TOOLS, METHODS and TIPS for tolerance and media literacy
Intercultu(R)eality was a multi action project with the aim of fight against all kind of racisms, intolerance, extremism movements, through non formal education (NFE) and media education. Project had 2 stages: -Training Course for youth workers which involved 9 association from LV,PT,EE,SK,MK,FR,ES,IT and one school from Bulgaria -Youth Exchange which involved 5 association from PT,EE,MK,ES,IT. The Training Course empowered youth workers with competences for designing and facilitating activity on intercultural learning and media education based on NFE at local and international level. The YE represented a concrete action of promotion of active tolerance and intercultural learning which made participants support this values. Big emphasis was given to media education which allowed participants to develop competences on critical reading and on the role of media in the field of human rights. General aims of the project were:
-combine intercultural learning and media education with the aim of fight against intolerance -increase competences of youth workers in designing and facilitate activities of intercultural learning -to promote media literacy through NFE -to make young people more active in the promotion of active tolerance and act as multipliers of this value - to strength the cooperation between youth association and participants in order to cooperate in the future on intercultural learning activities
This publication is dedicated to youth workers, teachers and educators interested in increase critical thinking of young people, young adults and adults towards how media, and in particular new media, depicts different cultures and minorities and how this can effect our opinions about world around us. In particular we will be focus on following topics: -how media constructs reality -stereotypes in media -hate speech -persuasive and manipulative techniques -propaganda In this publication you can find activities which were developed for and during IntercultuReality, tips and recommendations how to lead a session and organize a whole educational program on the topic. Publication includes also feedbacks of participants. Target group of activities: 16-30 years old Activities included in this publication are very easy to adapt to different age groups . They were very effective during the Training Courses with adults, but also in the Youth Exchange with young people aged 17-23. In the description of activity, you can find recommendations on how to adapt activity to different groups according to their level of skills and knowledge. Materials needed: For the majority of activities there are not necessary particular equipment. The main idea was to develop activities which are possible to be organized anywhere, with available tools. Facilitator skills: Activities requires just basic competences and experiences in conducting activities in the frame of nonformal education. Anyway it’s important that facilitator has some knowledge on media education.
Our experiences with media education are very positive, young people but also adults are interested in topics and discussions but also eager to
develop skills in work with different media. As very often they know much more about social media than older generations, every session is a great learning opportunity also for facilitators. And this is how it should work, media education should be based on exchange on knowledge skills, discovering different points of view and respect to plurality of opinion. Here are some tips which can help you to arrive to better results during sessions on media literacy: -Criticize and do it! Every educational activity on the topic of media literacy should involve two level: 1. Critical thinking about media and their products, what means critically analyze and discuss different media products, evaluate their reliability, search different interpretations, understand for which target group and with which intention the message was created. 2. Increasing competences in use of media or learning by doing. One of the best ways to make young people understand how media works is giving them the possibility to try it. To create advertisement, to write article or to became for one day TV journalist. This approach allows young people to increase many competences: communication skills, presentations skills, work in team, creativity, flexibility and at the same time: it is fun! -Media are not enemies and media are not super-powerful! When speaking about media, it is very easy to reach the point when everybody start to blame for everything media. This is not the aim of media education. Media can manipulate, media can mislead, media can be unprofessional and unethical, but media education give us tools to recognize this negative phenomena and to act against, or at least , to create own independent
opinion by recognizing manipulation, fact-checking or searching different point of view. Every session should therefore finish with searching solutions for how we can act, being readers or viewer, in different situations and to discover own powers in interpretation of texts and images. Media are as much influential as we allow them to be. - Involve experts! If possible, it’s very useful to include in activities professionals in media (e.g. video maker, photographer, journalists..) or participants with good competences in work with media or working experience. It increases possibility to improve skills in work
with media, but also, bring more realistic point of view on how media works.
-Let them try it! When working with some groups for the first time, it can appear fear to create video if participants have enough competences. From our experience, young people are very skilled and are able to create really creative works in a very short time. We recommend always to try it. -Encourage young people to reflect about own use of media. How much time I spend with media? Which information I share? How media effects my life? -Use concrete actual examples/cases. When speaking about stereotypes, hoax, hate speech or other topics is very important to use examples which participants know. This is much easier in local or national projects as participants have more similar experiences . It’s much more valuable when participants can discuss concrete examples from their local community or country, or when analyzing movies or TV series, to use examples which are actual and your target groups watch. And of course, every time is great to invite participants to bring own examples. -
Media education doesn’t mean to avoid watching or reading something. When speaking for example about stereotypes in media, it is easy to start with stereotypes which are present in pop culture, but participants can feel not comfortable when their popular TV show or movie is presented as great source of stereotypes, therefore it’s important to underline there is nothing wrong to enjoy
show until we realize that what it’s presented is a very simplified picture, far away from reality. For example, The Godfather, one of the most awarded movie created one of the most dangerous stereotypes about mafia, but still, it is a great movie. - Role of educator in media education. From our experience, it’s working very good when there is enough space created for participants. Educator should encourage participants to present their opinions, searching own answers and solutions and support them with arguments instead of giving them answers. It’s good also to encourage young people to check if the information which we are giving them are correct. -Space to express -Activity should create space where participants can express their opinion through media, point out negative phenomena and help them in this way to became active media users.
Aim: - to increase ability to observe and understand photography and visual language - make more conscious choices when creating photos/paintings. Photography and paintings are giving to the viewer freedom to decide how much time is going to give it. Other art forms give you no choice. According to researchers from Louvre museum the average visitor spends between 15 to 30 seconds in front of a work of art, in other research made in UK they found out that people were dedicated even less time- less than 5 second - to modern art. But to understand the art work it’s required to slow down, look closer and take the time to see the details. Through this activity participants will have the possibility to exercise observation and interpretation of art work and realize a variety of elements which contain visual language. Time: 60-90 minutes Material: pen, paper, photo camera of mobile phones with photo camera (one per group), PC, projector. Instructions: -1.
Divide participants into small groups 4-5 participants per group.
-2.
Invite them to sit down comfortably and to close the eyes, then introduce the activity: “Imagine that is Friday evening, after school/work time and you heard that in the city there is a famous photo exhibition that you would like to see. You decide to call your friends and together to go to visit the exhibition. You enter the room and the first picture which catch your attention is... *select any photography you like and describe it with details to participants* For example: .. big photography of a group of refugees which are on the boat landing to shore. It is a color photo but it prevails shades of gray. The sky is cloudy and the sea is dark. Boat is small and full of people of different age. There are old women with scarves, men in sport clothes, children. Photo is very dynamic. Three men in the water are helping with landing, people are getting ready to jump out from the boat. Their faces are tired and worried. They have nothing just clothes wrapped around bodies. -Another
photo which attracts your attention is a portrait of gold miner from Burkina Faso. It is early morning and the man is smoking his cigarette, calmly and thoughtfully. He seems to be very near to the camera, but looks that he doesn’t realize its presence, maybe he is too tired. He wears a lantern which illuminates his face. Behind the man there is just blue sky. -3.
The task for each group is to think together about the photo which represents for them the topic of conflict and describe it with words on paper. They have to describe it as detailed as possible. How big is the photograph? It is black and white or in color? What is in the foreground and what is in the background? They cannot draw imagine, they have to describe it with sentences. (15 min)
4. When groups finish with description, ask them to create the photograph. Encourage them to be creative, if they described in the photograph objects which are not available, they can replace them or create props. The important is to try to be as accurate as possible. (20min) 5. Groups present their photos. Invite participants to observe the photos and to try to interpret it, just after allow authors to read the description. Debriefing: After activity, the facilitator should discuss with participants how the description of photo have changed the way how they create the photo, and afterwards interpret the photo. How did you like the activity? Did you have some difficulties?
Was the task to describe the photo difficult? The photo created after description, would it be different if you have done it without a previous description? What was the difference? Have the description helped you to understand better the photo? How much time do you usually dedicate to observe photos or paintings? What do you observe? Did this activity change your approach towards observing images or creating images? Describing photography or painting is very useful in order to organize own thoughts about what we see. We could say that it is first step in order to understand art work. Viewer should concentrate on different details which are present in image. Observe what is in the front of the picture what is in the backwards. Which object are dominant, which are less visible, colors used, angles, techniques and other elements. Searching relations between elements, searching their meaning and create the story. This activity is stressing importance of different element in creating of meaning of the photo/image/painting. It’s important to encourage participants to try to interpret photos and underline that there is not just one correct interpretation.
Aim: - to deepen understanding how media contribute to stereotypes - increase critical thinking, recognize stereotypes in media Time: 60 minutes Material: printed examples of advertisement, posters/photos of movies, series OR PC and projector. Instructions: This activity is interactive discussion. Participants will express their opinion about: if different media products spread stereotypes, therefore it’s important that participants understand terms: stereotype, prejudice, discrimination. To introduce this topic to participants we used different activities during project: “Lemons” from T-Kit on Social Inclusion (Council of Europe, p. 58) available on: https://www.salto-youth.net/downloads/4-17-402/tkit%20Social%20Inclusion.pdf and “Take a step forward” from Compass- Manual for human rights education with young people (Council of Europe, p.281) available online: https://www.coe.int/t/dg4/eycb/Source/Compass_2012_FINAL.pdf 1. Prepare different pictures: examples of advertisements, photos of movies, TV series, title pages of magazines, if available projector also video clips, short videos, advertisements, TV News. 2. Make two signs, “Contain stereotype” and “Doesn’t contain stereotype”, and place them on the floor about 6–8 meters apart. You can also place a rope or tape on the floor between the two signs to symbolize the continuum between the two extremes of opinion. 3. Show first prepared video/photo and ask participants to stand next to the sign according to their opinion; those who are undecided stand at the centre point. Invite participants, if they wish, to explain why they are standing where they are. Encourage people to change their position if they change opinion during discussion. 4. When the discussion is finished, show the next picture/video. Debriefing and discussion: Although this activity is a discussion itself, it should be closed by short debriefing where participants can share what they learned from it, if some arguments made them to change opinion or find something new.
Example of photos used for this activity:
TIPS for facilitators: Photos and videos for this activity have to be adapted to knowledge of participants, it’s important that everybody is familiar with media products (TV series. Movies) which are discussed.
Aim: - to reflect about bias in photography Time: 15 minutes Material: printed photos Instructions: This activity is inspired by an experiment made by Canon, where 6 photographers were invited to make photo of one man called Michael, but a different story about who is Michael was told to every photographer: 1. self-made millionaire, 2. hero, 3.ex-inmate, 4. fisherman, 5. psychic and 6.former alcoholic. Although photographers made photos of the same person, very different photos were created at the end . Video about experiment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-TyPfYMDK8 1.Explain participants the experiment, but don’t show the video. 2. Show participants photos and ask them which photos represent which “personalities” of Michal. 3. Evaluate if participants identified matching (photos/personalites) correctly. Debriefing and discussion: Was it difficult to connect photo with story heard by photographer? Which impressions did Michael make on you in any different photos? What is the difference between photos of Michael as alcoholic and Michael as millionaire? Can you see differences in photo portrait between politicians, rock stars or prisoners? Did you discover something new through this exercise? Show participants the video.
Aim: - to increase critical thinking towards photography and photo journalism - raise awareness how framing can change point of view on reality Time: 60-90 minutes Material: photo frame from paper, pencil, scissors, photo camera of mobile phones with photo camera (one per group), PC, projector. Instructions: 1. Start the activity with a short discussion about photography. Do participants like to make photography? Do they like to watch photography in magazines? Which genres of photography they like? Does photography show reality?
-
Picture#1
Picture#3
Picture#2
2. Show participants photo#1 and ask them to describe what they see and what they think is happening. Show them photo#2 and ask them again the same questions. In the end show them photo#3 and ask them what they think. 3. Introduce participants what is photo frame and how framing or crop photo can change meaning of what we see. 4. Divide participants into small groups, 4-5 participants, and tell them that now their task is to create photo which can have different meaning if they use different frames. Show them example.
Example:
4. picture
5.picture
6.picture
5. In order to create effect they can use this simple tool- paper filter (6.picture): Take A4 paper and cut out small square in the middle (grey zone on the 6. picture). One photo should be made without this filter (4.picture) and second should be the same photo just with filter (5.picture). Show them how to use the filter. 15min to accomplish the task. 6. Participants present their photos. Debriefing: Did this activity change your point of view about photography? Did you discover something new? Does something similar happen also in reality and media? Do you know some example? Can photography show reality? Can this happen also in video or TV news? What do we have to keep in mind when watching photos? How photographers can avoid misleading viewers? And how we can avoid being misled?
Aim:� to introduce critical questioning and increase competencies of participants to questioning about media products and messages � to increase knowledge about journalism and advertising and different factors which influence media and journalist Time:120- 180 minutes (if you decide to do this activity without video – using theater for example - representations can take much less time (90 min) (look variations) Material: Mobile phones with video camera (one per group), cable to pass video from mobile phone to PC, PC, projector. Printed or written hidden tasks Instructions: 1. Divide participant in small groups (5-6participants per group). Task is the same for every group, to create TV spot for news about the project, but every group will have just some special secret tasks which they have to fulfill. Examples of special tasks: Make reportage about the project, present the project and promote the location of the project as the best place where to organize project or spend holidays. Make reportage about foreigners which were disturbing all night local habitants during the intercultural night. Show how foreigners are dangerous for local people. Make reportage about the project with interviews Make reportage about the project and show the important role the major of the city has for the organization of event. Make reportage of the project and inform about Erasmus Plus opportunities for young people 2. Participants have 45min to create short spots. They can use mobile phones. To avoid editing, they should preferably make one shot movie. Remember participants that they have just 45min to create videos.
Presentation of videos: Participants will present their TV spots. Every video is followed by a small discussion facilitated by trainer/facilitator. What was the message of the video spot? Which information it offered?
Who is the target audience? To whose interest is serving? Who benefit from that message? Were information showed by TV spot balanced or neutral? Where some information were missing? Which techniques were used to convince you? DEBRIEFING:
How did you like this activity? Was it interesting/ not? Why? Have you seen in TV News similar TV spot? Do you think that some of these spots are unethical ? What is the difference between offering information or presenting opinion or promoting idea or product? After this questions facilitator should present questions which facilitate critical reading of media products. VARIATIONS If there is not enough time, or group doesn’t have enough experiences with video making, is possible to make this activity without video. Participants can just present their news through theatric representation. In this case is good to create stage where participants will show their theater performance. RECOMMENDATIONS: It’s important to underline and repeat that participants have to do one-shot movie because there is not time for editing, or just allow participants to do very simple editing through mobile phone application, if they know it.
Time: 2-3h Aim: -to introduce persuasive and manipulative techniques which are used in media - increase media critical thinking and recognition of techniques
- improve competences in use of video and creating video spots Material: video camera or mobile phone with video camera, paper, pencils, pens, colours, PC and projector - selection of 15-20 printed techniques, shortly described (links on list of techniques are at the end of activity) Instructions: 1. Introduce that the topic of this session will be manipulative and persuasive techniques. If necessary to clarify terms. Ask participants which techniques they know, and give some examples. 2. Divide participant into small groups (5-6 participants per group). All the groups have the same tasks, to create TV advertisement or political campaign promoting person, idea or product using as much manipulative techniques as possible. Everything is allowed, participants can use everything they know from TV. They can take it seriously but also with humor. The important is to convince other groups. 3. For making video they can use mobile phones and to avoid editing they should make one-shot movie. The advertisement can be also short, encourage them to combine different techniques which they know from TV advertisements. 3. If the group is less experienced or there is not enough time it’s possible make theatrical performance instead of doing real video. 4. They have 45minutes to make videos. Presentation of videos: Before you start with presentation of videos, introduce shortly the most usual persuasive and manipulative techniques (max 15- 20) to participants. During presentation give concrete examples of use of techniques (from publicity, politic campaigns) and encourage participants to tell their examples.
Participants will present their TV spots. Every video is followed by a small discussion facilitated by trainer/facilitator. Which techniques did you recognize? Did you recognize other techniques we didn’t mention? Were techniques used manipulative or persuasive? Debriefing: How did you like this activity? Was it interesting/ not? What is the reason? Have you seen these techniques been used in media? Where in which media products? Do you think that these techniques have influence over audience? Do they have influence on you? Do you know other techniques which haven’t been mentioned? How can we protect ourselves from these techniques? TIPS for facilitators: This activity can have many variations. If there is more time, it’s possible to divide the activity in two parts: during the first part (one day) ask participants to create advertisement using persuasive techniques. During the second part (other day) create political/ideological speech or campaign using manipulative techniques. In this way participants can go deeper in the topic. You can invite participants to make advertisement and political campaign on not-serious topics: for example advertisement for the best toilet paper or political campaign that all pens have to be blue. The number of persuasive and manipulative techniques is really high and therefore is important to select the ones which are most important for the aim of your activity, or which are more actual. Recommended links: http://www.newsu.org/courses/understanding-media-process-and-principles/analyze/how-media-persuade-viewers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda_techniques
Time: Max 1hour40min Topic: how media creates and supports stereotypes and prejudices Material: newspapers, access to internet, gadgets to use internet, scissors, glue, paper, pens and projector Instruction: This activity should be made in national groups or in groups which share one common language ·
Awareness of the topic (not good for beginners)
·
Some experience in analysing and self-reflection and ability to share it to others
1. Facilitator explains the idea to the group. Participants create their „demographic profile“ (age, gender, nationality, expected roles, position (privilege) etc) with the help of the facilitator (15 min) 2. Divide groups of 3-4 people by the profile, they decide what medium (newspapers, social media feeds, magazines) they analyze and what time-span (3-7 days) they will look at. NB! No TV/radio 3. Core part of the exercise (30 min) Participants start searching messages targeted at their profile – all the stereotypes and prejudices they find in their chosen medium. Cut them out and glue on A4 paper OR make screenshots and add it to a Word Document. 4. Share stereotypes found inside the group 5. Mix the participants in different groups. Give time to able different profiles to share what they found and discuss. NB! Mixing groups is important after segregating people by profiles before!!(15 min) Debriefing People go back to one group and questioning round: How are you feeling about what have you seen? - Do you see yourself in the messages? - Can you category the messages and in which categories? Is there a difference in the nationality, vocabulary or images in the messages? What does hidden message give?
“I’m more interested in media, and media manipulations. So often I find myself noticing or researching about a commercial, an article, etc.” Tomi “After coming back to my country, I shared the impressions from the YE with all of my friends. Further more, I suggested some of the workshops to my organization and that served as a great inspiration for our next project about media literacy. Tt has awakened an interest to work more on this topic by myself in the future. “ Ilina “The activities also required us to be proactive and extrovert in a way, which definitely helped me to be more spontaneous and confident. After coming back from Italy, I have developed the habit of searching for blogs about things that I'm interested in, something that I didn't do before the youth exchange.” Leandro “I found myself more interested in the people who are in charge of what media presents to us, the news reporters and the journalists actually. I analyze them a little bit on the topic if they write totally honest and true facts, stories, topics, news and etc. Or they just sell a specific image in order to obtain and achieve some of their wanted goals.” Stefan “I remember the night when we showed each other our final projects. It was a very nice night and we all felt that we have learned something from these weeks. Also, it was little bit sad cause I knew I won't see these people again.” Silva-Sille “I organized a meeting with my colleagues and we dedicated what the best choice is to organize a youth exchange about tolerance, stereotypes and prejudices, because only when people meets a different people they start to understand what we all are the same.” Liva “I am giving intercultural worshops in a vocational school for young people going abroad, and one of the workshop is based on what I have learnt during the training.” Kevin
IntercultuReality is a project supported by the European Programme Erasmus Plus under the KA1 and implemented by Associazione InformaGiovani, Centre for Intercultural Dialogue, La Rotllana, Parcours le Monde, Radi Vidi Pats, Eesti Kodanikuhariduse Keskus, A.D.E.L. EstYes, Gimnazia Hristo Botev, Aventura Marao Clube. This publication reflects the view of the author and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of information contained therein. Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.