ABSTRACT
In a constantly changing and disruptive media environment, media educators in higher education are challenged to create flexible, robust media curricula that will prepare students to be ethical and conscientious practitioners, citizens, and consumers. This chapter investigates media literacy and professional media education student-learning outcomes and shows that both areas overlap. An analysis of the overlap suggests that three classes cover many media literacy outcomes and most of the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) values and competencies: Introduction to Media, Media Texts, and Media Audiences. These classes, along with experiential-learning components, can be used to challenge the status quo, provide a context that requires self-reflection, and empower students to think of themselves not only as practitioners, but also as active citizens. It is argued that these three classes would be an excellent core for all media literacy and professional media education programs.
