|
Another year has passed. You can say a lot about 2017. Like all years, there were ups and downs, highs and lows, wins and losses. This year, the roller coaster ride seemed a little faster, a bit more crowded and a whole lot louder.
All in all, 2017 was a good year for media literacy. It wasn't too long ago when the term "media literacy" was met with confused looks. Mentions of media
literacy were rare in the news and in public conversations. Now we hear "media literacy" being discussed on news programs, podcasts, magazine articles, social media threads, and in legislative offices.
The current conversations about media literacy are at an all-time high.
2017 was a watershed year for NAMLE. Our
11
th
national conference,
Engaging Citizens and Building Communities, took place in Chicago (June 27-28, 2017) and brought together more than 300 educators, scholars, industry and media makers to discuss the critical relationship between media literacy and civic participation.
We held the third annual
U.S. Media Literacy Week with more than 225 national partners and the support of Twitter, Facebook, Trend Micro and Nickelodeon. Our peer-reviewed academic
Journal of Media Literacy Education
(JMLE) continues as the source of thought leadership in our field with more than
50,000 free downloads in 2017.
I have been asked to speak at a number of prestigious industry and academic conferences nationwide, have participated in panels at the United Nations, and advised the U.S. State Department on best practices for media literacy education. I have also had the opportunity to be featured on CNN, NPR and PBS News Hour Extra. Just today I was quoted in a Washington Post article that discusses the legislative efforts happening around the country led by Media Literacy Now.
I am very proud of the work we have done. As members of NAMLE, you have been a huge part of the incredible progress. You are the real champions of this work.
Thank you for everything.
I spend a lot of time at the end of the year reflecting. I'm a sucker for "best of" lists and "year in review" articles. I thought I'd share some I found super interesting. I thought you might, too.
As I was reflecting, I also came across a lot of wonderful political cartoons from the past year. The following two struck a chord with me.
|
|
| I am not sure if there is a better image that sums up 2017 in politics. I could spend an hour unpacking this with my students! |
|
|
This one got me in the gut. So simple yet so powerful.
|
As I look towards 2018, I am both excited and nervous. I'm excited because the momentum for media literacy education is finally here. I'm nervous because t
he urgency has never been greater, and I do not want to fail to deliver on NAMLE's vision to see media literacy be highly valued by all and widely practiced as an essential life skill for the 21st century. I promise you that I will do whatever I can to see that vision become truth. I don't anticipate the roller coaster ride getting any easier. But I do hope you will buckle up and join me! It will take all of us to continue the progress.
May 2018 bring you health, happiness, and all sorts of media literacy adventures,
 |
Michelle Ciulla Lipkin
Executive Director [email protected] @ciullalipkin @medialiteracyed |
Last chance for an end of the year donation.
|
