According to the article “Multiple Media Literacies” by Joshua Meyrowitz, there are three different types of media literacy, which are media content literacy, media grammar literacy, and medium literacy. Media are conduits that hold and send messages. Media content takes part most debates and studies of media (Meyrowitz 97). Each individual receives and interprets the messages in his or her own ways. Media grammar literacy demands understanding of the specific workings of individual media. It examines the “aesthetic” aspect unique to media.
Medium is a type of setting or environment. The article gives a well explanation of the use of production variables within each medium. Each medium has its fixed characteristic to influence communication in particular way. Medium literacy involves understanding how the nature of the medium shapes key aspects of the communication (Meyrowitz 103). There are various ways to manipulate productions. Choosing different technics can influence how people think and perceive the products.
I choose two advertisements as my examples of media literacy. Mercedes-Benz introduces a commercial showcasing the benefits of having “magic body control” and “stability at all times” on their cars. The ad was highly appraised for its ingenuity. However, Jaguar’s “Jaguar vs Chicken” ad makes fun of Mercedes’ clip as the chicken ends up eaten by a jaguar.
Jaguar’s ad uses similar scence and background music. It doesn’t deny Mercedes’ “stability”, but it emphasize the feature of their car-“cat-like reflexes”. Just by adding the jaguar, audiences can interpret and receives the information differently.
Sources:
Meyrowitz, Joshua. (1998), Multiple media literacies. Journal of Communication, 48: 96–108
xxk5010 says
i strongly agree with your opinion. as you said”Medium is a type of setting or environment. The article gives a well explanation of the use of production variables within each medium. Each medium has its fixed characteristic to influence communication in particular way. ” i think you really did a great job to understanding the concepts. and the example you showed us is also a good way to express the media grammar literacy. nice job!
Sarah Nicole Weidenbaum says
I loved the examples of advertisements that you used to depict media literacy. This type of advertising, where one brand uses and mocks the other, can either go very right or very wrong. In the example you showed, the Jaguar ad was successful and created a positive image for their brand by spoofing (and playing upon) Mercedes-Benz. However there are instances where a brand actually create a negative image instead by using this type of competitive advertising. This can be seen in the recently cancelled GoDaddy Super Bowl ad that used the beloved puppy from the Budweiser. The GoDaddy ad received a lot of backlash from viewers who thought the ad was in poor taste which could negatively affect how people view the brand in the future.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2015/01/27/godaddy-pulls-super-bowl-ad-youtube/22437407/