social systems, commercial and economic approaches, and citizens’
engagement.
Over the years, media has evolved to be more than just a vehicle of
information, but an influential instrument powerful enough to transform
established systems. However, despite the fact the access to information and
knowledge has increased during the last decade, significant challenges and
obstacles still remain. In this lesson, we will look into the opportunities,
challenges, and power of media and information.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Activity 1.1 Imagine a World without Media
Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education`
Region III – Central Luzon
Schools Division of Nueva Ecija
PALAYAN CITY NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
MEDIA AND INFORMATION LITERACY
(Qtr. 2 / Week 1 and 2)
Learning Competencies:
*Realize the opportunities and challenges in media and information
(MIL11/12OCP-IIIh24); and
*Research and cite recent examples of the power of media and information
to affect change (MIL11/12OCP-IIIh25)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Opportunities, Challenges, and Power of Media and Information
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------There are both endless opportunities and challenges in the
Information Age. As a digital native, you ought and be able to make the best
use out of the media’s opportunities and hurdle over its challenges. Read and
reflect on how these opportunities and challenges exist and affect some of
the different aspects of society.
In the previous lesson, you have learned about the policies and ethics
of information production, consumption, and sharing. Media and
information literacy also call for individuals to be mindful of the ethical and
legal implications of how they use and share information. Copyright,
intellectual property, netiquette, these are only a few concerns that
dominate the Information Age, concerns that media and literate individuals
must understand and inculcate the importance. Now, it’s time to move on to
the next topic!
The world is changing at a startling pace. Developments in
information, communication, and technology in the past decades have
enabled society to transform the mechanisms of how information circulates
and how people interact, access information, create new knowledge, learn,
and work. This information revolution has opened new waves of
opportunities and challenges not only for media and information but also in
1. Informational (Social Media and the Web)
Whether we like it or not, the advent of the Internet has forced
practically almost everyone to migrate to the virtual world, especially when
most of the information we need is now available via the Internet. Today the
World Wide Web is at the forefront of information providers given its
multimedia format, which have “enriched information through a synergy of
text, audio, image, and video (Liquigan, 2016).” The new media has enabled
audiences to faster, easier, and more efficient access and utilization of data
and information, especially that search engines have made information
seeking more interacting, engaging, and convenient. It also links users
through the vast networks of communication platforms such as e-mail,
Internet search, and messaging applications. Moreover, the Internet has
afforded the audiences to a world that connects people and share cultures
transcending physical boundaries.
1
Aside from the Web, one of our most accessed sources of information
is social media. Study the table below for the challenges and opportunities
that you, as a netizen, face in the midst of your engagement with social media
(Liquigan, 2016).
Table 1.1 Challenges and Opportunities of Social media
On the other hand, still because of all the information and data right
at the audience’s disposal, Cybercrime has also been one of the greatest
challenges in media and information.
According to the Department of Justice, Cybercrime is “a crime
committed with or through the use of information and communication
technologies such as radio, television, cellular phone, computer and network,
and other communication device or application.”
According to the 2001 Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, criminal
offenses in cyberspace include:
1. offenses against the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of computer
data and systems;
2. computer-related offenses;
3. content-related offenses; and
4. offenses related to infringements of copyright and related rights
2
2. Economic (Business and Marketing)
exams, or doing projects. Today, learning and education have taken a whole
new meaning with media and information.
At present, the advancement in media tools and information
dissemination has made learning and education resources more open and
freer for public use. What we had to research in the library before can already
be sought through your laptop or phone today. Thanks to the Internet, a
learner may also get information from a wide variety of sources like e-books,
articles, videos, and the like.
Furthermore, it has also opened the opportunity for various modes
of learning to exist, both informal and non-formal arrangements. One of the
growing trends in education is distance or online learning where students
need not attend classes physically, instead, register to online courses or
programs and attend in such even in the comfort of their homes. This is
especially beneficial to people who are constrained by their schedules or due
to some personal reasons. The convenience, abundance, and
interconnection, aspect of media and information for education are
opportunities worth taking advantage of (Gonzales, 2016).
However, the opportunities that media and information brought has
also opened several challenges. For instance, the problem with overflowing
information available for public use is people having to assess and evaluate
the usefulness and credibility of the information on their hands. It is
unfortunate, though, that people in some communities, especially rural ones,
don’t even have the chance to evaluate information because they have no
access to such technology and data in the first place. As the world and
education rapidly progress, people who have been left behind are even stuck
at a farther distance making it more difficult for them to catch up.
To put up a business means having to disburse money. It’s an
expensive endeavor. Starting a business is one thing, but sustaining and
marketing your business is another. In the old days, traditional marketing
mediums such as print and broadcast were very costly, and actually even until
now. Due to the impact of social media as a new medium, the relationship
between brands and consumers has changed a lot. Now, through social
media marketing, business owners can connect with their target consumers
for free through using social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, etc., and
can significantly lower their marketing costs.
The New Media also allows them to see what potential customer’s
opinions are and network with them as well. It creates a platform for
discourse and lets the business owners respond to customer grievances,
questions, and concerns almost instantly. Businesses will always be
connecting with customers, both actual and potential ones, and social media
enable for a more fast and cost-efficient mechanism.
However, its opportunities are also its disadvantages. First, because
the connection to customers is put on a priority, you may have to spend more
time being active in social media answering queries, responding to feedback,
and updating your online presence with creative marketing content. This may
be a challenge for some as this is time-consuming and may compromise the
time you get to use for actual work or production instead. Moreover, the
ability for new media to cater to online feedback may also pose a challenge
as they can also spread bad things from your product or brand. Competitors
may also be lurking around studying your business.
3. Educational
4. Political (Politics and Governance)
Media and information have made a radical impact on education
(Gonzales, 2016). Today, learning has never been easier and faster. When we
talk about education, we usually refer to its most technical sense, “the
knowledge, skill, and understanding that you get from attending a school,
college, or university (Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary).” In the past decades,
society has been limited to the idea that people can only learn and get an
education through sitting and listening to lectures in a classroom, passing
The communication of political information is an important process
in the political system, and the mass media play a central role in this activity
(Coxall et al., 2003). Media, as a vehicle in communication, can provide the
audience with news and information, which will help them develop more
informed opinions and choices. For instance, during the election period, most
of what the people would know about political candidates and political
parties is the information we get from media, which often affects how they
3
perceive a certain candidate or party, both positively and negatively. The
media also acts as a watchdog that monitors the conduct and governance of
elected government officials. In today’s politics and society at large, media is
essential to safeguarding the transparency of democratic processes.
Through media and more information provided to the public, a bigger
platform for political discussions has also been opened. This validates that
“the media assist the working of a democratic system through facilitating free
speech and unrestricted public debate (Coxall et al., 2003).”
On the other way around, politics can also have an effect on media
as, at times, although not explicitly, powerful political figures and even the
government can manipulate or influence media’s content. This kind of media
regulation can be best seen in communist systems like North Korea’s, where
the government enforces rules and regulations governing the media industry
and prescribing the kind of information they are allowed to broadcast. This is
one of the challenges of media as an element in politics, the truth or
information the media disseminates may be manipulated by external factors.
An example of this is what we call propaganda, a communication that is
primarily used to influence an audience and further an agenda; thus,
information may be made incomplete, twisted, or presented selectively.
The interrelationship between media and politics provides a fair
foundation in the function of media as a source of information (Gonzales,
2016). However, today, the widening gap between the media, the
government, and the public’s trust is becoming a pressing challenge.
As defined by Encyclopedia Britannica, citizen journalism is
“journalism that is conducted by people who are not professional journalists
but who disseminate information using Web sites, blogs, and social media.”
Citizen journalism is one of the biggest opportunities in media and
information as it encourages ordinary citizens to take part in the news
production process. It gives the then-receivers an opportunity to become
news producers as well. Moreover, it also urges them to be more wary and
mindful of the things happening around them and gives them the confidence
to speak out when they see something wrong.
According to TCC Group, their work revealed that media influences
an audience (i.e., affects change) through a flow, illustrated in the diagram
below.
5. Social (Citizen Engagement and Social Change)
Have you ever heard of ABS-CBN’s “Bayan mo, Ipatrol Mo!”? The
program where ordinary citizens send reports, photos, videos, of problems
in their communities, issues they want to put the spotlight on, or advocacies
they want to promote. How about this, have you ever noticed that news
organizations are now using photos and footages from ordinary citizens
when reporting for a story? Have you ever wondered at what point did
ordinary citizens take part in providing information for mass broadcast? This
trend is brought about by advancements in technology and the fast and
widespread dissemination of information. This is what we call citizen
journalism.
As opposed to the traditional communication process where the
message to be sent is usually found in the middle, this flow reveals that there
may be several entry points of targeted contents, and media audiences may
start at various points along with the flow. This means that some may just be
aware of an issue or topic, some may actually understand it, or some are just
acquainted with it because of emotional connection. Whatever the case is,
“content can individually and collectively (as part of a campaign) serve to
affect an increase in audience understanding and help foster an emotional
4
connection between the audience and the issue being presented (Gasper
2016).”
Several events in history proved this to be true, that media, as a
vehicle of these targeted contents brought about action and mobilization. In
fact, history has concretely shown society how media can be a powerful tool
for social change and mass revolution.
The speed at which information is spread through social media is the
main reason why platforms such as Facebook or Twitter have had
increasingly large roles in civil society, even fueling the revolution. Check out
the powerful ways social media has been used to create change around the
world.
Web offers the audience a wider avenue for intellectual discussion and
productive conversations. However, due to the influx of various differing
ideas, the broadening problem of polarization has been one of the
undeniable challenges in media and information. Because of the differences
in views and opinions of the audience, a culture of social division is becoming
evident and is taking a toll on unity and even social trust.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Activity 1.2 Fill-out the Table
Direction: Copy the table in a separate sheet of paper. (Do not write anything
on this module)
1. Libyan Revolution – When official media outlets like television and print
media were controlled by the state, social media became the reliable source
of information for the revolutionaries and even a platform used to distribute
information and firsthand accounts of what was going on within the country.
As a result, media tools like tablets and phones played crucial roles in the
revolution.
2. Arab Spring – In 2011, an online frenzy of activity commenced a revolution
in Egypt which saw more than 3 million tweets on Twitter, hundreds of hours
of Youtube video, and countless posts on Facebook and blogs which told
stories of the revolution from citizens who needed to get their voices heard.
3. Ukrainian Revolution – In Ukraine, much like traditional revolutions,
protesters line the streets to call for social change. Nonetheless, social media
still played a role in the movement as protester used some as a strategic tool
for communication, using platforms such as Twitter and Facebook to
organize thousands of like-minded individuals.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Activity 1.3 A Look in the Past
As mentioned earlier, many events in the past showed us how media
play a pivotal role in bringing awareness and action addressing social and
political issues around the world. In the Philippines, an example of these
events is the Million People March. In this activity, you are to read the article
below about the Million People March – what is was, how it came to be, how
it ended, and what role media and information played in between. Read,
reflect, and answer the guide questions that follow on a separate sheet of
paper.
Apart from mass protests, calls for social change may also be in the
form of what we call social marketing. Social marketing refers to using
business and marketing techniques to encourage people to adopt certain
behaviors that would lead to better physical and mental health, and
eventually to wide-scale social change.
On the other hand, although media has the ability to bring people
together, conversely, it also has the potential to bring people apart, attitude,
and ideology-wise. As earlier mentioned, social media and the World Wide
5
The Million People March
acknowledging the legitimacy of protesters’ call to abolish lawmakers’
Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel.
This was the Million People March – a tale of how a group of 3’s call
to reform in social media sparked a crusade against corruption, a movement
actualized on the ground.
August 17, 2013, a day after the Commission on Audit (COA) released
a special report on the Priority Assistance Development Fund (PDAF), saw
how social media became a springboard for a mass protest. Calls for protest
began circulating on Facebook and Twitter after a series of exposés by the
Philippine Daily Inquirer about a mammoth scam involving Congress’ PDAF.
PDAF or more popularly known as the “pork barrel”, the term used to
mean funds allocated to senators and congressmen to be used in their pet
development projects, sparked online outrage from the Filipinos because of
how, by nature, vulnerable it is to corruption and how it has become a fund
source for some legislators. What enraged citizens more was that thenPresident Benigno Aquino III earlier maintained that he wanted to keep the
PDAF.
Consequently, friends Arnold Pedrigal, Peachy Bretana, and Bernardo
Bernardo, created a Facebook event page to gather people who wanted the
PDAF scrapped. They said they wanted a "massive pocket picnic" and to bring
one million people at the Luneta Park on August 26. Astonishingly, the
#MillionPeopleMarch surfaced by August 18 and immediately dominated
Twitter.
This hashtag, together with #PDAFKalampag and #ScrapPork, flooded
Twitter and FB feeds with over 140,000 social media mentions as of 8PM of
August 26. Many Filipinos expressed their anger through creating blogs,
pages, advertisements and even memes to show that they agree to the idea
of stopping the Pork Barrel Fund.
Although the movement originally called to bring in a million people
to march against the graft-tainted pork barrel fund, it has still been deemed
a success as the online campaign was actualized with 80,000-100,000 people
at Luneta according to the police. This number included professionals,
students, workers, priests, nuns and even civic and showbiz personalities. The
movement was even emulated on a smaller-scale in other cities across the
country and in various cities around the world where there are
concentrations of Filipinos.
In the face of the mass’ growing collective anger, President Aquino
announced that he was suspending the releases of money and vowed to
reform the system. After the protests, senators also released statements
*
Sources:
Hundreds
of
thousands
join
people’s
march
against
pork
barrel
(https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/475165/tens-of-thousands-join-peoples-march-against-pork-barrel),
#MillionPeopleMarch: Online and offline success (https://www.rappler.com/nation/37360-million-people-marchsocial-media-protest-success
Guide Questions for Activity 1. 3
Direction: Read the above article carefully. Answer the following questions in
a separate sheet of paper. (Do not write anything on this module)
1. What was the “Million People March” all about?
2. Who initiated the movement?
3. What role did media play in the conception and actualization of the Million
People March?
4. What was the outcome of the Million People March movement? Was it
successful in terms of achieving its goals?
5. What can you recommend for the betterment of mass media-assisted
campaigns such as the Million People March?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Performance Task No. 1: Cartoon Analysis
Direction: Analyze the cartoon below and answer the guide questions that
follow.
6
Use a separate sheet to answer the following questions:
1. What is the message in this cartoon?
effects) or challenges (threats or negative effects) brought by media (new
and traditional) and information citing personal experiences or examples.
2. Is the situation in the media depicted in the cartoon true in the Philippines?
Why or why not?
3. Does the cartoon show a challenge or an opportunity? Why do you say so?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What I Have Learned
Direction: Complete the sentence stem below. Write your answers on a
separate sheet of paper.
1. The advancement of media and information brings society countless
opportunities
such
as
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Assessment
Direction: In a separate sheet of paper, write the letter of the correct answer.
Write your answers in a separate sheet of paper.
1. What composes of the New Media?
a. TV and radio
c. Books and newspapers
b. Internet and Social Media d. AIs and robots
2. However, along with these opportunities are risks and challenges like
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________.
2. All are cybercrime offenses EXCEPT one:
a. Content-related offenses
c. Copyright infringement
b. Computer-related offenses
d. Profile stalking
3. The media is considered a powerful catalyst in a way that
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Businesses will always be connecting with customers, both actual and
potential ones, and social media enable for a more fast and __________
mechanism.
a. Cost-efficient
c. Amazing
b. Hassle
d. Challenging
What I Can Do
Understanding the opportunities and challenges of media and
information is best done by reflecting on how it exists in your life. With this,
in the table below, write what you think are the opportunities (positive
4. This refers to the kind of education where students need not attend classes
physically.
7
a. Modular
c. Distance learning
b. Mobile Education
d. Summer class
or an event where media and information was instrumental in making a
change.
2. Copy and paste the article on a short bond paper.
5. The media assists the working of a __________ system through facilitating
free speech and unrestricted public debate .
a. Unfair
c. Dictatorial
b. Balanced
d. Democratic
3. Cite the source of the news using APA style.
4. Write a summary and a reaction about the article.
5. Answer the following guide questions:
o What media is important or instrumental in the course of event?
o Why do you think the identified media was instrumental or very important
in this event?
o Was the outcome a positive or a negative change? Explain your answer.
--------------------------------------------- E N D ----------------------------------------------
6. Refers to ABS-CBN’s citizen journalism arm.
a. Ipaglaban Mo!
c. It’s Showtime!
b. Bayan Mo Ipatrol Mo!
d. TV Patrol
7. Media, as a vehicle of these targeted contents, brought about action and
mobilization
a. True
c. Maybe
b. False
d. Doubtful
8. What is the revolution in Egypt called?
a. Libyan Revolution
c. Ukrainian Revolution
b. Arab Spring
d. Million People March
9. Who was the Philippines President when the Million People March was
actualized?
a. Erap Estrada
c. Benigno Aquino III
b. Gloria Arroyo
d. Rodrigo Duterte
10. Refers to using business and marketing techniques to encourage people
to adopt certain behaviors that would lead to better physical and mental
health, and eventually to wide-scale social change.
a. Social Marketing
c. Promotions
b. Business Marketing
d. Protests
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Performance Task No.2: Research work
Instructions:
1. Research a news article (2015 up to present) on the internet about an
event that that shows the power of media and information to affect change
8