Media Literacy: A Health Education Perspective

Abstract

This article argues for an increase in media literacy training to help students combat the mixed health messages found in the media. Media literacy is defined as the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and produce media messages. Much of the article deals with laying out specific exercises school health educators and other teachers can use to incorporate media literacy into health education. The article suggests that through media literacy students can learn to evaluate critically the health messages in various media outlets. Once students realize how the media package messages, they will be more aware of what to look for and how to interpret what they see and hear.