Abstract
This article argues for expanding media literacy education beyond communication majors to reach all college students, emphasizing the pervasive influence of mediated messages in shaping civic, political, and cultural life. It reviews historical and contemporary calls for media awareness as an essential component of liberal education and highlights efforts at DePauw University to establish a Center for Contemporary Media as a model for campuswide integration. The discussion stresses the importance of defining the fundamental contributions of mass communication to liberal learning, while avoiding overly vocational approaches. Proposals for broadening media literacy include cross-disciplinary team teaching, faculty development initiatives, lecture series, and workshops that incorporate media studies into other fields such as psychology, political science, sociology, history, and philosophy. The article concludes that media literacy should be a shared responsibility across disciplines, ensuring that all students graduate with critical awareness of the media’s impact on society.
Recommended Citation
McCall, Jeffrey M.
(1988)
"Sharing the Responsibility of Media Literacy: Reaching Out to Other Disciplines,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 64, Article 7.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol64/iss1/7
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