What is New Media Literacy?
In J.D. Applen’s article “Old Media, New Media, and Knowledge”, we learn that new media literacy refers to the knowledge and creativity to interact with or produce content through various forms of media. Media platforms are consistently updated and remodeled so traditional forms of media aren’t always fit for every situation. New Media confronts the complexities that surround digital media. It involves critical thinking and provides us with many formats such as blogs, websites, audio/video, etc. Whereas traditional literacy focuses on reading, writing, and understanding text.
Print Media & Online Media
When we read printed text, we do not pay any special attention to the actual letters. For example, their size or font. This is common as most printed text looks pretty similar to each other style wise. Readers just read the book and trust that what the author is saying is factual (given it is non-fiction). But when you take online text into consideration, we see the letters for what they are and don’t look through them. Their font and style is often more analyzed by readers. This is due to the fact that they are aware that online text can always be manipulated. This form of media is not fully trusted.
Separate Identities & Independence
When units of information are used to construct larger bodies of information, they must change their separate identities and retain their independence. A media clip placed in a word document was used to explain that an object inserted on an online source is still the same object even when altered. You can add to it or take away from it, but you can’t modify it. Lev Manovich also provides us with the example of websites and books. Think of your favorite store or restaurant’s website. Chances are the looks of it are constantly changing. Whether that is by color/theme, tabs/organization, etc. However, the website still holds the same purpose. With books, it wouldn’t make sense to be missing a chapter. Readers wouldn’t be able to grasp the point of the story without a full storyline and proper shift.
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