected to be a policy reference for the government in fostering mass media and society.

This case-study reports on a Multimodal Discourse Analysis (MDA)-based workshop on Media Literacy (ML) held at an Italian middle school in 2022. With a pretest post-test design, 44 participants were asked to complete a questionnaire at the beginning of a 2-hour workshop and then again at the end. The questionnaire was designed to (1) explore the role of multiple semiotic modes in shaping students’ interpretation of a 1-minute video shared on the web, and (2) examine variations in their understanding as a result of the MDA analysis. Results point to the potential of MDA in fostering and leveraging ML among young learners.

This study explores adolescents’ awareness of the sources that inform online profiling and their perspectives on online targeted advertisements. It employs thematic analysis to analyse eight focus group discussions (N = 38) with adolescents (13–16 years) in Finland’s capital region. The study advances research on adolescents’ knowledge of the data gathered for online profiling by highlighting that adolescents infer that apart from previous online activities, data on their verbal conversations also inform targeted advertisements. The study also advances research on adolescents’ perspectives on online targeted advertisements by identifying that adolescents’ privacy expectations in the context of targeted advertisements are that data should not be collected without their awareness and commercial entities should not use data on previous conversations for profiling. This study also pinpoints that online profiling gives some adolescents a privacy-invasive feeling of being observed, and others have a boundary until which they consider online data collection for profiling permissible. Moreover, some adolescents express ambivalent views on online targeted advertisements. The findings reflect some adolescents’ acceptance of online profiling and knowledge gaps that can inform media literacy educators. The findings raise concerns about the opacity of online commercial data-gathering practices. Therefore, we urge corporations to demystify their data collection processes.

Entertainment narratives can substantially influence perceptions of stigmatized groups like people with disabilities. However, existing measures of exposure have not been implemented simultaneously to understand distinctions between self-reported exposure to specific titles of disability-related content and perceived frequency of exposure to disability-related content. In an online survey (N = 347), participants who reported seeing more titles had fewer negative attitudes toward and a decreased need to social distance from disabled people. However, participants who perceived more frequent exposure to disabled characters had lower satisfaction with disabled characters being played by people with those disabilities. This study has implications for communication scholar-activists addressing power inequities in society through supporting the empowerment and resilience of marginalized people like those with disabilities.

Disability representation in art and media plays an important role in shaping societal perceptions and values about disabled individuals. This paper examines the evolution of disability portrayals across various art forms and media platforms, from historical depictions rooted in stereotypes to modern, inclusive narratives. It highlights challenges such as “inspiration porn” and other reductive tropes while celebrating emerging examples of authentic and intersectional representations. Furthermore, it investigates how art and media can challenge societal norms, promote empathy, and contribute to the empowerment of disabled communities. Through critical analysis, the study emphasizes the need for nuanced portrayals that honor the diversity and complexity of disabled identities.

The Paralympics is globally the largest and most significant sporting event that takes place for athletes with a disability. The 2020 Tokyo Games was heralded as significant in its extensive media coverage that served to promote the disability athletic movement, breaking all broadcasting viewing records from the number of broadcasters, viewers, and a number of events provided live. In the past, however, media reporting of the Paralympic Games has not been without controversy. Stereotypical representations of disability, for example, have often been cited). These involve representations such as framing disability as something to be overcome; where athletes ‘participate’ rather than ‘compete’; and for those with adaptive technology, being portrayed as ‘cyborgs’, rather than as competitive athletes. This article has been driven by the curiosity to determine if media depictions of Paralympic athletes have improved over time. We wished to explore the current representations of the print and television coverage in Australia of the 2020 Tokyo games. Our research found that media coverage did, for the most part, provide coverage of events where Paralympians were represented as athletes first and their disability second. Despite this positive outcome, stereotypes prevailed in both print and television reporting. These included minimalising a person's disability, often to the point of making the disability invisible; focussing on overcoming tragedy; using inspirational language to position athletes as advocates for the disability; the use of patronising language; and the positioning of athletes as needing to be grateful. We conclude that whilst the media in Australia has made significant steps towards representing Paralympians as elite athletes, continued attention and primary focus needs to be given to the athlete’s first narrative.

This essay critically interrogates how mainstream media constructs and perpetuates binary conceptions of gender, focusing on the broader cultural and societal consequences of these representations. Drawing on queer theory and critical cultural studies, it critiques how entrenched media narratives have historically reinforced rigid gender categories while marginalizing nonbinary and gender-fluid identities. Through selected case studies in film, television, and advertising, the analysis reveals both progressive efforts and persistent barriers in portraying gender diversity. While some texts offer meaningful departures from traditional gender constructs, many continue to exhibit superficial inclusivity or reinforce stereotypes. The essay argues for a paradigm shift in media practices, advocating for inclusive storytelling, restructuring creative leadership to amplify diverse voices, and promoting critical media literacy. Reimagining gender beyond the binary is not only a scholarly concern, but a necessary social imperative for fostering equity, visibility, and dignity for all identities.

This study explores the portrayal of women on social media and its implications for gender representation, empowerment, and social work practice. It investigates how digital platforms simultaneously perpetuate stereotypes and foster spaces for resistance and advocacy. Using qualitative content analysis, data were collected from Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok to examine recurring themes in visual and textual portrayals of women. The analysis identified four dominant categories— body image, gender stereotypes, empowerment, and activism—revealing the paradox of social media as both a site of self-objectification and a medium for feminist expression. Findings indicate that while idealized portrayals reinforce unrealistic beauty standards and psychological strain, movements such as #MeToo and #BodyPositivity redefine empowerment and visibility in digital spaces. The study further highlights how intersectionality and algorithmic bias which influence women’s voices are amplified or silenced online, emphasizing the persistence of structural inequalities within digital environments. Integrating social work and media literacy emerges as a transformative approach to fostering critical awareness, resilience, and ethical engagement. Overall, the research contributes to feminist digital scholarship by illuminating the complex interplay between empowerment, inequality, and representation, urging policymakers, educators, and practitioners to promote inclusive, equitable, and socially conscious media practices that advance gender justice in the digital age.

An integrative literature review was conducted according to Coopers’ guidelines in order to critique and integrate issues over the convergence among imaginative/Waldorf pedagogy, social-emotional learning and media literacy mindfulness in Primary and Secondary education. A comprehensive analysis of theoretical and empirical articles between 2005 and 2019 was provided. Three research questions were set, discussed and analysed highlighting the followinggaps in the literature: (i) the combination of imagination pedagogies with digital media and social-emotional development is neglected, (ii) there is a lack of longitudinal studies to analyse how social-emotional skills contribute to forming critical media literacy according to student’s developmental stage, (iii) there is urgent need for reconceptualizing media literacy by encompassing and analysing its effects on cognitive, social-emotional and motivational skills development. We provide a framework presenting four perspectives, theoretical, developmental, pedagogical and social, supporting the relationship among imaginative pedagogy, media literacyand social-emotional skills.

YouTube is popular among early adolescents who engage with the platform, in part, to explore and express their identity. Yet very little is known about the ways in which early adolescents approach representation and identity expression on YouTube with a critical lens. This qualitative study details an in-school media literacy program conducted with a sample of 54 sixth graders (ages 11 and 12) from a public elementary school in New England, USA, on the topic of gender and media. Data stem from a homework assignment in which students are asked to observe and analyze gender expression and representation on YouTube. The findings show a range of interpretations of the people and content encountered on the site, including interpretations characterized as gender-stereotypical as well as counter-stereotypical by the students. Some comments from students speak directly to the implications of user-generated content for gender expression and representation.

Social norms, including gender-related ones, are created and propagated in large part by the media. The media frequently perpetuates traditional gender roles and stereotypes, influencing public attitudes and actions, from TV series and commercials to movies and social media sites. This study examines the ways in which various media contribute to the creation, maintenance, and sporadic disruption of gender norms and stereotypes. It looks at the representational trends, historical background, and sociological and psychological impacts on viewers, particularly kids and teenagers. The study assesses new media trends that contradict conventional gender representations and suggests methods for advancing gender-sensitive media.

The representation of gender in news media significantly influences societal perceptions and reinforces or challenges existing stereotypes. This study employs a critical discourse analysis (CDA) approach to examine the linguistic and structural strategies used in media narratives to frame gender roles. By analyzing news reports from diverse global media outlets, the research identifies patterns in language, imagery, and thematic focus that shape public discourse on gender. The study explores how dominant ideologies are perpetuated through journalistic choices, particularly in the portrayal of women, non-binary individuals, and men in various sociopolitical contexts. Findings suggest that gendered framings often reflect historical inequalities, reinforcing traditional roles and limiting inclusivity. Women are frequently depicted in relation to family, appearance, or victimhood, while men are commonly portrayed as authoritative figures. Meanwhile, non-binary identities remain marginalized or are represented in a tokenistic manner. The study also examines the intersectionality of gender with other social categories, such as race, class, and nationality, to highlight the complexity of media representation. Additionally, the research evaluates the role of digital media in either reinforcing or challenging traditional gender narratives. By critically analyzing media discourse, this paper contributes to the growing scholarship on media, gender studies, and discourse analysis, providing insights into the need for more equitable representation in journalism. The study concludes by advocating for journalistic reforms that promote balanced and diverse portrayals of gender in the media landscape.

There has been much interest in studying diversity in recent years. In fact, it has gained a pivotal space not only in academia and policy discourses but also in the governmental, non-governmental and the private sectors. The work carried out by scholars like Phillips (2005, 2008), Yuval‐Davis (2006b), Siim (2009), Faist (2009), Salzbrunn (2012), Vertovec (2012), and among others suggest that there are several reasons that led to the growing interest in diversity. Yet the most important role has been played by identity-oriented feminist movements who successfully raised the issues of African American women, LGBTIQ communities, aging populations, and people with disabilities. This discourse started around the late 1950s and early 1960s. Whilst social processes of differences and diversification have been discussed in academia for a long time back. It was only around 1978 when the term ‘diversity’ explicitly came to public attention in the US in relation to forming affirmative action against racial discrimination (Büharmann, 2014). Moreover, in the last quarter of the twentieth century, with the rise of liberal political processes, globalised economic opportunities, and then transnationalisation of social and civil rights, feminist movements started to include post-colonial and migration studies and the interest on diversity increased. Likewise, the expansion of social networks, driven by digitalised information contributed further to diversity campaigns helping better organise and advance at national, regional and global levels. These campaigns aimed at ending discrimination based on gender, class, sexuality, faith, race, age, nationalities and various forms of disabilities. An analysis of academic work from the last half of the century clearly indicates that diversity debates have gradually expanded in Europe and North America and contributed to many social movements in Africa, Asia, and other parts of the world. Some examples are the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, indigenous movement in South America, post-colonial indigenous/Adivasi and Dalit movements in India, Dalit, Janajati and ethnic and indigenous rights movements in Nepal particularly after the political change of 1990.