What Is Media Literacy?
From Grok 3.0…
Mike Benz, Executive Director of the Foundation for Freedom Online, defines media literacy as a critical skillset for navigating the modern information landscape, particularly in the context of online censorship and information control.
While Grok couldn’t find a single, concise quote from Benz explicitly defining media literacy in the provided references, his work and statements suggest he views it as the ability to
Critically analyze media sources
recognize manipulation or bias, and
understand the underlying agendas of those controlling information flows
He emphasizes the importance of questioning official narratives and being aware of how state, corporate, or other powerful entities shape information to influence public perception.
For example, Benz has discussed how media literacy involves recognizing when information is suppressed or amplified by centralized authorities, such as during the Twitter Files revelations, where he highlighted government and corporate collusion in censoring online content.
His perspective aligns with understanding media literacy as a tool to empower individuals to discern truth from propaganda in an era of digital information warfare.
Media Literacy (as shared by Mike in the above video)
Media literacy is NOT how to teach our children how to read the media.
Media literacy is a manipulation schema to get you to read only the content approved by those in charge.
If you don’t read the right media sources (the sources selected for you, not chosen by you) then you are illiterate and need to get your mind right, most likely through stern discipline if you fail to do so.
Does THAT sound like freedom?
Yeah, THAT.
The sources that the “illiterate” readers are listening to are then blacklisted, starting yet another level and cycle of censorship.
Digital literacy includes technological savvy in sourcing the content approved for the policy set up for media literacy.