Résumé

Where global issues are concerned, media literacy - the ability to critically analyze media for accuracy, credibility, or evidence of bias - and media advocacy - producing media to effect action, influence policy, or alter the public's view of an issue - are timely. The digital revolution has led to growing concerns over media accountability, and contributed to the spread of disinformation. When engaging with global issues, media coverage is often rife with distortions. Media coverage of Haiti, as one example, includes narratives that reproduce racial stereotypes, and which fail to consider social problems in their broader geo-political context (Ulysse, 2010; Potter, 2009; Balaji, 2011). Social Work students must learn how to recognize superficial representations of global issues, and of other regions of the world. They must understand how these misrepresentations can negatively shape public perception, and affect foreign aid and other policy decisions. According to Chitat, Chan and Sage (2020), social work students can use media advocacy to better inform and educate communities, influence public policy, and create participatory action. Unfortunately, there is little attention to media literacy and advocacy in social work programs (Lens, 2002). This workshop presents a newly developed toolkit for teaching students how to analyze, evaluate and ultimately produce media messages about global issues that are sufficiently nuanced, demonstrate interconnection among the countries, and that keep sight of local perspective.  Resources were designed to help students cultivate media literacy, and practice skills to engage in media advocacy, so that as new practitioners they can join the public conversation about their fields of expertise, and advocate for social change efforts.  Development of the online toolkit was made possible in part with funding from the Katherine Kendall Institute.   

Mots clés (séparés par des virgules)

advocacy, media advocacy, social work, online toolkit, global issues