Abstract
It has become a common practice to categorize the different perspectives on media education as following either a protectionist approach or an empowerment approach. However, the way scholars write about these two categories can be confusing and sometimes misleading. A critical analysis is presented where these writings are examined along 10 analytical dimensions that include how authors conceptualize the power differential between the media and audiences, purpose of media education, nature of instruction (scope, stance, extent, and content), role of the instructor, and outcome assessment (type of measures, timing, and indicators of success). The findings from this critical analysis indicate that the labels used for the two categories tend to highlight the similarities more so than differences across the two approaches to media education.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Potter, W. (2022). Analyzing the distinction between protectionism and empowerment as perspectives on media literacy education. Journal of Media Literacy Education, 14(3), 119-131. https://doi.org/10.23860/JMLE-2022-14-3-10
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