Media Studies

It can sway what we do. It can affect what we buy. It can even alter our views of the people around us. This fast-paced three-part series investigates the pervasive influence of the media in American culture. Commentary by Temple University’s George Gerbner, New York University’s Todd Gitlin, and Seventeen senior editor Melanie Mannarino is combined with on-the-street interviews and visual examples to provide eye-opening insights into how television, newspapers, the Internet, and other media shape people’s perceptions. A Cambridge Educational Production. 3-part series, 25 minutes each.

Welcome to the multimedia learning environment! In this video, middle school, high school, and college media specialists and instructors invite viewers into the classroom to see for themselves how colleagues are tapping into the power of media to improve teaching and enhance learning. Drawing on their direct experience, they offer practical advice, tips, and examples to show how to use media to support instructional strategies, develop ideas on teaching, and engage students. Program segments include “Why Use Media,” “Choosing Media,” “Preparing Media for the Classroom,” “During and After,” and “Case Studies”—footage of real educators who are really putting theory into practice. A viewable/printable viewing guide is available online. Correlates to National Education Technology Standards for Teachers from the International Society of Technology Education. A Cambridge Educational Production. (30 minutes)

The first step to understanding the present is to study the past. This eight-part series traces the composite history of the mass media, industry by industry, from their roots as novelty attractions to their crucial role in society today. 8-part series, 28 minutes each.

The more digital technology becomes inseparable from our daily lives, the more chances corporate and political media have to manipulate young people—unless students are taught how to dissect and defend against that manipulation. This program helps educators instill media literacy through an exploration of its basic concepts as well as examples drawn from film and television. Defining media literacy in terms of access, analysis, evaluation, and creation, the video examines race and gender issues, embedded social cues, the prevalence of media bias, and concrete methods for questioning the objectives and studying the techniques of media. Well-known TV commercials are used as case studies. (40 minutes)

The average person is exposed to more than 3,000 commercial messages each day—and probably will not recognize almost 80 percent of them. Use this timely and informative two-part series to deepen your understanding of media’s influence and to train students to critically analyze media messages before accepting them. 2-part series, 31-35 minutes each.