Media Literacy: Home

RTC Events for Media Literacy Week (October 24-28) and How to Participate

*All events will be hosted at Renton Technical College: 3000 NE 4th St, Renton, WA 98056
**Some events can also be joined virtually

Film Screening and Discussion- Trust Me (2020)

Oct 25, 11am-1pm PDT

Join us for a screening of the award-winning documentary Trust Me, which lays out the challenges of the current media landscape and how media literacy can make us more resilient. Following the film, Librarian Di Zhang will have a 30-minute discussion from 12:30-1pm.

Location: RTC Library, Building C (Second Floor)

**Join the discussion virtually (starts at 12:30pm PDT) : https://rtcedu.zoom.us/j/7551692380 

**The film screening portion of this event will be in person. RTC students, faculty and staff can watch the film on their own for free through Kanopy, a video streaming service available on our databases page (you must create an account). Others may be able to access Kanopy through public library systems. 

Fool Proof: Essential Strategies for Thriving in the Era of Fake News 

Oct 25, 4-5pm PDT

What strategies, tools, and habits can we cultivate in order to withstand misinformation and fake news? Librarian Di Zhang shares his biggest lessons from nearly a decade of teaching information and media literacy and engaging with conspiracy theorists and trolls. Come for the tips and stay for the lively discussion!

Location: RTC Library, Building C (Second Floor)

**Join virtually: https://rtcedu.zoom.us/j/7551692380 

Parent Resources for Digital Safety

Oct 26, 11am-12pm PDT

We know that youth are increasingly impacted by and targeted via online media. Join us for a presentation and discussion, led by RTC’s Associate Dean of Student Engagement & Retention and parent Wade Parrott III, on how parents can model and ensure safe and responsible online behaviors for their kids. 

Location: RTC Library, Building C (Second Floor)
**Join virtually: https://rtcedu.zoom.us/j/7551692380                          

Online and home-based learning by ILO Asia-Pacific is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO

Film Screening and Discussion - The War of the Worlds (1953)

Oct 26, 3:30-5:30pm PDT

Join us to relive the infamous night in 1938 when Orson Welles narrated scenes from H.G. Wells’ novel The War of the Worlds over the radio, resulting in panic from American listeners who thought a Martian invasian was happening. We then screen the classic 1953 film based on the same novel and discuss whether this scare could happen today. What can we learn from the night that panicked America? Presented by Mark Daniels, science fiction cinema instructor and podcaster.

Location: Blencoe Auditorium, Building C (first floor)

*This event will be in person only. 

 

Why is Media Literacy Important?

In today's world, we are inundated with media messaging more than ever before. A 2022 study by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that average screen time among teens outside of school had more than doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to pre-pandemic numbers, now at 7.7 hours a day compared to 3.8 hours a day pre-pandemic. Take a second to reflect on how your use of media has changed in recent years. How are different forms of new media, especially social media, affecting children and adults? Given the rise of online misinformation and fake news, skyrocketing anxiety, depression and body dysmorphia related to social media, and increasing political tensions and divisions, what are the strategies, tools, and habits we need to cultivate in order to thrive in this new media landscape?

This resource guide is meant to provide resources from experts on these important questions. Here you will find information on Media Literacy, Fake News, Resources for Educators, Resources for Parents, and Digital Citizenship. Also, check the information above on RTC's public events for Media Literacy Week and how to participate.