TY - JOUR
T1 - Media Literacy's Role in Democratic Engagement and Societal Transformation among University Students
AU - Muringa, Tigere
AU - Adjin-Tettey, Theodora Dame
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s). Co-published by Unisa Press and Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - By providing citizens with the knowledge they need to meaningfully participate in the democratic process, the media plays a vital role in the growth and consolidation of the democratic project. Also essential is citizens’ aptitude to critically examine, assess, produce and understand media and its social role in a democracy. The current study explores the role of media literacy in democratic engagement and social change among South African university students. The paper attempts to contextualise how students’ levels of media literacy led them to political participation, critical thinking and overall contribution to social change in a post-apartheid era. The paper draws on the cognitive mobilisation theory to argue that better media literacy helps students think critically about media, and improve their political knowledge, involvement and contribution to social change. Data for this study were collected by conducting in-depth interviews with n = 30 university students who were selected through a convenience sampling strategy. Results revealed that media literacy significantly influences university students’ engagement in democratic processes and societal transformation in post-apartheid South Africa. Media literacy also enhances their political knowledge, participation and critical analysis of media messages. These findings have implications for policy and practice in media literacy education.
AB - By providing citizens with the knowledge they need to meaningfully participate in the democratic process, the media plays a vital role in the growth and consolidation of the democratic project. Also essential is citizens’ aptitude to critically examine, assess, produce and understand media and its social role in a democracy. The current study explores the role of media literacy in democratic engagement and social change among South African university students. The paper attempts to contextualise how students’ levels of media literacy led them to political participation, critical thinking and overall contribution to social change in a post-apartheid era. The paper draws on the cognitive mobilisation theory to argue that better media literacy helps students think critically about media, and improve their political knowledge, involvement and contribution to social change. Data for this study were collected by conducting in-depth interviews with n = 30 university students who were selected through a convenience sampling strategy. Results revealed that media literacy significantly influences university students’ engagement in democratic processes and societal transformation in post-apartheid South Africa. Media literacy also enhances their political knowledge, participation and critical analysis of media messages. These findings have implications for policy and practice in media literacy education.
KW - democratic engagement
KW - media literacy
KW - political participation
KW - post-apartheid South Africa
KW - societal transformation
KW - university students
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85210093600&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/23743670.2024.2424902
DO - 10.1080/23743670.2024.2424902
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85210093600
SN - 2374-3670
JO - African Journalism Studies
JF - African Journalism Studies
ER -