Bradford L. Yates

Media Literacy: A Health Education Perspective

Abstract This article argues for an increase in media literacy training to help students combat the mixed health messages found in the media. Media literacy is defined as the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and produce media messages. Much of the article deals with laying out specific exercises school health educators and other teachers can use to incorporate media literacy into health education. The article suggests that through media literacy students can learn to evaluate critically the health messages in various media outlets. Once students realize how the media package messages, they will be more aware of what to look for and how to interpret what they see and hear.

Mass communication and journalism faculty’s perceptions of the effectiveness of email communication with college students: a nationwide study

Nearly 700 US journalism and mass communication faculty (all teaching personnel) reported their perceptions of student email use via a web‐based survey. This nationwide study focused on the content of email sent by faculty to students, email’s effectiveness, and email’s effect on student learning. Comparisons were made based on faculty gender, rank, age, and ethnicity. Findings suggest that despite statistical differences, when gender, rank, age, or ethnicity are considered, faculty are not in the habit of sending course materials like syllabi, project instructions, and lecture notes to students personally via email. Moreover, faculty tend to find favor with email communication and its effectiveness as a tool of teaching. The results of this survey coupled with previous research by the authors and other scholars suggest faculty ought to embrace the technology and develop positive ways to incorporate email, as well as other technology, into the educational process.