Media are means of communication and, in particular, means of mass communication. Some examples are newspapers, magazines, radio, television, film, e-mail lists and internet sites. Such media have become vital to the development of contemporary society. They provide ways by which we learn what is happening in our community, our country and the world. Media content suggests what is important and lets us know what others think.

News, information, entertainment and advertising comprise the majority of mainstream media content. As noted on the Advertising page of this site, an average Manitoba teen watches 13 hours of television per week, of which about 2.5 hours are ads.

But television is not the only medium for commercial advertising. Marketers have become increasingly adept at taking advantage of social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook to get their messages out. And person-to-person "viral marketing" uses the unprecedented capacity of the internet to disseminate messages to a mass audience of individual recipients.

Media Literacy

Media literacy is the ability to critically analyze the messages, practices and assumptions of media production, and the interests that lie behind them. Some key considerations --

• It is important to appreciate that media messages promote their versions of reality, but as individuals we have the capacity to judge for ourselves what we see and hear and to decide whether it fits with our own first-hand experience.
• In our society, mainstream media messages are mostly produced by outlets that are owned and run as businesses, whose commercial interests are reflected in what is said, shown, and identified as important.
• The specific messages (media content) are not the only things that media convey. In other words, how people are depicted and how situations are shown can be just as influential as what is said. Consider, for example -- How women are portrayed in the media. How we are given to understand that consumption of advertised products will make us happy. How some views in society are taken seriously, and other views are marginalized or ignored.

Youth involved in media awareness are helping to de-code some of the messages we get every day from the various forms of media we encounter.  And young people, who have grown up in a highly mediated culture and environment, are among the most savvy in using media to communicate with others.

There are lots of places to learn more about media, and ways to use the media to raise awareness about environmental issues.   

• What you spend your time and money on is basically up to you. So why would you let someone make you buy stuff you don't actually need or want?
• Of course you have to do things like schoolwork, jobs, housework, and other activities in life. But shopping is not the only way to have fun. Why not do things you like to do either with friends or on your own?
• When you do purchase something, ask yourself why you want to buy that particular product. Pay attention to the messages you're being fed. Are you letting media images and messages define who you are?
• Think about whether real people actually behave in the ways that people are shown behaving in the media. What kind of values are media images creating? What view of society do media depict?
• Do you think that news media cover the stories and events that really matter? Are some important topics missing?
• What do you think of the media preoccupation with celebrities and their activities and exploits?
• What is the role of the internet in bringing people together or keeping them isolated from one another?

There are lots of ways to learn more about media issues and their environmental connections.  Equally, there are great tools and resources to help youth use the media to raise awareness about environmental issues. Here are some places to start. 

• Adbusters
• Carbusters Magazine
• White Dot Campaign Against Television
• On-line Environmental Radio Stations
• Media Awareness Network
• Buy Nothing Day