Media Literacy 101

“Do you consider yourself media literate? Of course I am I read the news everyday!” A person who reads the news everyday doesn’t mean that he/she is media literate. In order to be considered a media literate citizen, one should be able to see through the prejudices and stereotypes and distinguish facts from opinions. Not only distinguishing, but also questioning the authenticity of the source of information being used. I believe that being media literate is having the power to deconstruct a media message; to be able to identify who created it, and what is the underlying hidden message beneath it. It is the power to decide what information to accept and what to reject. Furthermore, a media literate person should be immune to all sorts of biases.

We often tend to take the word bias for granted as if its only about political biases, where as this term describes a general tendency towards any specific ideology or perspective. Bias can be based on race, gender, age, religion, and physical appearances. Ever since I was young I have this preconception that good reporters are ‘beautiful’ and dress in a typical manner. The media created a virtual image in my mind of how a sound figure should look like. I think this is a very important challenge that media poses on its audience especially those who are young and haven’t developed ‘bias detectors’. We, as media consumers, tend to think of those who look ‘good’ or dress ‘nice’ as authentic and trustworthy. Mass media defines a set of physical characteristics that are considered ‘beautiful’ and desirable in our society. Those messages are skewed towards an ideal body image that promotes a certain type of people regardless of their authenticity.

There is no specific course that one can take to become media literate; rather it is a process that teaches us how to be skeptical as media consumers. Media literacy is not only the ability to reject certain messages but also the ability to correct them and relate them to our personal life. A possible solution to this challenge is informing young generations about physical biases and how ‘beautiful’ isn’t always right. It starts with a basic understanding of personal biases whereby they become aware of their individual discriminations. Then they pass on this knowledge to analyze media messages and detect the biases they pose on others around them. With media literacy being taught at an early age, we will develop a conscious nation that is critical and objective.

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Salzburg-ed

When it comes to describing the three weeks I spent in Salzburg I run out of words. I simply cant find the right word to describe any moment I lived in that magical palace or as we learned to call it “schloss”. Sometimes when words cant describe a feeling you just have to use pictures or even videos. Still, people who haven’t lived with you those 3 weeks would never get you. I feel like I’m this ignorant lady who travelled to a new country and came back bragging about what she saw. But it’s not like that. It’s not about what I saw, or where I stayed, or what museums I visited. It’s about the people that I lived with, the friends I made for life, the lessons I learned: academic and personal, it’s about the chance I had to meet the worlds most inspiring faculty members. It’s about those limits that I crossed, that comfort zone that I came out of. It’s about being completely open to everyone else’s ideas and experiences. It’s about being a Salzburg Academy Alumnus.

When my friends here at home ask me what I miss the most I say: I miss being fed 5 times a day, I miss living for the day and not planning anything ahead, I miss sharing a room with the most adorable roommate Amy, I miss Leyal’s Freak out moments, I miss hanging out with salma, I miss those psychiatry talks I had with Jimena, I miss cracking jokes with Mona, I miss the Syrian talks with Hisham, I miss hanging out with Skyler and imitating his British accent, I miss Santiago’s ‘Eloo’, I miss Allonso’s ‘sajja’, I miss Rindala’s innocent comments, I miss Serina’s Dr. Abu Hisham jokes, I miss MOSES, I miss Raquel’s squoshy hugs, I miss Shaza’s funny eye-looks, I miss all the people in this academy, all those friends I knew will be lifetime friends… They would never get how much I miss those people and this academy. I have always made fun of those who study abroad and come back saying: This experience changed my life, I’m touched forever or bla bla bla” but now I’m one of those people, I truly get what they have been through. Slazburg definitely was an experience of a lifetime.

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• Salzburg, Can we stay? – Salzburg, Austria (travelpod.com)
• Salzburg Journal, Part II (nationalreview.com)
• Salzburg Travel Journal part 1 (andrewsexpat.wordpress.com)