While the ACME board was in Toronto for a conference and board retreat, several members went to see the celebrated indie film Ex Machina. Following are reviews by Treasurer Sara Voorhees, our resident professional movie critic, and Co-President Rob Williams. Have any of you seen it? Let us know your thoughts… SURROGATES AND REVELATIONS by…
by Jacques Brodeur In our ultra-mediated societies, predators are everywhere. That doesn’t make them easy to find. Many of them are hired as professionals for the purpose of increasing screen-time exposure of our most vulnerable fellow citizens, children. The industries hiring them are in the business of catching children’s attention and selling it to marketers.…
Following is a letter to Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne from ACME ally and Canadian media educator-activist Rose Dyson. We thank Rose for her ongoing work in our field. The Hon. Kathleen Wynne MPP Premier Government of Ontario Queen’s Park Dear Ms. Wynne: On April 30 it was reported in The Globe and Mail that “Ontario’s…
by Julie Frechette, Ph.D. Reprinted with permission from The Journal of Media Literacy 2014: 61 (1&2): 14–21. Undoubtedly, the speed and immediacy of technological advancements and mediated information are radically changing the nature of 21st century media and communication. As mobile technology, social media, and converged web content drive the new information economy, media education…
Those of us with children of our own often struggle with their relationship with media. It seems less common for us to question our habits regarding what we share about our kids in our own social-media posts. Just yesterday, I was talking with a friend about whether I should ask my kids’ permission before posting about…
Snowden Nominated for Alternative Nobel Prize by Jacques Brodeur Media educators are constantly searching for opportunities to sharpen critical skills with students and with fellow citizens. The actions of Edward Snowden, the response of the U.S. government, and the treatment of both by the media elicit a range of emotions in observers and point to…
[book review] Tuned-in Family: How to Cope, Communicate and Connect in a Digital World by Elaine Young Champlain College Publishing Initiative/Lulu, 2014 Reviewed by Rob Williams Begin with a simple but overwhelming fact. We live in the most mediated society in world history; we in the West are marinating in 10 to 12 hours of media…
