As you are most likely aware, not only is the issue of media literacy now a recognized factor in the cultural and political landscape, it is also gaining traction as a critical component of public school education.  Indeed, Media Literacy is a requirement of the New Jersey Student Core Curriculum Content/Learning Standards.  Young people are flooded, on a daily basis, with information coming from a multitude of media sources. Not only do we have a responsibility to train students to be critical thinkers and more discerning about the influential messages to which they're exposed, but we are coming to recognize that such education is imperative for effective citizenship and a healthy democracy.

• During an assembly at the Montclair High School, over 600 students engaged in a conversation with Michelle Ciulla Lipkin, Executive Director of the National Association for Media Literacy Education and Dr. Vanessa Domine, Professor at School of Communications & Media at the Montclair State University and Kate Zernike, Pulitzer Prize winning reporter, New York Times.

New York Times.

• Created an Action Kit for teachers and students which provided accessible tools for greater understanding of Media Literacy and the materials for the Media Mash-Up project - http://www.montclairfilm.org/MediaLit/

• Media Mash-Up Project - In this lively competition, student teams deconstructed and exposed hidden messages from existing media (commercials, political ads, newscasts, music videos, etc.) by creating their own video “mash-ups."  The winning video was played in theaters during the Montclair Film festival, the winning team also receive a special grand prize. 

• Special screening and Q & A, with Retro Report producers, of the shorts created by Retro Report.