The rise of the opinion columnist is one side effect of the decline of newspaper sales. But are ‘op-eds’ (opinion columns) really a substitute for genuine journalism? What are the dangers of the new ‘opinion economy’, and can they be avoided?
Should we ban advertising to children?
A proposal currently under consideration by the European Parliament would result in a complete ban on advertising and ‘commercial communications’ targeting children. But what is the logic for such a ban – and what unintended consequences might it have, especially for children’s television?
Can we still teach about media bias in the post-truth age?
In the wake of the Brexit referendum campaign, the victory of Donald Trump, and the attacks on the Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, many have argued that we are entering a ‘post-truth’ era. In this context, is bias still a useful and meaningful concept in media literacy education? And if so, how should we teach it?
Fake news: is media literacy the answer?
Growing concerns about ‘fake news’ have led to calls for young people to be taught critical media literacy skills. Yet while media literacy would obviously be useful, it isn’t enough to address the problem. Media educators need to frame the issue more broadly, and join forces with those calling for media reform.
The end of innocence?
Channel 4’s new drama National Treasure has brought the issue of celebrity paedophiles back to public attention. What does the most notorious and well-documented of these cases – that of Jimmy Savile – tell us about the role of media celebrity and children’s culture?
Whatever happened to media literacy?
Media literacy policy seems to have become one of the living dead. It is still contained in statute, but no longer displays any discernible signs of life. So how can we account for the disappearance of media literacy from the world of communications policy?
How does Google make so much money?
What do we need to know about the commercial dimensions of internet use, and particularly of its most basic function, search? How does Google – far and away the market leader – manage to make so much money from what seems to be such a basic, straightforward service?
Who are the young creatives?
Why is it still so difficult for disadvantaged young people to gain access to employment in the media industries? And what – if anything – can media educators do about this situation?
Self, self, self: representing the self in the age of social media
How should we understand the rise of the ‘selfie’? Is this just a manifestation of mass narcissism, or do these new forms of self-representation provide other social and cultural possibilities?
Learning media theory: what is it good for?
Why and how should media educators address ‘theory’ in the classroom? How do we learn – and use – theory? And what’s the point of learning theory anyway?
David Buckingham 