Defintion of Media

When people talk about media, they often refer to its journalistic arm: the newspapers, the news
reports on television, and more accurately, the news reporters and journalists involved in the
production of daily news. However, as a concept, media is vaster and more diverse. The term media
comes from the word medium which is defined as “channel,” “means,” or “method.” As an avenue or
method, media is used to communicate information. This “information” goes beyond what we call news
or events that are of public interest.

David Buckingham points out, however, that the definition of medium as a channel “tells us something
fundamental about the media… The media do not offer a transparent window on the world. They
provide a channel through which representations and images of the world can be communicated
indirectly. The media intervene: they provide us with selective versions of the world, rather than direct
access to it. (2013)

This means that media do not merely communicate information; they also filter and shape information
for specific purposes. They decide which information the audience receives and in what manner. In a
metaphorical sense, rather than being a window to the world, media act as distorted mirrors to reality
(Graaf, 2013). This proves that the transparency of media is a false notion. Consider the news shown on
television every day: what type of news are they?

What are they about? Who do you think chooses what is important to the audience or the public?

Media can also be tied to what we call mass media, or the media that reach large audiences (Danesi,
2009). Because media reach a large number of people at the same time, and because people rely on
media for the way they perceive their surroundings and the world around them, media are a powerful
force in shaping society. This makes media literacy a necessary aspect of life.

Forms of Media

As mentioned earlier, media exist in many forms, the three main categories being: print, broadcast, and
new media. These differ mainly in the platform that they use.

Print media refers to paper publications like newspapers, books, magazines, newsletters, and journals. It
also includes brochures, posters, flyers, banners, and billboards. Print media is considered the oldest
form of media as it is closely tied to the emergence of the printing press.

According to the National Commisiion for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the Philippine press “played [a]
critical role in the nation’s quest for freedom and independence” (Tuazon, 2015). Among the most
notable nationalistic newspapers during the 19th century were the La Solidaridad, Kalayaan, La
Independencia, and La Libertad. All of these served as “official organ[s] of the revolutionaries” (Tuazon,
2015). During the post-war era, the Philippine press became known as “the freest in Asia” (as citited in
Tuazon, 2015). This freedom was challenged during Martial Law as the government started taking
control of the press.

However, alternative press, xerox journalism, and campus publications paved the way for activism and
aided in the People Power Revolution. Today, the print media that have the biggest daily circulation in
the country are Manila Bulletin, Philippine Daily Inquirer, and Philippine Star (Tuazon, 2015).
The second category is broadcast media. Broadcast media includes radio and television – media that
initially used the airwaves to reach their audience. Nowadays, radio and television both use direct
satellite broadcasting, which helps them reach audiences worldwide (“Broadcasting”, 2016). One
example of this is the sample weather report presented in the first part of the lesson.

Lastly, new media is composed of media that use digital technologies like the Internet to distribute or
exhibit content (Manovich, 2006). Under this category are social media, blogs, websites, and streaming
media. Producers of print media and broadcast media have increasingly relied on new media as a
platform because it helps them gain a wide audience and because more and more people are now using
new media as a means of communication. Some examples of new media are Facebook, Youtube, and
WordPress.

Functions of Media

Media are more than just channels for disseminating information. The United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) identifies the following functions (“Unit 1: Understanding
Media and Information Literacy – An Orientation,” n.d.):

1. “Media act as channels of information and knowledge through which citizens communicate with
each other and make informed decisions.”

This means that media play a vital role in the public’s knowledge formation and decision-
making. Because we interact with our surroundings and with the world around us through the
information provided by media, they inevitably shape our perception and our opinions. This is
why it is important for media not only to provide information, but also to provide information
that is comprehensive, multi-faceted, and diverse.

2. “Media facilitate informed debates between diverse social actors.”

In relation to providing diverse and multi-faceted information, the media also function as
avenues through which different sides of debates can be expressed. Unlike the traditional form
of debate where only two sides get to express their opinion, the media must provide their
audience with multiple perspectives, for by hearing out all perspectives, it will be possible for us
to form sound opinions about matters of personal or public concern.

Consider how the media inform us about matters related to corruption or governance. Do you
think that only one perspective is shown, or are you often given the chance to consider the
various sides of the story?

3. “Media provide us with much of what we learn about the world beyond our immediate
experience.”

As human beings, our sensory perception is often limited to our immediate surroundings. It is
then the function of media to provide us with information that go beyond this, so that we can
be more conscious of our own actions and aware of how the world around us is evolving. This is
 extremely important in our current society, as we can now rarely find interactions that are
isolated or do not tie people, communities, or countries together. Since countries all over the
world are now interconnected socially, politically, and economically, issues that used to be only
of national concern now have a more global impact.

One example of this is why media report on increase in oil prices in the Middle East because of
the way it influences the fare hike in the Philippines. Changes in immigration laws in a foreign
country are often relayed by media because Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) – and hence the
Philippine economy – could be affected.

4. “Media are means by which a society learns about itself and builds a sense of community.”

In addressing us as the “public” or the “audience”, media aid us in imagining that we are a part
of a community and are part of a nation. Without media, it would be difficult for us to
understand that we are part of something bigger than our immediate surroundings and personal
experience. In a way, then, without media, we would not have a nation.

Think about how you formed your identity as a Filipino. In what ways do you think media
contributed to this?

5. “Media function as a watchdog of government in all its forms, promoting transparency in public
life and public scrutiny of those with power through exposing corruption, maladministration,
and corporate wrong-doing.”

Media are widely known as the fourth estate, which means that they are the watchdogs of the
people, constantly vigilant towards the government and informing its people about issues of
national concern. It is a watchdog in the sense that it upholds democracy and protects the rights
of all citizens. This function is often associated with the journalistic arm of the media. A perfect
example of media as the fourth estate is investigative journalism, which often tackles issues that
expose the wrongdoings of government officials.

6. “Media are essential facilitators of democratic processes and one of the guarantors of free and
fair elections.”

As media play a vital role in upholding democracy, they also function as watchdogs during the
elections, making sure that no anomaly occurs and that the election process goes smoothly. The
most relevant example is the media coverage during the 2016 Presidential Elections. Various
news stations and websites monitored the election results and constantly updated the public
about the number of votes for each candidate. They also reported on issues related to voting
precincts, voter registration, and vote buying, and facilitated debates that would help the public
decide who and what cause to vote for. However, it is also worth noting that political candidates
also makes use of the media for publicity and promotion, and that the issue of biased reporting
has been brought to attention because of this.

7. “Media are a vehicle for cultural expression and cultural cohesion within and between nations.”
 Media form a huge part of our identity and culture formation. They create narratives that help
us perceive who we are as a nation and as a community by providing a sense of commonality. By
exposing us to other cultures, however, media help us realize how we are different from or
similar to other communities. Ideally, this allows for a better understanding of our unique
characteristics and the unique characteristics of others. The simplest manifestation of this media
function is the film industry: How do you think local films help us form an identity as a Filipino
people? How do they help us differentiate our culture from the culture of other countries?

8. “Media function as an advocate and social actor in its own right while respecting pluralistic
values.”

When it comes to media, objectivity is a myth. You must keep in mind that any type of media
has its own purpose and its own message. In the act of filtering and choosing which type of
information to relay, media choose their advocacy. Hence, nothing is entirely objective.
However, an important factor of this is the existence of pluralist values. Media can choose a
message or an advocacy, but it must not fail to show the multiple perspectives involved. In
short, media can upload certain values or beliefs. They may do so as long as they respect all
sides and not filter or distort information in order to reinforce their own ideas.

Media and Information Literacy

Why, then, is it necessary to be media and information literate? Media and Information literacy is
defined by UNESCO as:

“a set of competencies that empowers citizens to access, retrieve, understand, evaluate and
use, create, as well as share information and media content in all formats, using various tools, in a
critical, ethical and effective way, in order to participate and engage in personal, professional and
societal activities.” (Media and Information Literacy,” 2013).

Because media play a significant role in knowledge, identity, and community formation, we must learn
how to interact with them in a critical manner. Since we “cannot escape the ubiquity of media,” it is
necessary for us to learn how not to be passive consumers (Wilson et. al, 2011). In terms of media as
educational tools, we must also learn how to discern the information they present to us and be vigilant
about the messages that they relay. Apart from enabling us to engage with media in a critical manner, a
key factor in media and information literacy is the creation of media materials, which you will learn in
the latter parts of the book.