Cultural Literacy and the field of the Media

In the following article, Tony Schirato and Jen Webb discuss the democratic opportunities of media literacy. Far from the simple analysis and interpretation media texts, Schirato and Webb advocate an approach based on Pierre Bourdieu's notion of "cultural literacy," which capitalizes on the subtle and intimate knowledge that comes from hands-on experience. The goal of media literacy in this context is to capitalize on the vulnerabilities of big media by skillfully producing texts which can convincingly point out inconsistencies and call for greater accountability. A call to a new media literacy that is as much concerned with practice as it is with theory, "Cultural Literacy and the Field of the Media" makes an important contribution to culture studies that resonates with the practical realities of media activism. (publisher)