Approaches to Media Literacy: A Handbook

From Library Journal The media are pervasive in modern life, and it is important for consumers to be able to evaluate the messages they receive. This handbook offers a range of critical approaches to the analysis of media content and messages. Each chapter focuses on a specific type of analysis, including ideological, autobiographical, nonverbal, mythic, and production elements. The authors, from the School of Communication at Webster University, provide a description of each method followed by the application of the method to a particular case. For example, the essay at the end of the chapter on nonverbal communication examines alcohol moderation ads produced by three brewers. As the authors show, the images in the ads contradict the voice-overs promoting responsible drinking. This book will be of interest as a college-level textbook and for academic libraries with communications collections. Silverblatt is also the coauthor of Dictionary of Media Literacy (LJ 4/15/97).AJudy Solberg, George Washington Univ., Takoma Park, MDCopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.