ACT NOW: Give Feedback to Include Media Literacy in Health Education Standards
SHAPE is in the process of revising their standards for health education, which provide the framework for health education instruction for K-12 students. The final round of public review and comment is open until 9/30. In the latest draft, we were disappointed to see that previous inclusion of media literacy instruction was removed. We urge you to participate in this round of public review and submit your feedback, calling specific attention to the importance of media literacy education in health education.
Media Literacy Now informs and drives policy change at local, state, and national levels in the U.S. to ensure all K-12 students are taught media literacy so that they become confident and competent media consumers and creators.
I think media literacy is one of the most important
skills needed to thrive and be happy in our environment.
Media literacy is a critical area for us all, especially our students, to have a firm understanding of as they transition post-high school.
This is an all-hands-on-deck issue.
We need to wake up.
I know how important this legislation is to helping girls
cope in this difficult social and political environment.
This is a clear
public health initiative.
Every day my college students say media literacy should have been a part of their education in high school, and even grade school.
Media Literacy Policy Report: See How Your State Measures Up
Curious about current media literacy education policy and laws in the U.S.? Our annual Media Literacy Policy Report outlines the status of media literacy education laws for K-12 schools in the U.S. The report is based on data collected from public information sources and compares state progress. This year’s analysis shows strong advancement among policymakers of awareness and action to ensure the essential skills of media literacy are reaching K-12 students.
Advocacy in Action
Gracie Gilligan, a former student at Maynard High School in Massachusetts, realized the effect of media on her and her peers in middle school. For her senior project, Gracie decided to look at media literacy among her peers and students in younger grades. With the help of Media Literacy Now, she surveyed more than 500 students and gained insight to how pervasive media’s influence is – from the information or misinformation we absorb, perpetuating harmful stereotypes, and the body image issues.
New Research
A new survey finds that most people did not learn to reflect on media messages in school, and few learned to use media literacy skills when considering science news. Only 38% of survey respondents reported learning to analyze media messaging in high school. However, a majority of respondents – 84% – said they supported required media literacy education in schools.
