ads news movies TV shows and many other
types of media all want you to accept
their messages at face value however you
should look beneath the surface and ask
questions to decode what these media
messages are really saying first ask who
is the source of the message knowing who
is ultimately responsible for a message
can reveal its true intentions as well
as any possible bias if the source isn't
obvious you can find it by following
links or checking legal disclaimers next
how is it trying to get your attention
the obvious part of a message is called
the text which includes any language
imagery music or anything else you can
see in here creators can use a multitude
of techniques to grab your attention and
they will often craft the text to appeal
to a specific audience
but even if you enjoy the message try to
remain critical so you can see if the
message contains actual substance or if
it's all smoke and mirrors also how
could this message be interpreted the
implied part of a message is called the
subtext and it's suggested by the
content rather than directly seen or
heard we as individuals then decide how
to interpret that subtext based on our
personal biases world views and
expectations people with different
perspectives might interpret the same
piece of media very differently while
this may not be a big deal the
entertainment media different
interpretations of news and educational
media can create confusion and
misunderstanding try to set aside your
biases and preconceptions and you'll be
more likely to get in tune with what the
message is actually trying to say
finally is the message fair and
trustworthy some media may withhold our
exaggerated info like an ad that makes
their product appear more effective than
it really is make sure you always get a
complete set of info from trustworthy
sources even if the media itself
neglects to do so deconstructing media
messages is a critical skill in our
media saturated culture as it helps you
cut through the noise and reach your own
conclusions
GCF global creating opportunities for a
better life