The Effects of Media Education on Junior High School Students

From the Perspectives of Media Literacy, Distrust of Mass Media, and Disasters and Mass Media

Abstract

Since the 1980s, interest in media literacy education has grown in Japan. However, education in schools remains insufficient. Utilizing my experience working at television and radio stations, the author conducted classes on mass media for junior high school students and investigated changes in their attitudes towards information reception. The results showed that the classes fostered critical evaluation skills of media information and improved media literacy, but also heightened distrust in the mass media. The case study on disaster reporting helped students understand the role and limitations of the media.