Understanding Motives and Considering Their Impact: Why We Need Media Literacy

After taking a class on media literacy it is clear that we sometimes need to reconsider the things we see on television, the internet, in magazines, in newspapers, or any of the other ways we are accessible to the media. Media literacy is important because we, as consumers of media, need to consider the motive of the source and its impact upon the messages we receive.

For example, say you are watching a movie review on Good Morning America. It is a positive review for the new Disney movie. Then you flip to the Today Show and the same movie is given a less-than favorable review, while a Universal Pictures movie, that is opening the same weekend, is given a great review. The issue is not about whether either movie is good or bad, but is about the station’s motive.

Good Morning America airs on ABC which is owned by Disney. Therefore, they want to promote their movie in a way that will get millions of people to see their movie over the competition. Similarly, the Today Show is on NBC, which is owned by General Electric and their motive is to get people to go see their movie instead.

According to the Columbia Journalism Review, General Electric owns NBC along with Universal Pictures, the Universal Parks and Resorts, CNBC, MSNBC, Bravo Network, Sci-Fi Channel, the USA Network and many other affiliate stations and companies. Likewise, The Disney Corporation not only owns ABC and the Disney Resorts but also Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax Films, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, and Pixar, ABC Family, the Disney Channel, and ESPN along with radio stations, record groups, book and magazine publishers and numerous other things. Therefore, viewers need to be alert to the media and what it is promoting.

Another instance where this occurs is when daytime talk shows broadcast from theme parks. On April 2-4, 2008 The Ellen DeGeneres Show was taped at the Universal Orlando Resort. NBC is not the only station to use their shows to promote their parks. Not as recently, but still relevant Live with Regis and Kelly was broadcast from Walt Disney World during the week of December 4, 2001 for Walt Disney’s 100th Birthday.

The promotions do not end with daytime talk shows. Scrubs, on NBC, filmed an episode at Universal Studios. However, Disney wins the prize for promoting its parks through prime time television. Full House, Roseanne, Step by Step, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Boy Meets World, and Family Matters all filmed episodes at WDW.

While those listed above were filmed at the WDW parks, According to Jim filmed an episode on the Disney Cruise Ship. In the episode, Jim’s sister-in-law’s new job required her to produce a commercial for the Disney Cruise Ships. Jim’s family was cast as the actors for the spot, which set-up the premise for the episode. The episode was filmed in two parts; the first part established the story and the second part is when they were actually on the cruise ship. So, in reality, that episode of According to Jim was an hour long promotion for the Disney Cruise Ships, as the other shows were for the Walt Disney World Resort.

By knowing what forces are behind the media, people are more aware of these motives and being media literate helps people from being susceptible to hidden promotions. Filming in theme parks is basically product placement on a larger scale. Nothing is necessarily bad about these types of promotions; however media literacy helps to realize how the media shapes its material towards these motives.