Mahmoud Inuwa Balarabe

MEDIA AND INFORMATION LITERACY

INTRODUCTION Today’s world is media saturated. This is not just in terms of the various media platforms that have been developed especially with the advent of ICTs, but the multiplicity of contents and voices that now pervade the public space, so much information is out there in different forms, variety and quality to the extent that an average citizen may get swamped and confused in its ever flowing torrent. The social political process has been mediatized to the extent that social actors and activities have become highly dependent on the logic of media production. This paper contributes to the debate within Nigeria’s multi-ethnic social structure. Drawing from critical communication theories we argue that media and information literacy must equip the various social groups in the Nigeria society with the skill, knowledge and resources to establish their media channels thus pluralizing the public sphere for expression of counter-hegemony discourses and appreciation of cultural differences. Media content means any data, text, sounds, images, graphics, music, photographs or advertisements, and shall include video, streaming content, webcasts, podcasts, blogs, online forums and chat rooms. Media is a platform that showers us with multiple uses. It helps us to connect with people. It helps us to share and gather news. It helps to share interests and hobbies. 1. Communication. 2. Collaboration. 3. Opinions & Reviews. 4. Brand Monitoring. 5. Entertainment.

Objectives of Media and Information Literacy The objectives, media literacy principally center round inculcating in then a pluralized media system which can facilitate the expression of collective dialogue is definitely a prerequisite of deliberative and participatory democracy and must be defended. A highly politicized and fractured media system like what obtains in Nigeria could also be used to recruit followership along fractured lines in terms and perspectives. For the concept of media pluralism to be meaningful and relevant to democratic practices, the media must be rescued from the control of the various factions of the ruling elite. A plural media system under such ownership and control will be a problem to the polity. A more normative conception must relate media pluralism to the distribution of communicative power, the ability of the various organs of civil society, not, only to own their media but to challenge social inequality and injustice. Understanding Media and Information Literacy The realization that citizen must be more active in accessing, consuming and interpreting media contents has pushed the issue of media and information literacy to the front burner of public policy at both national and international levels. This of course is based on the realization of the importance of the media in civil engagement and political participation. Media and information literacy addresses the possibilities of acquiring these new skills and competences. There exist many definitions of media literacy around the world. More and more often they include the ability. 1. To access the media 2. To understand/critically evaluate different aspects of the media and media contents, 3. To create media contents/participate in the production process. It is not unusual that the definitions also include aspects of learning to use the media in order to participate in the process for social change, for development towards increased democracy.

MEDIA CONTENT AND ITS USES

DEMOCRACY IN A MULTI-ETHNIC SOCIETY The Importance of the mass media in today’s world has been acknowledged globally. They are the main source of information, main definers of social reality and the framework through which many people interpret and understand the world. But as scholars have argued the process through which the media select and process their contents is not value free. It is for this reason that the issue of media and information literacy has assumed crucial importance. In a multiethnic society like Nigeria the mass media are fundamental in registering the tenor and contour of interethnic, citizen, government relations and generation, amplification and flow of debate on social issues. The general impression is that the media are partisan either in the interest of some dominant ethnic nationalities, especially the Hausa Fulani in the north and the Yoruba in the South West or their individual owners who invariably are leading political actors. The media are by and large instruments in the hands of members of the ruling class. Their ethnic regional coloration only hides the fact that they “serve as a mirror of intra ruling information literate person is able to determine and control the type of information he needs and how he needs it. He is able to; •Determine the extent of information needed; •Access the needed information effectively and efficiently; •Evaluate information and its sources critically; •Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally. Certain key ideas tie media and information literacy together. These include the ideas of access to the media, ability to interpret and come to informed judgment about media contents, the ability to evaluate the quality and credibility of media sources and producers, the recognition of the social-political, ideological and commercial implication of media products. The inculcating of critical awareness of these issues is further heightened by the recognition of the prevailing media. NEWS REPORTING News reports are found in newspapers and their purpose is to inform readers of what is happening in the world around them. News reports have a certain structure that you need to follow. This structure is sometimes called the Inverted Pyramid. This is what it looks like: 1. News Reports begin with a catchy.

          The following list explains the five major components, or parts of a news article

Headline (Heading), the headline is the title of the news article. ... Byline. This line tells who is writing the article. ... Location. This is usually placed at the beginning of the article in bold print. ... Lead Paragraph(s) ... Supporting Paragraph(s) News reports are found in newspapers and their purpose is to inform readers of what is happening in the world around them. News reports have a certain structure that you need to follow. This structure is sometimes called the Inverted Pyramid. This is what it looks like: Roles of News Reporting Reporters are responsible for delivering updates and analysis on current happening with the main goal to keep public updated. They create stories and breaking news through different channels such as radio, television, online news sites, and printed newspapers and magazines.

CONCEPT OF AUDIENCE IN MEDIA INFORMATION LITRACY The audience can access not only diverse meanings as they have access to the different media (old and new) generate their own meanings and perspectives which they can disseminate to others without the barriers of space, time, politics (censorship) and even cost. It is not just a case of being informed, but also crucial is the ability to be able to create and communicate messages in support of one’s social values and interest. This process of empowerment enriches and deepens democratic practices and good governance. Quoting the Australian Library and Information Association, Alan Bundy has outlined the main purpose of media and information literacy to include; •Participative citizenship; •Social inclusion; •The creation of new knowledge; •Personal empowerment; •Learning for life. POWER OF VISUAL LANGUAGE For many, picture books are the first books we engage with. Far from just being stories told through images, there is much more to the humble picture book and the way we interact with them. Senior Creative and parent Dan Stirrup reflects on rediscovering the picture book as an adult and the unexpected ways this early storytelling leaves its mark on us. He explores how that same visual language allows explainer videos and whiteboard animation to capture and enrapture a person attention. Many of us will remember the picture books we read as children, but have you ever stopped to think about how those books helped you to learn? There is a common misconception that picture books are easy, simple and only for those who cannot yet read. In truth, the visual language established in these books is a valuable foundation on which a knowledge of the spoken and written word can be built. This is, of course, not the only route to learning a language. By imagining the story from the perspective of a domestic cat, Judith Kerr’s ‘Mog’ creates a sense of child-like wonder and fun in the everyday. The gentle observations of family life made it easy for my son to connect with the words and pictures. His first word was ‘cat’, and it wasn’t long before he was repeating snippets from the book in relation to his own pet. With the launch of Magic Box in 1990, the first private television broadcasting began illegally in Turkey. The problems experienced by women became an important material for the producers of programs and started to be used as an important material. These “women’s programs”, which focus on women and their problems, became a fact of popularity in the 1990s. However, after the events and speeches in these programs, many violent incidents occurred. As a result of this situation, the necessity of examining women’s programs has emerged. Various researches have been done in the fields of communication. CONTEXT OF REPRESENTATION OF GENDER and DISASTER In the study, firstly the concepts of representation and ideology in the media were analyzed, then gender was analyzed in the context of social gender and literature review was made. Since the historical and social processes cannot be ignored in the evaluation of the existing in the media, the current situation will be revealed by looking at women’s programs in Turkish television broadcasting. The study, which will evaluate the existing situation in the media, will refer to the programs of social gender, Turkish women, feminism, representation of women in the media and women’s television programs in Turkish television broadcasting and analyze the content of the programs within the framework of all these. While evaluating all of these, the study is based on the view that femininity and masculinity are cultural and socially constructed. Critical discourse analysis method was used in the study and it aimed to show that gender patriarchalism is a cultural/historical phenomenon that can be eliminated.

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Assalam, a wannan sashin na Mukalai da aka kirkira, sunan mukala kadai ake sanya wa da link. Zan maka karin bayani ta whatsapp. Uncle Bash007 (talk) 12:40, 7 December 2023 (UTC)

Wasalam

Na gode Mahmoud Inuwa Balarabe (talk) 20:43, 9 December 2023 (UTC)

Mace Ta gari

A pious woman

Once upon a time, in a quaint village nestled between rolling hills and meandering streams, there lived a woman known for her unwavering piety. Her name was Amina, a figure of quiet grace and devotion that whispered through the village like a gentle breeze.

Amina's days began before dawn, as the first light painted the sky in hues of pink and gold. In the stillness of the morning, she would be found in her small prayer room, her hands raised in supplication, seeking solace and guidance from the divine. Her connection with the spiritual realm was palpable, a radiant aura that seemed to envelop her as she emerged, serenity etched on her face.

Her devotion extended beyond the confines of her prayer room. Amina was a pillar of support for her neighbors, offering a kind word, a helping hand, or a bowl of warm soup to those in need. Her generosity flowed like a gentle river, touching every corner of the village with its benevolent currents.

The village mosque found Amina at its doorstep not just for the obligatory prayers, but also for the voluntary ones. Her voice resonated in harmonious recitation, an echo of sincerity that reverberated through the sacred space. The villagers, recognizing her piety, often sought her counsel, turning to her for wisdom and guidance in times of joy and sorrow alike.

Amina's devotion was not limited to the spiritual; it extended to the natural world around her. Her garden flourished under her care, a kaleidoscope of colors and fragrances that mirrored the beauty she found in her faith. Butterflies danced in the blossoms, seemingly drawn to the tranquility that emanated from this pious woman.

As the years passed, Amina became a revered figure in the village—a living embodiment of piety and grace. Her wrinkled hands told tales of a life well-lived, of prayers uttered in the stillness of dawn and kindness sown in the tapestry of her community. The village, once touched by her presence, carried the essence of her piety, a gentle reminder that goodness, like a perennial flower, blooms and spreads its fragrance far beyond its source.

And so, the narrative of Amina, the pious woman, became woven into the fabric of the village's collective memory—a tale of devotion, compassion, and the enduring impact of a soul dedicated to the divine and the service of others. Mahmoud Inuwa Balarabe cln (talk) 09:27, 10 December 2023 (UTC)