Multiliteracies for the Coming Century: The Missing Agenda on Media Literacy In MalaysiaDr Shanthi Balraj-Amnbigapathy, Chairperson, Radio and Television Program, School of Communication, University Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia. AbstractAs we move into the 21st century, we are confronted by rapid change and development in a new global learning environment. New means of communication and information exchange have impacted our personal and social worlds causing changes in lifestyles, patterns of thinking and learning experiences. Despite the convergence in communication technologies, the mass media still are a potent force in society, generating shared meanings and public symbols that shape the ways people respond to and interpret their social world. This paper looks at the media landscape and the unprecedented media explosion in the Malaysian context. It begins by arguing that the rapid expansion in the media demand new perspectives in approaching the literacies debate as the conventional written form no longer forms a major part of learners' cultural experiences. In a world that is becoming increasingly commercialised, it is argued here that the presence of critical media literacy in the curriculum is urgent as this area of learning raises issues of community development,democratisation and citizenship that are essential for the growth of contemporary societies. As in many parts of the world, media literacy in Malaysia is subject to a wide range of pressures and constraints, not least government policies and funding. This paper examines the discussion on multiliteracies in Malaysia which has centred on forms of reading and writing and its recent enthusiasm in computer literacy, and the missing attention on media literacy. The ways media literacy practices are currently situated are evaluated and this paper contends that media literacy for critical autonomy and active citizenship remains stagnant and that there is a reluctance to disrupt the existing disciplines in school curriculum. This paper concludes that media literacy should occupy a legitimate space in progressive learning as it can make a positive contributionto amore humane and egalitarian future for all citizens of Malaysia. |
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