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15: Mass Communication, Social Media, and Media Literacy

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    269444
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    • 15.1: Defining Mass Communication
      This section discusses the evolution of mass communication from the mid-20th century to the present, highlighting its integration into society through various media channels, including social media. It notes the rise of streaming services, the changing landscape of content consumption, and the role of mass media in shaping cultural norms and socialization.
    • 15.2: Grounding Theories of Mass Communication
      This page discusses theories of mass communication, particularly Osmo Wiio's perspective on its tendency to misrepresent reality. It examines five main theories: magic bullet, two-step flow, multistep flow, uses and gratification, and cultivation theory.
    • 15.3: Social Media and Web 2.0
      Social media has transformed mass communication by shifting power from traditional gatekeepers to everyday users who create, share, and amplify content. This participatory model enables personal expression, activism, and global connection, while also raising challenges around culture, credibility, and misinformation in the digital age.
    • 15.4: Media Literacy
      Media literacy is the ability to critically access, understand, and evaluate mass communication, recognizing its power to shape beliefs, behaviors, and culture. In today’s digital and AI-driven environment, it requires skills such as filtering distractions, distinguishing emotional from reasoned responses, fact-checking with tools like the SIFT method, and questioning how emerging technologies influence the information we consume.


    This page titled 15: Mass Communication, Social Media, and Media Literacy is shared under a mixed 1.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Misc (LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.