SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY LITERACY & MEDIA ECOLOGY : LEVERAGING COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY FOR THE COMMON GOOD New Roads School, Santa Monica, CA, RONAN HALLOWELL M.A. [email_address] web.mac.com/dronanh

IN THE U.S. TODAY SOCIAL BONDS ARE FRAYING

WE CAN EACH HELP IMPROVE OUR COMMUNITIES AND SOCIETY

OUR SOCIETY WILL BECOME MORE POLARIZED IF WE DO NOTHING

WE WANT A FAIR AND DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY

DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY REQUIRES INDIVIDUAL & SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

WE NEED TOOLS & MEDIA TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILTY

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY LITERACY REQUIRES EDUCATION

INEQUALITY HAS BEEN INCREASING 73% 1.0% 10.9% 2.9% Bush Expansion 2002-2006 45% 2.7% 10.3% 4.0% Clinton Expansion 1993-2000 52% 1.2% 5.8% 2.0% Full period 1993-2006 (4) (3) (2) (1) Fraction of total growth captured by top 1% Bottom 99% Incomes Real Annual Growth Top 1% Incomes Real Annual Growth Average Income Real Annual Growth Table 1. REAL ANNUAL INCOME GROWTH BY GROUPS, 1993-2006

DECOMPOSING THE TOP DECILE US INCOME SHARE INTO 3 GROUPS 1913-2006 Source: Piketty and Saez (2003), series updated to 2006. Income is defined as market income including capital gains. http://elsa.berkeley.edu/~saez/TabFig2006prel.xls THE RICH GET RICHER

.dkj U.S. POVERTY RATE VS. OTHER DEVELOPED COUNTRIES

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POVERTY & EDUCATION

EDUCATION & HEALTH CARE ARE IN CRISIS

TO IMPROVE EDUCATION WE MUST ADDRESS RELATED SOCIAL ISSUES

UNEMPLOYMENT, CRIME, RACISM, HOPELESSNESS & LACK OF PUBLIC SERVICES AFFECT STUDENTS ABILITY TO LEARN

MEDIA IS OUR SOCIAL GLUE

“ MEDIA ECOLOGY LOOKS INTO… HOW MEDIA OF COMMUNICATION AFFECT HUMAN PERCEPTION, UNDERSTANDING, FEELING, AND VALUE....”- Neil Postman

“ [MEDIA ECOLOGY EXAMINES HOW] OUR INTERACTION WITH MEDIA FACILITATES OR IMPEDES OUR CHANCES OF SURVIVAL.” — Neil Postman

MEDIA AND CONSUMER CULTURE CONTRIBUTE TO MASS MEDIATED STUPEFACTION

WEAPON OF MASS DISTRACTION

MEDIA SHOULD DO MORE TO RAISE AWARENESS

MASS MEDIA CORPORATIONS SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE FREE PUBLIC SERVICE PROGRAMMING

MEDIA LITERACY SHOULD BE TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS

PBS TV STATION WEBSITE ON MEDIA LITERACY

ONE OF THE FIRST MEDIA LITERACY NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATINS

Text SEVERAL NON-PROFITS & POLICY ORGANIZATIONS ARE PRODUCING INTERNET & BROADCAST MEDIA CAMPAIGNS AROUND IMPORTANT ISSUES

CAMPAIGN TO RAISE VISIBILITY OF EDUCATION ISSUES IN AN IMPORTANT ELECTION YEAR. INCLUDES TV ADS

CELEBRITY SUPPORTED CAMPAIGN TO ADDRESS GLOBAL POVERTY

AL GORE’S FAMOUS EFFORT TO ADDRESS GLOBAL WARMING

LEONARDO DICAPRIO’S FILM AND INITIATIVES TO ADDRESS THE OVERALL WORLD ECO-CRISIS

YOUTH FOR HUMAN RIGHTS-INCLUDES DIGITAL VIDEO SERIES

MEDIA SHOULD HELP FOSTER SOCIAL CAPITAL CREATION

SOCIAL CAPITAL= SOCIAL NETWORKS + NORMS OF RECIPROCITY=VALUE/SOCIAL WEALTH

TAKE ACTION: ATTEND PUBLIC MEETINGS

LOG OFF, GO TO THE PARK & SAY HELLO TO SOMEONE

SUPPORT LOCAL SCHOOL FUNDING

IF YOUR ARE RELIGIOUS OR SPIRITUAL DEEPEN PRACTICES THAT FOSTER INCLUSIVENESS, COMPASSION & TOLERANCE

IF YOU ARE NOT RELIGIOUS DEEPEN PRACTICE OF SECULAR CODE OF ETHICS & CULTIVATE TOLERANCE & COMPASSION secular humanism

SHARE YOUR CONCERNS WITH OTHERS & CONSUME MEDIA WITH AWARENESS

LAUGH, CRY, CELEBRATE, GRIEVE

WE CAN’T TELL THE CHILDREN THERE IS NO HOPE

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