Media Literacy

& Advertisin

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Objective:

Students will gain an understanding of the 5 Principles of Media and their guiding questions.

Students will learn about rhetorical strategies used in advertising and practice analyzing an advert.

What does it mean to be Media Literate?

Being media literate means that you control the interpretation of the media instead of it controlling you.

Media literacy is not about memorizing facts—rather it is learning a skill, a process, of developing a way of critical thinking that allows you to see clearly.

Media Literacy

5 Principles of Media

1. All media messages are constructed.(Authorship)

Who created this message?

Media Literacy

5 Principals of Media

2. Media messages are constructed using a creative language with its own rules. (Format)

What techniques are being used to attract

my attention?

Media Literacy

5 Principles of Media3. Different people experience the same

media message differently. (Audience)

How might different people understand this

message differently from me?

Media Literacy

5 Principles of Media4. Media have embedded values and points of

view. (Content)

What lifestyles, values and points of view arerepresented in, or omitted from, the

message—including any stereotypes thatmay be present.

Media Literacy

5 Principles of Media5. Media are primarily businesses driven

by a profit motive. (Purpose)

Why is this message being sent?

Media Literacy

What media have you been exposed to today?

In groups, discuss and make a list of all the media you have been in contact today.

Think back over the weekend. Can you add anymore types of media to your list?

How does media affect different generations?

How does media affect they way you learn?

Journal Question

How are you affected or persuaded by advertisements and commercials?

Pathos

Ethos Logos

Most advertisers use a combination of at least two to

persuade a consumer.

Rhetorical Strategies

Pathos

An emotional appeal

Advertisements using this technique will attempt to provoke an emotional response in the consumer – usually positive

Adapted from ReadWriteThink

Rhetorical Strategies

Pathos

Adventure

Sex Appeal

Pull at the heart strings

Sense of adventure

How do these adverts appeal to

your sense of adventure?

Sex Appeal

How does this advert appeal to the emotions of

a consumer?

Pull at your heart strings

Ethos Ethics or ethical Modern translation = image Establishing credibility or character of the

product

Aristotle states that if we believe a speaker or product has “good sense, good moral character, and goodwill” we are more inclined to believe what the speaker has to say.

Adapted from Dr. John R. Edlund, Writing Center Director, Cal Poly Pomona

Ethos

Brand association

Expert testimonials

Celebrity endorsement

Brand association

Expert Testimonials

Celebrity Endorsement

Logos An appeal to logic or reason

The logos of an advert is usually straightforward – it tells you what the product does, how it works, and what it’s used for.

“The Dyson Ball vacuum is engineered to turn on a

dime. But housing technology inside a ball also made it possible for

Dyson engineers to miniaturize the machine

without compromising the cleaning performance. So now you can have a small Dyson vacuum that has

the cleaning performance of a big one. And the

Dyson Ball vacuum comes with a 5 year warranty.”

Now it’s your turn

In your groups, study the advert and :

1. Answer the 5 questions of media literacy

2. Identify which rhetorical strategies are being employed