Unit 12: Text Media and Information
Table of Contents
Introduction
3
Learning Targets
4
Lesson 1: Dimensions of Text in Media and Information
Jump Start
Learn about It!
Check Your Understanding
Explore and Create!
5
5
5
8
8
Lesson 2: Design Principles and Elements of Text
Jump Start
Learn about It!
Check Your Understanding
Explore and Create!
9
9
10
11
12
Lesson 3: Reliability of Text in Media and Information
Jump Start
Learn about It!
Check Your Understanding
Explore and Create
13
13
13
16
16
Lesson 4: Production and Evaluation of a Creative Text-Based Presentation
Jump Start
Learn about It!
Check Your Understanding
Explore and Create
17
17
18
21
21
Let’s Create!
22
Self-Check
24
Wrap Up
25
Bibliography
26
Glossary
26
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GRADE 11/12 |Media and Information Literacy
UNIT 12
Text Media and Information
Remember the saying that pen is mightier than the sword.
Historians, heroes, poets, leaders, and sages have used their prowess in language to bring forth
change and to influence people since time immemorial. When the printing press was invented, it
paved way for more people to become literate and well-informed. The messages we get from these
various texts have significant contributions on how the society has been shaped over time. Indeed,
there is an impact, whether direct or implied, behind the letters inscripted on these texts.
Eventually, the literate society gave birth to some forms of text media such as newspaper,
magazines, print advertisements and the like. In this unit, we will learn about the elements and
design principles of these various text media.
Fig. 1.Example of Text Media
● Why is news important?
● How would you know if the information I’m reading from various text media is genuine?
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Learning Targets
In this unit, you should be able to:
● describe the different dimensions of text information and media;
● comprehend how text information and media is/are formally and informally
produced, organized, and disseminated;
● evaluate the reliability and validity of text information and media and its/their
sources using selection criteria; and
● produce and evaluate a creative text-based presentation using design principles and
elements.
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Lesson 1: Dimensions of Text in Media and
Information
Before the advent of the Internet, people had a strong usage of newspaper. This popular reading
material which is an example of a text media is normally found in most offices and institutions.. In
this unit, we will learn about the elements of text media.
Jump Start
Study and compare a local tabloid and with a broadsheet newspaper. Do think-pair-share.
● What message is being conveyed?
● Who do you think is the target audience for using this type of text media?
● What is your opinion for using this type of text media in exercising one’s right to
protest? Is this powerful? Is it useful?
Tabloid
Broadsheet
Message conveyed
Target audience
Learn about It!
Text is a simple and basic way of presenting information or ideas whether handwritten, printed, or
online. Texts appear in different media such as newspaper, blogs, advertisement, emails,
magazines, etc. It varies in terms of length depending on the purpose of the author whether formal
or informal use.
As a media user, it is very critical to reflect on the following questions:
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●
●
●
●
●
●
Who sent the message? or, who created the text?
What style and techniques are used in presenting the message?
Why is the text created?
To whom is the text for?
What is the tone of the writer in creating the text?
What kind of views and beliefs are included or omitted in the text?
There are three common types of text:
● Plain Text -these are essentially fixed-sized character with the same style.
● Formatted text - text appearance varies using various typefaces, colors, and font sizes.
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● Hypertext - this highlights and links certain words in electronic documents that will redirect
you to browse another webpage or another document.
Typeface is a digital representation of text which is more commonly
known as font type or font face.
There are different types of typeface
1. Serif - is a style that has curves
which are used for formality and
readability.
2. Sans Serif- clean and minimalist
design usually used in web design.
3. Slab Serif -heavy and strong like the
ones seen in billboards.
Examples
Times New Roman
Garamond
Arial
Tahoma
Rockwell
Playbill
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4. Script- brush stroke style and use
for special printed materials like an
invitation.
Vladimir
Edwardian
Check Your Understanding
1. How is text media different from other types of media?
2. There is a popular saying that “the pen is mightier than the sword”. How will you relate this
adage to the uses of text media in our society particularly in nation building?
3. What features in creating your text media do you usually apply in your school papers or
performance tasks? Explain the rationale for your choices.
4. What comes to your mind when you hear the words media and text? Think of as many
possible answers that you can associate and encode these list of words in an online
application, Answer Garden https://answergarden.ch/. Afterwards, a word cloud will be
generated to synthesize your answers. Do this as a class. If technology is not available, use
strips of paper and place all of your answers on a corner assigned by your teacher.
Consider this as a freedom wall.
5. Using a graphic organizer, compare and contrast the similarities and differences of the three
major text media.
Explore and Create!
Imagine that you are to design the book cover for media and information literacy. What type of text
and typeface are you going to use? Show a sample of your design.
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Lesson 2: Design Principles and Elements
of Text
Design principles guide media creators in forming text that is audience-oriented. Every form of
media is a product of deliberate thinking of all its elements such as the message, text features, and
process. Designing text entails a meticulous utilization and production of various design principles.
Any work that does not have design framework is weak, but a form of media that is carefully
crafted is a product of sound design principles.
Jump Start
Analyze the two illustrations below:
● What is the text all about?
● What is the difference between the two texts?
● Which text is more effective and clearer? Why?
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Learn about It!
Good design does not happen randomly. With keen eyes for details and a good understanding of
the client’s needs, media creators must follow certain principles to produce quality text media.
Regardless of the format and purpose, your most important function is for the target audience to
understand your message. One way to make your audience hook into your media is through a
carefully crafted work.
Design Principles
Emphasis
Appropriateness
Proximity
Alignment
Organization
Repetition
Contrast
Definition
This is applied when you want to make a point or highlight a
certain text by changing the color, making it bolder, italicize it,
etc.
This refers to how suitable the text is depending on your
intentions, audience needs, and context.
This is about the distance between the words or text elements.
This describes the position of the text on a page in accordance
to the margin or other text elements. Common alignments are
center, right, bottom, etc.
This is about deliberate and careful grouping, dividing, and
sorting of all l the similar elements on a page.
This is concerned with the uniformity and consistency of the
design.
This happens when two or more different elements are placed
together to create a certain effect.
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Check Your Understanding
1. What are the seven elements or design principles in text media?
2. Find an existing text media in your school campus. Analyze its effectiveness based on the
design principles. Describe the text media and relate it to our discussion on this lesson.
3. Explain the relationship of text media to the creator’s intention and purpose based on your
personal experience. For example, when you are angry or happy in the chatroom, what type
of text media and design do you use? Share your experience to your classmate.
4. Look for two sample text media with the same theme or topic. One should apply the design
principle while the other one does not. Explain why one followed the design principles and
why the other did not?
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5. How does the use of the different design principles influence the perception of media users?
Explore and Create!
If you were to recreate the poster of your favorite movie, what text design and elements are you
going to use? Be ready to share your work to your classmates.
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Lesson 3: Reliability of Text in Media
and Information
There’s always boon and bane in every invention. It is imperative that people equip themselves
with the necessary skills on how to use such technologies. Media and information literate
individuals must know how to discriminate various types of messages and determine the
credibility of its contents and its sources.
Jump Start
Think-Pair-Share
Share with your partner any experience in which you received a malicious or dubious text
message. What was it about? How did you respond? What actions did you take?
Learn about It!
Competent media users should not absorb everything he sees and hears. There should always be
a critical evaluation and thorough understanding of the subtle meaning behind the form and
structure. WIth this course about media and information literacy, you will be learn the fundamentals
in decoding messages in media.
There are two types of messages that you can find in media text:
1. Explicit Message refers to the literal sense of the message. What you see and read is the
direct meaning of the text.
2. Implicit Message pertains to the type of media that requires one’s analytical and
interpretative reading skills to grasp the underlying meaning of the text.
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How do we verify the information in text media?
Reliability is knowing the legitimacy and trustworthiness of the source of the information while
utility is about the pragmatic aspect of the material. It does not necessarily follow that if a source is
reliable, it is useful already. This depends on the user’s purpose and needs. Likewise, not all
relevant materials are deemed as reliable, for some of these might have been intentionally created
to deceive or influence people. Hence, verifying the source will help you decide on the value of the
information.
Bias is manifested in text when authors present particular beliefs or values as if they were
universal and true for all. For instance, bias may be presented through selective content, slanted
language, propaganda, omission of stories and even the length and sequence of the text.
There are different kinds of false information around. Before you believe or share any information
you came across with, make sure it isn’t one of these:
1. Hoaxes and false news: this piece of information is designed to deceive and trick people
for various reasons such as propaganda, ideologies, popularity, profitability, and others.
2. Scams: this malignant activity has been going around for quite some time across the globe.
It happens in different ways like creating a fake identity or representing as a false, inexistent
authority to lure you into their trap, which is most of the time, to get
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your money, steal personal information, or introduce malware to your computer.
There are different types of lies that you can find in media as well and
you must be cautious enough to spot these:
1. Blatant lies- this is a conscious effort of making up stories.
2. Partial Lies - this is a combination of using existing facts to make
unfounded or fallacious claims.
3. Lies by omission -this is similar to card stacking when you are
being selective to the kinds of information that you will divulge and
some will be kept from the target audience.
How to determine the reliability and validity of information?
1. Who created it?
● Check the authority behind the source.
● Is he/she an expert?
2. Why is it created?
● What does the author want to achieve?
● What is the intended impact of the text to the audience?
3. What techniques and strategies were used in text media?
● Consider the design principles.
● Determine the elements of text used.
● Are there overrated or omitted information?
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Check Your Understanding
1. Cite an example of a false news, post, or information that have been popular and trending
this year. Can you identify its roots?
2. Create a pledge that you will be truthful and responsible on whatever media content you will
create. This pledge will be read out loud in class and will be posted on your bulletin board.
Think of your own words to express your seriousness on this matter and apply design
principles in text media as you craft your ideas.
3. Both print and online news agencies have pros and cons. Describe the kind of information
that you get from a local newspaper and an online news portal that you visit. Which is more
reliable in presenting information? Prove your answer.
4. Get two news articles with same topic or headline from any print and online resource.
Create five questions about the report and answer them. Afterwards, decide whether the
news report is reliable and valid or not.
5. In your own words, explain the ways on how to determine the reliability and validity of text
media and information. Imagine explaining it to younger children.
Explore and Create
Search and observe posters or tarpaulins in your community which was posted by the local
government unit. What is the common content that you can find? What kind of information do they
present? How can you verify the reliability and validity of these information?
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Lesson 4: Production and Evaluation of a
Creative Text-Based Presentation
Every publication must contain text because this is where all the essential information are covered.
Some texts may look dull and simple while others may look sophisticated. With your knowledge on
design principles, you can apply certain techniques in order to create a good quality of material.
For instance, in writing an invitation, you can change the size and style of font, you can mix
different colors, and add some borders. In this way, audience will be more hooked to read and
decode the material if aesthetic and content are balanced. In this lesson, you will learn about
common examples of text media and its basic features.
Jump Start
One Minute of Fame
If you were to represent the Philippines in the United Nations, what advocacy would you want to
share and raise awareness to the people? Explain your answer in less than a minute.
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Learn about It!
Text is the most essential feature of any publication design since it
contains the key information. Though it may look plain and dull, there
are still several ways on how to design text that is aesthetically
appropriate to the audience.
One common example of text media is a poster. It has a large notice
that contains a heading, a picture, and a message. We usually use
present tense for this type of text.
Heading – it contains the main idea or title of the activity, notice, or reminder to the public.
In the example above, celebrate mid autumn festival is the heading of the poster.
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Pictures – these are illustrations or still images that reinforce the message.
In the above text, tour de france is a popular event in cycling. The yellow image of a fading cyclist
and the wheels of a bicycle reinforce the heading.
Message – it contains the details and other pertinent information about the main topic.
In the above example, the message is about keeping oneself healthy by not smoking.
Another common example of text media is a brochure. This is usually used in marketing to inform
the public about the goods and services of the company.
What are the elements that you must consider in creating a brochure?
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1. Name and Logo – the name should be
short and catchy. The logo must also be
pleasing to the eyes. This is important since
business are remembered and recognized
by their name and logo.
2. Brochure cover – it usually has an image
aside from the plain text and formatted text.
Remember the text should jive with the
image.
3. Slogan - this is similar to a catchphrase
that marks the uniqueness of your product
or service. This must be very short yet
meaningful and relatable to the audience.
4. Main Text – this is where the voluminous information is found including product description,
pricing, features, and frequently asked questions. A combination of plain and formatted texts
is used on this part.
5. Contact Information – this is the most important feature since this is the direct way where
your clients can reach you to avail or ask questions about your products and services .
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Check Your Understanding
1. What are the different examples of text media?
2. What is the use of text media?
3. Design a poster that explains the importance of being a media and information literate
individual. Be ready to share and explain your work in class.
4. Create a brochure about your culminating project in one of your classes in TLE.
Promote your product to your peers and teachers.
5. What are the factors to consider in creating text-based presentation? Cite example to
support your answer.
Explore and Create
Based on the advocacy that you want to talk about during the jump start, design a poster that will
illustrate your ideas.
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Let’s Create!
Start-up Business: Brochure
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Criteria
Beginning
(0-12 points)
Developing
(13-16 points)
Accomplishe
d (17-20
points)
Score
Content
(Focus on details/events are
clearly evident; it is clearly
related to the topic.)
Organization
(Logical progression of
details/events; clear
transitions between ideas.
Conventions
(spelling, mechanics,
grammar and usage)
Graphics go well with the
text and there is a good mix
of text and graphics.
Complete Information
Each section in the
brochure has a clear
beginning, middle, and end.
Design principles in text
elements and media are
evident.
Total Score:
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Self-Check
Skills
I think I need more
time and
assistance.
I have a minimal
understanding of it.
I am confident that I
can do this with ease.
I can describe the
different dimensions of
text information and
media;
I can comprehend how
text information and
media is/are formally
and informally
produced, organized,
and disseminated.
I can evaluate the
reliability and validity of
text information and
media and its/their
sources using selection
criteria;
I can produce and
evaluate a creative
text-based presentation
using design principles
and elements.
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Wrap Up
Type of Text
Design Elements
Plain
Formatted
Hypertext
Emphasis
Appropriateness
Proximity
Alignment
Organization
Repetition
Contrast
How to Assess Reliability
and Validity
Who created it?
Why was it created it?
To whom is it for?
What techniques were
used?
What information were
emphasized and omitted?
What tone of language was
used?
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Bibliography
Barron, Misty. 2017. Parts of a Brochure. Accessed February 19, 2018.
https://bizfluent.com/info-8263649-parts-brochure.html
Gallagher, Kerry and Magid, Larry. n.d. Media Literacy and Fake News. Accessed February 18,
2018. https://www.connectsafely.org/wp-content/uploads/Media-Literacy-Fake-News.pdf
Pitagan, Ferdinand., et al. 2016. Teaching Guide for Senior High School: Media and
Information Literacy. Accessed February 19, 2018.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B869YF0KEHr7UXo3ZVl0a1M3aG8/view
Wilson, Carolyn, Grizzle, Alton, Tuazon, Ramon,Akyempong, Kwame, and Cheung, Chi-Kim.
2011. Media and information Literacy Curriculum for Teachers. France. United Nations
Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization.
University of Groningen. “ Teaching Guide for Senior Information literacy - Media Studies:
Evaluation criteria: relevance and reliability”. Accessed February 18, 2018.
https://libguides.rug.nl/c.php?g=560673&p=3857909
Recommended Link for This Unit:
How to detect fake news
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/socially-relevant/201711/how-spot-fake-news
Glossary
Alignment - describes the position of the text on a page like center, right, bottom, etc.
Appropriateness - refers to how suitable the text depending on your intention, audience needs,
and context.
Contrast - happens when two or more different elements are placed together to create a
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certain effect.
Emphasis - applied when you want to make a point or highlight a certain text by changing the
color, making it bolder, italicize, etc.
Explicit message - refers to the literal sense of the message. What you see and read is the direct
meaning of the text.
Formatted text - the text appearance varies using various typeface.
Hypertext- this highlights and links certain words in electronic documents that will
redirect you to browse another webpage.
Implicit Message - pertains to the type of media that requires one’s analytical and interpretative
reading skills to grasps the underlying meaning of the text.
Organization - deliberate and careful grouping, dividing, and sorting all the elements on a page.
Plain Text -these are essentially fixed-sized character with the same style.
Proximity- the distance between the words or text elements.
Repetition- concerned with the uniformity and consistency of the design.
Reliability- knowing the legitimacy and trustworthiness of the source.
Text - a simple and basic way of presenting information or ideas whether handwritten, printed or
online.
Typeface- a digital representation of text which is more commonly known as font type.
Utility- the usefulness of the source.
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