Chapter 8
The Role of Critical Media Literacy and Public Service Media
We are approaching a new age of synthesis. Knowledge cannot be merely a degree or a skill… it demands a broader vision, capabilities in critical thinking and logical deduction without which we cannot have constructive progress. – Li Ka-shing
Trainee and professional journalists owe it to themselves and to society to take a critical approach to understanding the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) which has emerged to redefine and enunciate journalism. AI is increasingly influencing the way information is created, managed, and consumed. Here is a summary of key insights and recommendations from a symposium on AI’s role in the news media, highlighting its benefits, challenges, and the steps needed for responsible integration.
Key Findings of The Symposium
- AI’s Hidden Influence
AI systems play a significant but often unnoticed role in shaping the media landscape. They filter, curate, rank, and moderate content on platforms and search engines. News organisations increasingly rely on AI for tasks like content creation, editing, and distribution.
- Efficiency vs. Complexity
While AI promises to make journalism more efficient, this is not guaranteed. Implementing AI systems requires significant resources, and AI-generated content often demands extra editing and supervision. Efficiency gains depend on the specific tasks and contexts.
What is the Definition of Critical Media Literacy?
A commonly cited definition of “media literacy” was created at the 1992 Aspen Media Leadership Institute: Media literacy refers to the ability to access, analyse, evaluate, create content and participate in the media in a variety of forms.
As outlined below, critical media (which is at the root of critical media project’s mission) asks us to also critically interrogate the power media has in shaping our lives, values, and experiences, while opening up the possibility to critically create new narratives, representations, and structures.
ML now adopts this broader definition: Media Literacy Education is a practice in the 21st century. It gives a structure to interact with messages dimensioned from paper to video, the internet and so on. Media literacy education helps to understand the functioning of the media pluralism in the society as well as the core capabilities of questioning and assertion which are needed of any member of democracy. (Thoman, E., & Jolls, T. 2005) [NEXT – What Critical Media Literacy is NOT?]