New Mexico Media Literacy Project

We have a local media literacy jewel in Albuquerque. The New Mexico Media Literacy Project operates out of Academy High School. But don't let the location fool you, the Project is mostly independent from the school. The staff at the Project are experienced media literacy activists. Many have traveled the country doing literacy events. Most of the funding for the Project comes from the State Health Department. So most of the topics covered are things like liquor and tobacco advertising, all very youth based.

"The New Mexico Media Literacy Project, founded in 1993, is one of the largest and most successful media literacy organizations in the United States.

Our mission is to cultivate critical thinking and activism in our media culture to build healthy and just communities.

NMMLP delivers dynamic multimedia presentations at conferences, workshops and classrooms across the country. Our media literacy curricula and action guides, including DVD-ROMs, CD-ROMs and videos, are used in countless classrooms and communities in all 50 states and abroad. NMMLP’s Catalyst Institute and other training programs have empowered thousands of people to be advocates and activists for a media literate society."

What the New Mexico Media Literacy Project does:

	Inspiring, educational media literacy presentations for youth and adults.
	A variety of training opportunities, including the acclaimed Catalyst Institute.
	Innovative media literacy curricula delivered on CD-ROMs and DVDs.
	Collaborative projects on media and health.
	The Bad Ad Contest for students and youth.

Here are some of the BASIC CONCEPTS of media literacy the Project suggests:

Media construct our culture
Media messages affect our thoughts and actions
Media effects are subtle
Media effects are complex
Media use "the language of persuasion"
Media construct fantasy worlds
No one tells the whole story
Media messages contain "texts" and "subtexts"
Individuals construct their own meanings from media
Media convey ideological and value messages
The human brain processes images differently than words
Media are most powerful when they operate on an emotional level
Media messages can be manipulated to enhance emotional impact
Media messages reflect the values and viewpoints of media makers
Media messages can be decoded
We all create media
Our media system reflects the power dynamics in our society
We can reform our media system
Media literate youth and adults are media activists