INFORMATION LITERACY

Information literacy is an important skill in life. An individual who is literate in the location, access, evaluation, and use of information also
displays a certain sense of critical literacy. When you are information literate, you are able to evaluate what information you need, what to discard,
and how to use information you selected.
Information takes many forms. It is often interchanged with data which is essentially “raw information” and knowledge which is a
characterized be effective use of information.

The Effective and Efficient Information Seeker. A successful search strategy is one that allows you to judge at the onset what information is relevant,
thus, limiting the possible overload of information sought. According to Callison and Tilley (2006), an effective and efficient information seeker is one
who can do the following;

 Understands how to utilize a variety of information sources and agencies, as well as human resources, in order to gain useful information
 Understands the value of consulting with resource specialists and critical peers to reframe and refine questions and inquiries, if necessary
 Identifies information important to a need and assesses its reliability, bias, authority, and intent
 Organizes new information in meaningful ways to determine where gaps may exist and to formulate the central question or thesis that can be
addressed (Doyle, 1994)

Information Fluency which refers to “the ability to analyze information needs and to move confidently among media, information, and computer
literacy skills, resulting in the effective application of a strategy or strategies that will best meet those needs (Callison & Tilley, 2006).”

Typology of Information

1. Factual information is based on evidences and findings provided by reliable sources. Analytical information, on the other hand, is an analysis or
interpretation of facts by an individual, usually an expert on the subject.

2. When you consult an expert opinion, such as those found in the editorial section of a newspaper or in Web log entries of prolific writers, you are
using a subjective kind of information. If the information is unbiased and does not lead you to judge the information in a certain way, then it is
objective information.

3. The currency of information refers to how up-to-date or how recent the information is. It does not necessarily follow that the more current the
information, the more reliable and useful it is. There is information that are historical or old but very helpful in providing insights and comparison
of events. Publication date of the source material is the usual basis for currency.
 4. Scholarly information comes from academic sources. It is a product of an author’s expertise and study on the subject matter. It is usually peer-
reviewed. Popular information, on the other hand, appeals to general interest and is usually found in general circulation materials such as
magazines, coffee table books, or an online feature article.

SCHOLARLY RESOURCES POPULAR RESOURCES

Authors written or reviewed by experts in the discipline written by the publication’s staff written

written for researchers or practitioners in a particular

Audience written for the general public or lay person
discipline
Publisher professional society or organization or university commercial publisher
Content
In-depth analysis of topic or report or original research
review of an event of research project
highlighting key points

understandable by a lay person

Use technical language which may not be understood by a
Language
lay person

 Often use slick paper and more color

 Illustrations include graphs and tables
Appearance  Many advertisements and graphics
 Articles are usually long
 Articles are usually very short

References Almost always include a list of sources consulted Rarely include a list of sources consulted

5. The origin and the levels of transfer of the information is also an important factor to consider in your information search.
 INFORMATION SOURCE CHARACTERISTICS EXAMPLE
 Original, first-hand information  Creative work
 Hasn’t been interpreted, analyzed  Diary
 Information may need to be constructed  Speech
with raw data  Letter
 Interview
 News film footage
 Autobiography
 Photograph
 Official record
 Historical document
Primary  Email written by a researcher to a
colleague which includes data from an
experiment
 Professor’s lecture
 Tweet or other dispatch via a social
media outlet

 One or more steps removed from a  News commentaries

primary source and may interpret or  Articles in magazines and newspapers
analyze a primary source  Critical review of a literary scholar
 Usually written by someone other than  Textbooks
the original researcher or author  Encyclopedias
Secondary  Research paper
  Topic review; and usually include  Bibliography (citation list) of primary
bibliographies of primary and secondary and secondary sources about a person or
sources topic
 Provide access to materials on specific  Encyclopedias
Tertiary topics  Databases and indexes

6. Stable vs. Unstable

Information may be stable or unstable. Stability becomes a consideration especially when the information you have obtained is published
digitally over the internet. It is often difficult to know how long a certain Web site or page will last. But an online source may still be predicted
to be stable or otherwise by evaluating it based on the following questions (Ballenger 2006)
 Has it been around for a long time?
 Is it routinely updated?
 Are print versions of an online document available?
 Is the site associated with a reputable institution?

Information ethics as “the branch of ethics that focuses on the relationship between the creation, organization, dissemination, and use of information,
and the ethical standards and moral codes governing human conduct in societies.

ACTIVITY 1:
Answer the following questions in your MIL notebook. I will announce as to when the submission of all the activities given
after your Immersion. Please be ready all the time with your notebook. FAILURE to submit, will have INCOMPLETE GRADES for
the final.

1. Do you consider yourself e-literate? Explain.

2. When is an information objective? Subjective? Give specific example and elaborate your answer.
3. Do you automatically use a Web search engine to locate for the information you need? What do you use and why?
TYPES OF MEDIA
Print Media
Media is undeniably the most efficient way of communicating to a large audience because of its capacity to relay the message across cultures
and distance. The variety of media forms provides a menu of choices for where and when you can access information. One such media form is print
media. Also known as the press, this type of media refers to materials that are written and physically distributed.
Baran (2010) consider books as very personal because they contain records of past experiences and human knowledge that are passed on to
later generations. Books are movers and shakers culture. As a testament to this, books in physical form are being stored digitally as e-books.
In contrast to books, newspapers and magazines are advertising-based. This means that a larger bulk of the earnings of magazine and
newspaper publishers come from advertising products rather than selling the magazine and newspaper. Newspapers and magazines are published
regularly, whereas books may come out depending on the publisher’s prerogative.

Film / Cinema
The film as a media form is one that is consider impressionable and has a cathartic effect to its audience.

Broadcast Media
One of the most distinctive characteristics of the broadcast media is their ubiquity. They are considered “household” media because they can be
found in practically any corner of a home. According to Baran (2010), radio was the first electronic mass medium and the precursor of television. For a
long time, radio was the “young people’s media.” This is evident in the proliferation of FM radio stations catering to the musical taste of younger
generations, also known as format radio.
Television has changed the nature, operation, and relationship to their audiences of books, magazines, movies, and radio (Baran, 2010).”
Others think that television has significantly dumb-down its content to adhere to what they call the “least common denominator” which means that
television programs avoid burdening the audience of complex and complicated messages.

Video Games
Video games continue to grow popular to both young and old because of their increased interactivity and interconnectivity,” from game
consoles to personal computers to the internet to cell phones (Baran 2010).

Points of Intersection among Media Forms

Synergy and convergence are what describes the media of today. According to freedictionary.com, synergy is an “interaction of two or more
agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater that the sum of their individual effects.” Convergence, on the other hand, means the
combination of various elements to create a new whole. Think of the traditional media forms converging into a newer media form that optimizes your
media use.
Synergy is also a driving force for mergers and acquisitions in the media and telecommunications industries, according to Baran.
 Convergence is the trend that cannot be done away with because the audiences are getting more fragmented.

Media Type/Form Convergence

 E-books
Book
 Print on demand (POD)
 Online publishing
 Custom publishing
Newspaper  Movement from print to television (or vice versa)
 Advertorial

 Online publishing
 Custom publishing
Magazine  Movement from print television (or vice versa)
 Advertorial

 Concept movies
 Sequels, remakes, and franchises
Film
 Television, comic book, and video game remakes

 Digital radio
Radio  Internet-based radio and podcasting
 Radio on television (and vice versa)
 Video cassette recorders (VCR)
 Digital video disc (DVD)
 Digital video recorder (DVR)
 Digital television or high-definition television
 Internet-based television
Television  Video on the internet
 Interactive television
 Phone-over-cable
 Mobile video
 Television recording

Video Game  Online interactive gaming

 Internet-capable handheld game devices
  Advergaming
 Advocacy gaming
 Functionalities of the traditional media moving to the Web platform
 Internet technology incorporated to mobile technology (e.g., smart phones and tables)
 Internet connected, WI-FI-capable television monitor
Internet and the World Wide Web

Potter (2011) consider cross media convergence as a way of breaking down barriers that separate each traditional media.

ACTIVITY 2:
Answer the following questions in your MIL notebook. I will announce as to when the submission of all the activities given
after your Immersion. Please be ready all the time with your notebook. FAILURE to submit, will have INCOMPLETE GRADES for
the final.

1. How has social media changed the landscape of news reporting both locally and globally?
2. What do you think is the reason why Philippine telenovelas are well – accepted in some countries abroad?
3. In what ways do media and culture affect each other? What can you do as a student to use media to celebrate Philippine
culture and society?