Table Of ContentSubstance Abuse, anc Mental Health Services Administration • Center for Substance Abuse Prevention
Technical Assistance Bulletin
Culturally Competent Approaches to
Media
Literacy
Media literacy is a viable communication strategy that can be a keypart ofa
youth substance abusepreventionprogram byproviding essential life skills to
critically interpret and influence media. Like any strategy,—its use with diverse
populations requires careful deliberation and adaptation a culturally
competent approach. Media literacy becomes cultura—lly competent when
adaptations are tailoredforspecific culturalgroups to the way in which
they utilize media and the ways that media depict and target them. Such
tailoring ensures that the activities and benefits ofmedia literacy, such as
resistance topro-use messages, are relevant and accessible toyouth ofall
cultures. Media literacy empowersyouth and communities to make healthier
decisions and create healthier media environments.
• Deconstructing media texts and mes-
Media Literacy sages, that is, critica—lly examining the
parts ofa message its meanings,
In 1992, the Center for Media and Values intent, context, and impact
at the National Conference on Media
• Analyzing the impact ofmedia on
Literacy agreed to define media literacy
institutions, for example, the role of
as "the ability to access, analyze, evalu-
television in shaping public percep-
ate, and communicate messages in a
tions ofthe GulfWar
wide variety offorms." Essentially, it is
the expansion of"literacy" to include all • Analyzing the impact ofmedia on
media forms, including new technology. individuals, communities, and cultural
practices, such as the consumption of
In classroom or community settings,
alcohol related to spectator sporting
media literacy programs typically contain
events
one or more ofthe following activities:
— • Understanding media as business
• Utilizing a variety ofmedia such as organizations whose key goal is to
video, mag—azines, music, and make profits by attracting audiences
websites to engage youth with and selling access to those audiences
familiar channels and formats to advertisers
• Building awareness in youth oftheir • Producing messages, that is, learning
current media practices, including to use media tools and technology to
time ofuse, type ofexposure, and construct messages, particularly those
information/entertainment obtained
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Media Literacy Can... Basic Cultural Competence
Adaptations
Media lite—racy can help to protect youth from
pressures from advertising and other
—
Before undertaking cultural adaptations
media constructions to smoke, drink, use
specific to media literacy, consider
drugs, have sex, or eat unhealthy foods. In
these basic adaptations:
1996, the Carnegie Council on Adolescent
Development posited that media literate • Tailor language to the participants,
youth may have obtained knowledge that including the appropriate dialect,
helps "counter the development ofsocial or idioms, and colloquialisms.
peer norms that reinforce and maintain
• Tailor the delivery to the learning
unhealthy behavior." Media literacy helps
styles ofthe participants, including
youth to navigate myriad environmental risks
the use ofdifferent media, interac-
and make healthier decisions.
tive activities, simulations, and role-
Media literacy can contribute to prevention in plays.
many distinct ways. It can: • Choose a credible instructor, often a
• Counter messages that glamorize alcohol, member ofthe cultural group.
drugs, and tobacco
(OfficeforSubstanceAbusePrevention, 1992)
• Influence youths' perceptions ofrisk and
either social approval or disapproval
• Encourage youth to consider multiple
interpretations ofmedia messages
unique contexts and experiences, and to
• Build refusal skills to counter inappropri- work with knowledgeable persons ofand
ate influences from the community in developing targeted
interventions, communications, and other
• Build critical communication skills
supports.
• Improve media use habits, such as chang-
Culture is influenced by many factors, includ-
ing ritualistic viewing behaviors
ing race, ethnicity, gender, age, region, and
• Create a healthier media environment in level ofacculturation. Thus, cultural compe-
which emphasis is placed on pro-health tence is a complex, comprehensive, and
rather than pro-consumption messages. ongoing process. It often requires keen
recruitment, selection, and training ofcultur-
ally appropriate staff.
Cultural Competence Culturally competent programs demonstrate
sensitivity to and understanding ofcultural
What is cultural competence? Cultural compe- differences in program design, implementa-
tence refers to a set ofacademic and interper- tion, and evaluation. Done effectively, these
sonal skills that allow individuals to increase programs maintain attention to and achieve-
their understanding and appreciation of ment oftheir prevention goals while making
cultural differences and similarities within, appropriate adaptations to maximize the
among, and between groups. This requires a involvement and engagement ofspecific
willingness and ability to draw on commu- populations.
nity-based values and traditions, to consider
selected audience segments, such as
Key Issues for Culturally communities ofcolor, women, poor, and
CompetentApproaches youth. Media literacy must include and
analyze these practices.
Culturally competent approaches to media
• Advertisers coopt cultural celebrations
literacy are motivated by a variety offactors:
and traditions such as Cinco de Mayo or
media portrayals ofspecific groups, advertis-
Kwanza to sell products. This commericial
ing targeting specific groups, perspectives on
use ofculture impacts use behaviors,
media based on cultural practices, and per-
cultural practices, and needs integration in
spectives on media based on treatment by
media literacy programming.
media.
• Groups have culture-specific attitudes,
• Media often provide distorted, imbalanced values, and practices related to media. For
portrayals ofparticular groups. Some example, some populations are skeptical
groups, such as the elderly, are often ofinformation received via television
stereotyped, while other groups such as unless filtered and made credible by a
Asian Americans and gays and lesbians, local community leader. Media literacy
are omitted from news, entertainment, must be tailored to how they currently use
and advertising depictions. Still other media.
groups such as African Americans, are
often vilified. Media also distort the • Some groups are already media literate,
public's perception ofdrug use in particu- that is, they exercise critical skills to
lar communities. For example, media interpret the media that stereotype them
reports tend to underreport the use of and target them for unhealthy behaviors.
drugs in affluent and White communities. For example, manyyoung Latinos ques-
Media literacy must recognize and incor- tion the media's distorted depictions of
porate these differences. them as gang members, illegal immi-
grants, and drug dealers. Media literacy
• To maximize sales, many advertisers must refine and build upon these skills; it
escalate and tailor marketing toward must provide an added value.
Issues Adaptations/Steps Outcomes
Media distortions 1. Be inclusive in design Enhanced attention and
and delivery learning
2. Show and analyze cur- Enhanced engagement;
rent media portrayals improved self-identity,
decoding, and resistance
skills
Targeted marketing, 3. Show and analyze cur- Positive self- identity,
cultural co-optation rent marketing practices resistance to pro-use
messages
Cultural use ofmedia, 4. Understand the use of Validates cultural media
pre-existing media media within specific use patterns
literacy groups
2. Show and analyze current media
Key Adaptations and Potential
portrayals
Outcomes
In addition to positive media portrayals, show
Adaptations with attention to culture can and analyze comprehensive actual media
ensure that diverse youth are respected and portrayals ofparticipant groups, including
engaged. These adaptations are both simple media stereotyping and misrepresentation of
and complex. They require a deep under- alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use. This
standing ofculture and commitment of adaptation includes multiple steps: present
resources. It is useful to view these adapta- current portrayals; analyze inclusions and
tions as incremental steps to improve the omissions; analyze dominant frames and the
cultural competence ofour media literacy historical, social, political, and economic
strategy. contexts that drive them; and provide skills
and oudets for the creation ofbalanced,
positive portrayals. For example, present the
1. Be inclusive
media stereotype ofAfrican American males
Include positive entertainment, news, and/or as heavy drug users, analyze the context for
advertising portrayals ofparticipant groups in this distorted portrayal, and develop ideas
the design and delivery ofmedia literacy. For and media outlets for positive images. This
example, use positive media depictions of adaptation can enhance engagement of
Native Americans when Native American specific groups, promote positive self-iden-
youth are present as participants. Youth tity, and deepen critical message decoding
identify with characters like themselves. and resistance skills.
Although these positive depictions may not
represent the dominantmedia frame (andwill
be more difficult to find), the inclusion can
generate participant attention and enhance
learning retention.
Hands Across Cultures, Espanola, New Mexico
In Espanola, New Mexico, a community-based agency delivered a media literacy
intervention to a rural, primarily Hispano*, American Indian, and Chicano youth
group. Their culturally competent approach included adaptations ranging from
simple (selecting appropriate trainers) to complex (investigating the media's dual
stereotyping ofAmerican Indians as both "noble" and "savage"). These adapta-
tions were successful in maintaining attention because the youth felt they were
represented in the materials. Their critical decoding skills were enhanced because
the course content focused on analyzing social and historical contexts ofcurrent
media depictions oftheir racial groups. The adaptations required a few full days
oflabor, including time to develop strategy and to implement changes, such as
gathering materials and rewriting course content.
* Hispanoreferstopeoplewho considerthemselves descendants ofthe original Spanish conquistadors
whosetted in the Espanola area.
Asian Pacific Health Care Venture (APHCV)
Asians and Pacific Islanders for Reproductive Health (APIRH)
Guam Communications Network (GCN)
In the Los Angeles area, three agencies utilize media literacy to promote healthy choices
for Asian and Pacific Islander American youth. Though each program has distinct objec-
tives, they all exemplify culturally competent approaches to media literacy. All utilize
instructors from the community with appropriate language skills.
The content oftheir media literacy curricula address the role that media play in their
communities, the general absence ofAsian and Pacific Islander Americans from media and
advertising targeted toward them. Yet each program addresses issues specific to their
communities. For example:
• Youth in the GCN consider the role oftobacco advertising in the Pacific Islands and
how it influences them and their families in America.
• Teen girls in APIRH watch media clips ofstereotypes ofAsian women and discuss the
impact on their self-image.
• Youth in APHCV analyze how the absence oftheir media images contributes to a lack
ofcommunity ownership ofproblems and solutions.
These programs utilize media literacy as a means to address deeper community issues,
such as racism, sexism, self-esteem, social responsibility, and access to social services. As
well, each program motivates youth to change their media environment by developing
their own images and messages.
3. Show and analyze current the holiday, and their culture. This adaptation
marketing practices can also promote positive self-identity and
help youth to protect themselves and their
Present and analyze advertising that targets culture from insidious and inappropriate pro-
specific cultural groups, and focus on the co- use messages.
optation ofcultural symbols and traditions.
Steps include presentation ofmultimedia
4. Understand the use ofmedia
examples oftargeted advertising such as the
prolific use ofbillboards in communities of within specific groups
color and use ofethnic media, explaining the
Participation in and academic study ofgroups
practice oftarget marketing, analysis ofadver-
will help you to understand theiruse of
tisers' selection ofaudience segments, analysis media. The use ofmedia within and between
ofuse ofcultural symbols, and analysis ofthe
specific groups is complex and diverse, and
impact on specific audiences and on cultural
influences the shape ofmedia literacy inter-
practices. For example, present alcohol adver-
ventions. Within each cultural community,
tising that depicts Cinco de Mayo, explain how
media play different roles, are assigned
and why alcohol advertisers select Latino
different values, and travel different routes
markets, and analyze how this advertising
relative to other sources ofinformation and
impacts the audience's attitudes about alcohol,
entertainment. Cultural values provide filters
