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Hobbs at DML for Mind Over Media: Analyzing Contemporary Propaganda

Learn teaching about propaganda as a form of media literacy education and explore a new online educational resource, Mind Over Media: Analyzing Contemporary Propaganda, a crowdsourced educational media platform for discussing the many new forms of propaganda we encounter as part of daily life. 

MIND OVER MEDIA WORKSHOP

DATE: October 6, 2016  TIME: 4 p.m. LOCATION: University of California, Irvine

Critical thinking about propaganda and understanding propaganda's intent are crucial responsibilities of citizenship in the twenty-first century. But in recent years, teaching about propaganda has diminished in many educational settings. At the same time, rising levels of apathy and disengagement are combining with increasing levels of political polarization, here in the United State and all over the world. We are surrounded by more messages than ever with near-constant exposure to viral media, content marketing, advertising, the 24-hour news cycle, and an ever-expanding array of entertainment media, including music, TV shows, movies, video games, apps and social media like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. With the significant volume of messages in our daily lives coming in so many forms and from so many different channels, it can be difficult to recognize new forms of contemporary propaganda. Entering into a discussion about contemporary propaganda invites us to think about the power of communication and our responsibilities as authors and audiences. It raises fresh questions about the use and potential impact of new media and technologies and invites us to scrutinize how propaganda thrives in the blurred boundaries between art, journalism and advocacy.

In this workshop, you will learn about "best practices" in the pedagogy of teaching about propaganda as a form of media literacy education. You'll get a chance to explore a new online educational resource, Mind Over Media: Analyzing Contemporary Propaganda, an online user-generated content website that helps high school and college students explore the subject of contemporary propaganda. At the website, users can upload, examine and discuss examples of propaganda from around the world. By participating in this workshop, you will gain the knowledge and skills you need to lead a professional development workshop for educators and launch a digital literacy initiative on analyzing contemporary propaganda in your community.