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The Pervasiveness Of Media In Contemporary US Culture

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Indeed, the pervasiveness of media in its copious forms in contemporary US culture today is undeniable. Almost anywhere one looks, one can find media; a magazine at a doctor’s office, a billboard alongside a freeway, a painting at an art gallery, a performance on television or on stage. Media, undeniably, is ubiquitous. However, in the innumerous forms media comes to us in, every one of these forms are created for a purpose; to communicate of an idea or message. But how are students, as well as educators, supposed to interact and interpret media? Auspiciously, just as with any subject of study, one must become literate in its forms and uses. Thus, media literacy is a vital tool set for interacting and interpreting content of any discipline; particularly history education. Certainly, media literacy seeks to teach fluency in the forms of media, how it functions and can influence trends in society. However, media and its messages are not a direct form of communication. “Media does not offer a transparent window, as Buckingham writes, ‘only a representation’ of an idea (Buckingham, 2004. p. .) Further, this ‘representation’ of an idea or message, as Hoechsmann & Poyntz write, always “involve(s) a reflection, selection and deflection of reality” (Hoechsmann & Poyntz, 2012, p. 73). Thus, to achieve fluency with media, the goal of media literacy is to develop personal agency within an individual. Personal agency, as defined by Buckingham, is the ability to be an active

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