If you have issues viewing or accessing this file contact us at NCJRS.gov. DIRECTOR'S LOG Life Skills Through The Lens of Media Literacy Written by: Kelly J. Brilliant, Managing Director William J. Plante William L. Paterson Pharnal Longus With contributions from: S. Jane Haggerty, Assistant District Attorney Ted Cranney, Assistant District Attorney A project of: District Attorney Kevin M. Burke Ruth Budelmann, Director, Juvenile Justice Programs, Flashpoint Project Director William E. Fallon, Assistant District Attorney, Chief, District Court Operations Charles F. Grimes, Assistant District Attorney, Chief, Administration and Finance Jonathan Bruce, Graphic Designer Cathleen McCarron, Editor Eastern District Attorney Museum Place : Two East India Square Salem, MA 01970 9 i . Telephone (978) 745-6610 Fax (978) 741-4971 We encourage the reproduction of this book but request that you acknowledge the source. Welcome To FLASHPOINT This twelve-session media literacy~life skills program focuses on violence, substance abuse and prejudice. FLASt-IPOINT is being offered by the Office of Kevin M. Burke, District Attomey of the Massachusetts Eastern District. Director's Note: Consider yourself a pioneer as we begin our journey together through the world of media. You are an important player in this program. Your facilitators will be working with you every step of the way. You will find information for each lesson (in FLASI-IPOINT, lessons are called "Takes") in this Director's Log. Also provided are many resources and research assignments. Director's Log Research Assignments are to be completed before beginning each of the following sessions. If you have any questions or ideas that would add to the program, please let your facilitator know. Good luck as you join us on this skill-building journey. This project was supported by Grant No. 98-DD-BX-0013 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office forVictims of Crime. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the United States Department of Justice. Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................. vi Take One: Places, Everyone ................................................................................................................................... I Take Two: Witnessing the Story ...................................................................................................................... 13 TakeThree: Storm Warning .............................................................................................................................. 27 Take Four: PitchingYour Pilot .......................................................................................................................... 35 Take Five: Smokescreens ................................................................................................................................... 47 Take Six: Primetime ............................................................................................................................................ 75 Take Seven: Reading Body Language .............................................................................................................. 83 Take Eight: Eric's Story ...................................................................................................................................... 97 Take Nine: Zooming in on Prejudice ........................................................................................................... 113 Take Ten: Cooling It Down ............................................................................................................................. 123 Take Eleven: It's a Wrap ................................................................................................................................... 13 I Take Twelve: Coming Attractions .................................................................................................................. 137 No copyright is claimed for non-original material, used under "Fair Use" Doctrine. Introduction How many people visit your house during the course of a week? How many friends do you invite over? Most of us are picky about whom we hang out with. Most parents pay attention to what sort of friends their children bring home. Most homes do not welcome just anyone, and strangers, in particular, are not freely admitted. Yet almost every American plays host to hundreds of "friends" each week, virtual strangers who not only come into our home, but dominate our attention with their behavior and stories. They set examples by their behavior. They have agendas, particularly about our money. They claim that they, and the world they come from, are like us, though this resemblance is often highly fabricated. This extra population is not lined up at our front door, but instead enters through an appliance that is usually installed near the heart of our homes. This appliance, of course, is the television. Almost every American born in the second half of this century has spent thousands of hours in the company of this extra population of friends. To us, these friends can be as influential as any we meet on the playground or in the school yard. However, most of us do not consider this a real influence because these friends, these television characters, are "not real" Countless studies have proven otherwise. Television and other media do have a deep influence on our behavior. In fact, the entire commercial media system -- and the billions of dollars in profits it has made -- exists by its power to influence audiences. The fact is, we don't often think about television and other media. Certainly not the way we think about whom we allow to come into our home. This unthinking attitude about media can be likened to the awareness of fish who have spent their entire life deep within the sea and are not mindful of the water which sways and carries them upon its currents. Most of us are not able to "get outside" of media and consider the way it shapes the cultural environment in which we live, work and play. To think critically about media, we need some guidance. Fortunately, there is a pathway to really knowing about television, films, radio, the Internet and other media. It is called media literacy, and it is from this center that the FLASHPOINT program builds. vi FLASHPOINT does not teach that media is bad, or good. But it does demonstrate that there is a real advantage to thinking in new ways about media which are part of our daily lives. Part of this advantage comes from questioning the behaviors of the "friends" that stream into our homes through media, and particularly their behaviors that involve violence, substance abuse and prejudice. FLASHPOINT uses media literacy to teach us several basic facts about media.When we apply these facts, our viewing becomes more thoughtful and insightful and less habitual. Very briefly, these are the key concepts of media literacy. All Media are Constructed. Every form of media we hear and see is built from smaller pieces; the same as a watch or recipe. All Media, from a Superbowl broadcast to a church bulletin, have agendas and goals. These agendas may be motivated by monetary, social, artistic or other purposes. Media convey values. Characters and their stories set examples for behaviors, attitudes and philosophies of life. Individuals filter what they see and hear through their own experiences. We all have a slightly different outlook that influences the way we perceive and interpret what we watch. Language is not the only way content is communicated. Each medium has a par- ticular inner language that affects the meaning of what is communicated. Form and content merge to create a meaningful whole. Building on this knowledge, FLASHPOINT questions the violence, substance abuse and biases that are so often portrayed in media. Using samples from film, television and print media, it raises ques- tions about these issues in a way that enables participants to examine their attitudes and "habits of mind" regarding such behaviors. As media literacy changes our relationship with TV, movies, radio and other forms of media, we begin to see the world, and our place in it, from a different standpoint.This can be the starting point for many things, including a healthier and more farsighted approach to life and decision making. vii You are like pioneers, who are about to get the "inside story" about media. It's a story about construction. It's a story about money. It's a story about values, and who gets to decide which ones are expressed. It's a story about creativity. It's a story about points of view, and different ways of knowing. Finally, it's a story about something we all want, and that is power. Because media are such a powerful force in our culture, knowing how they work can be a pathway to that power. We think that this program called FLASHPOINT will help to get us there. Thank you for joining us on this skill-building journey. viii Pla es Q (9 TAKE I Places, FACTS ABOUT MEDIA Young people are an important influence market