Media Literacy: Keys to Interpreting Media Messages »

ART SILVERBLATT is Professor of Communications and Journalism at Webster University in St. Louis. He is the author of numerous books and articles, including Media Literacy: Keys to Interpreting Media Messages (Praeger Publications, 1995, 2001), The Dictionary of Media Literacy (Greenwood Press, 1997), Approaches to the Study of Media Literacy (1999), and International Communications: A Media Literacy Approach (2004). Another book, Approaches to Genre Study is scheduled to be published in Fall 2006.

This second edition includes a new chapter on interactive media, provides new concepts and insights into media literacy, and updates previous examples and discussions.

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Silverblatt (communications and journalism, Webster U., St. Louis) hopes to enable students to understand better the information conveyed through the channels of mass communication, particularly to help them achieve a healthy independence from the pervasive influence of the media and make up their own minds about issues. After constructing a theoretical framework, he encourages students to apply it to a variety of media formats, among them journalism, advertising, American political communications, and interactive communications. Finally he discusses media issues such as violence and social change. He has updated examples and made corrections in the 1995 edition. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Pt. 1 Introduction 1

Ch. 1 Introduction to Media Literacy 3

Pt. 2 Keys to Interpreting Media Messages 15

Sect. 1 Process 17

Ch. 2 Overview: Elements of Communication 19

Ch. 3 Process 27

Ch. 4 Process 39

Sect. 2 Context 65

Ch. 5 Historical Context 67

Ch. 6 Cultural Context 93

Ch. 7 Structure 115

Sect. 3 Framework 133

Ch. 8 Framework 135

Ch. 9 Framework 147

Sect. 4 Production Elements 163

Ch. 10 Production Elements 165

Ch. 11 Production Elements 185

Worksheet - Keys to Interpreting Media Messages 203

Pt. 3 Media Formats 211

Ch. 12 Journalism 213

Ch. 13 Advertising 265

Ch. 14 American Political Communications 325

Ch. 15 Digital Media Communications 379

Pt. 4 Issues and Outcomes 413

Ch. 16 Issues in Media Communications 415

Ch. 17 Outcomes 453

Glossary 465

Suggested Reading 485

Index 487