Transformative Practice in Critical Media Literacy

Steve Gennaro is a critical theorist, philosopher of technology, award-winning educator, and child rights activist. He is also one of the founding members of the Children, Childhood, and Youth Studies Program at York University in Toronto, Canada.Nolan Higdon is a Lecturer at Merrill College and the Education Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz, USA.Michael Hoechsmann is a Professor of Education and Adjunct Professor of Media, Film, and Communications at Lakehead University (Orillia).

“Transformative Practice in Critical Media Literacy (Gennaro, Higdon, and Hoechsmann) is a timely and transformative guide to critical media literacy education in an era of fake news and media saturation. The collection dissects the complex world of contemporary media, exploring its profound impact on democracy, education, and society and shedding light on the hidden forces shaping our perceptions. Beyond analysis, the book serves as a rallying cry for change, emphasizing that critical media literacy is a pathway to individual and collective transformation. It underscores the vital role of education in bridging socialization, vocational training, and civic engagement, offering hope and practical solutions for the future of education. With diverse voices and perspectives, the book confronts the crisis in knowledge production within higher education, advocating for active, informed, and critical citizens who shape the narratives defining our world. It's an essential read for educators and activists concerned about the future of our society.”Douglas Kellner, Professor Emeritus, Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, UCLA“Packed with insight and praxis-oriented roadmaps that merge media literacy and critical pedagogy in higher education, Transformative Practice in Critical Media Literacy: Radical Democracy and Decolonized Pedagogy in Higher Education sets the table for a rich dialogue on how post-secondary education can play a responsive role in these post-digital, neoliberal and neocolonial times.”Dr. Paul R. Carr, Professor and Chair-holder. Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO) and UNESCO Chair in Democracy, Global Citizenship and Transformative Education“Transformative Practice in Critical Media Literacy: Radical Democracy and Decolonized Pedagogy in Higher Education offers crucial and diverse perspectives on the value of critical media literacy in higher education, particularly in our current moment. The editors have collected a powerful set of essays that explore a range of theoretical and practical models and interventions that situate critical media literacy education as a pivotal democratizing force that revitalizes civic life.”Alison Trope, Ph.D., Clinical Professor, Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, University of Southern California

• 1. 25 Years of Critical Media Literacy: What Mattered then & What Matters now in Higher Education2. Social Justice Is Not Possible Without Critical Media Literacy3. Finding the ‘edu’ in educommunicación: In search of praxis in teacher education4. Preparatory Courses for Graduate Programs and Digital Literacy During the Covid-19 Pandemic5. Radical Education and the Abolitionist University6. The Peruvian university: Will new models emerge from post-pandemic uncertainty?7. Rethinking Disorder: Social Struggles, Direct Action, and Critical Pedagogy8. Exploiting the News to Make Change: A Dynamic Model of Media Environments as Landscape For Understanding and Participating in the Digital Environment9. Critical Media Literacy and the University as Medium: A Reflexive Social Epistemology10. Reclaiming Media Education for the Environment: A Case for Critical Ecomedia Literacy in Professional Journalism Schools11. The Anthropocene’s Epistemic Enclosure: Utilizing Ecomedia Literacy to Revive the Knowledge Commons12. Rethinking Curriculums: How Critical Digital Literacy and Mandatory Composition Courses Collide13. Theory as a ‘Healing Place’: Critical Literacy, Media Production, and Minoritized Students14. Teaching Podcasting in Ethnic Studies Classrooms: The Alchemist Manifesto Podcast, Digital Literacy Pedagogies and Lessons from Student Projects in and beyond the Global Pandemic 15. Scratching the Surface: How Facebook Journalism Project Undermines Journalistic Integrity and Critical Media Literacy?16. Augusto Boal's Theater of the Oppressed as a Vehicle to Promote Critical Media Literacy 17. “I should not have to take a class that is so harmfully liberal again”: Radical Democracy and Preparing Transformative Teachers18. The Road Ahead: Empowering Critical Thinkers and Digital Citizens