History of Media Literacy The following timeline, produced by Frank Baker, was organized at the request of Webster University media professor Art Silverblatt. An earlier version appears in the“Praeger Handbook of Media Literacy”(Greenwood, 2013). I am responsible for the content. Anyone who would like to make corrections, suggestions, additions or deletions should send correspondence to me: [email protected] A Media Literacy Timeline Significant Developments (includes events, publications, conferences and more) The history of media education cannot be told without correlating it with the rise and development of the mass media themselves (cameras, radio, television, film, the Internet). Presented here is a media literacy timeline, with a special note about events, publications, legislation, conferences and proceedings. Exact date unknown: camera obscura principle and device invented (source) 1833: modern day Zoetrope (a device that produces the illusion of motion from a rapid succession of static pictures) invented by British mathematician William George Horner (Source) 1877: the Praxinoscope, an early animation device, was invented in France in 1877 by Charles-Émile Reynaud. (source) 1888: One of the first patented motion-picture film cameras was designed by Louis Le Prince (Source) 1891: Thomas Edison creates/patents the kineotographic camera: The first motion picture camera patented in the United States (Source) 1900: The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris (Source) 1905: Variety begins covering entertainment industries such as vaudeville, films, television, radio, music, and theater (Source) 1907: The Moving Picture World, a weekly movie industry periodical published during the silent film era, becomes the official organ of the Moving Picture Exhibitors’ Association. ceased publication in 1927 (Source) 1911: The Motion Picture Story Magazine begins publication, later (1914) shortened to Motion Picture Magazine, continued publication until 1951 (source) 1912: First Radio Act of 1912: US law that mandated that all radio stations in the United States be licensed by the federal government (Source) 1913: Kodakery, “A Magazine For Amateur Photographers“, was published from September, 1913 through 1932, at the price of 5¢ per copy. All purchasers of a Kodak or Brownie cameras received a free one year subscription (Source; 1920 issue) 1914: The Motion Picture News (magazine) first published, ceased publication in 1930 (Source) 1916 The Cinegoer Magazine first published; Photoplay Magazine, first published (until 1960) 1917: “Motion Picture Education” authored by Ernest A. Dench. Cincinnati: Standard Publishing Company 1918: The Art of Photoplay Making: another of the early books on teaching film education (Source: Scenes of Instruction) 1919: The Society for Visual Education, Inc. (SVE) was established as a for-profit educational publisher dedicated to the use of new technologies in teaching. In 1919, the technology was the 35mm motion picture. Source “The Relative Value of Motion Pictures As An Educational Agency” published in Teacher’s College Record 1921: SVE publishes first issue of its journal “Visual Education” Source 1922: Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America in charge of administering the Hayes Code film censorship system “The Film: Its Use in Popular Education” is published; available online • “Educational Screen” magazine premieres (Source) published until 1962, source: http://mediahistoryproject.org/ 1922 1923: Radio Station WEAF in New York accepts the first “radio ad.” (Source) Pictorial Beauty on the Screen: early film book that examined issues of visual design (Source: Scenes of Instruction) 1924: Journalism Education Association founded. http://www.jea.org/about/index.html 1925: Association of College University Broadcasting Stations (ACUBS) is founded, later (1934) changing its name to the National Association of Educational Broadcasters (NAEB) 1926: Federal Radio Commission established (lasted until 1934) Source 1927: Electronic television was first successfully demonstrated in San Francisco by Philo Taylor Farnsworth (Source) The Jazz Singer becomes the first feature film originally presented as a talkie (Source) Close Up: described as literary magazine of film, first published (until 1933) (Source) - All About Television: first magazine devoted to television (Source) 1928: “Motion Pictures in History Teaching” study is published (Yale University Press) 1929-1932: Payne Fund Studies, early research into effect of movies on children’s behavior (details here) 1929: Academy Awards given for the first time Frank Freeman authors, Motion Pictures in the Classroom; An Experiment to Measure the Value of Motion Pictures as Supplementary Aids in Regular Classroom Instruction (published by: Houghton Mifflin) Source British Institute of Adult Education formed: encouraged use of film in education and in life (source) First issue of Sound Waves, early film magazine, published 1930: Motion Picture Production Code created: spelled out what was acceptable and unacceptable content for motion pictures 1930: Advertising Age magazine and Hollywood Reporter newspaper begin publication (Source) 1931: Broadcasting: The Weekly Newsmagazine of Radio began publication (Source) 1932: The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) creates a Committee on Photoplay Appreciation; it made recommendations about film use in English classes and generated study guides for teachers. (Source) Bertolt Brecht pens “Radio as an Apparatus of Communication” Sight & Sound (film magazine) published for the first time by British Film Institute (BFI) 1933: “Culture and Environment” published (authors FR Leavis and Denys Thompson address the role/impact of film in education) (source) British Film Institute (BFI) founded Source( ) as a result of a recommendation in a report onFilm and National Life (source) Ohio State University professor Edgar Dale authored “Motion Pictures And Youth: How To Appreciate Motion Pictures: A Manual of Motion Picture Criticism Prepared for High School Students” a book for use in secondary school film appreciation courses Example of NCTE Cmte on Photoplay Appreciation’s study guide to film “Little Women” 1933 1934: Communication Act passed; FCC replaces the FRC and regulates radio (Source) Scholastic publishes “How to Judge Motion Pictures: A pamphlet for high school students” “Photoplay Appreciation in American High Schools,” written by William Lewin, published by NCTE/D. Appleton-Century (review) 1935: American Association of University Women, (AAUW) based in Madison WI, begins a monthly newsletter,Better Broadcasts News National Film Society of Canada launched (Source) “How to Judge Motion Pictures,” authored by Sarah McLean Mullen (source: The Moral of The Story Was Great: Frank Capra and Film Education in the 1930s) “The Content of Motion Pictures,” authored by Edgar Dale, published by The McMillan Company First published in 1935 and revised many times. NCTE distributes the monthly journal Photoplay Studies: A Magazine Devoted to Photoplay Appreciation, featuring writings by NCTE members and included classroom study guides to popular films. Published by National Education Assn.(NEA) Department of Secondary Teachers(Source: A Moment in NCTE History, delivered at the 2009 NCTE Board of Directors Meeting, by Leila Christenbury, Council Historian, NCTE Image source Annual Fall Convention, Philadelphia PA) 1936: Pope Piux XI issues encyclical on Motion Pictures, warning about the impact of film on youth Photojournalism LIFE magazine first published; ceased as a weekly in 1972, printing occasional issues, and making a comeback from 1978-2000; published in some Sunday newspapers 2004-2007. 1937: Institute for Propaganda Analysis founded NCTE Advocates for Using TV in instruction – “In the late 1930s, NCTE President Holland D. Roberts (1937) noted that English teachers who did not use this new medium in their teaching ‘will be swept into the dust bin of the past,’ and by the mid-1940s, NCTE was noting that mass media were ‘one of the three basic functions of English teaching.'” (Source: March 6. 2012 NCTE Email newsletter to members)\ “Motion Pictures in Education: A Summary of the Literature: Source Book for Teachers and Administrators,” by Edgar Dale, Fannie W. Dunn, Charles F. Hoban, and Etta Schneider (Source) “Talking Pictures: How They Are Made, How to Appreciate Them”, Barrett C. Kiesling Film and School: A Handbook in Moving-Picture Evaluation, by Richard Lewis/Helen Rand, published by NCTE’s Committee on Standards for Motion Pictures and Newspaper Visualizing The Curriculum is published, authored by Charles Hoban and others – Source “Teaching with motion pictures: a handbook of administrative practice,” Issue 2. Co-authored by Edgar Dale and Louis Ramseyer, published by The American Council on Education 1938: “How to Appreciate Motion Pictures,” authored by Edgar Dale, published by MacMillan Company 1939: the first televised baseball game between Princeton and Columbia universities is broadcast (May 17) Source National Film Board of Canada founded (Source) 1940: “Behind The Mike” premieres: designed to bring the listener behind the scenes of radio broadcasting Source( ) 1942: Good Listening newsletter debuts in Madison WI- monthly list of programs and news of radio, TV (Source: National Telemedia Council) 1944: NCTE publishes Skill In Listening pamphlet aimed at appreciating drama via radio (Source: Radio- A Means, Not An End, Lennox Grey, The English Journal,