Abstract
Before there was a term called media literacy education, there was an interdisciplinary group of writers and thinkers who taught people to guard themselves against the manipulative power of language. One of the leaders of this group was Neil Postman, known for his best-selling book published in 1985, Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business. Early in his career, Postman promoted a pedagogy of teaching and learning about language, media, and culture. In defining propaganda as "a most mischievous word,” Postman aimed to heighten learners’ attention on the abstracting function of language and its capacity to reshape attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge.
Highlights
What concepts and instructional practices did Neil Postman use to help people learn to critically analyze contemporary propaganda?
Postman’s pedagogy builds upon literary close reading practices, and he uses comparison contrast to examine an example of emotion-laden propaganda and compare it with another form of expression that purports to be more informational
Postman advocated for dialogue and discussion as a primary pedagogy, he acknowledged the importance of students learning to use the power of information and communication to make a difference in the world
Summary
What concepts and instructional practices did Neil Postman use to help people learn to critically analyze contemporary propaganda?. “A most mischievous word”: Neil Postman’s approach to propaganda education 2 its aims, when it uses language in ways that distort reality, it can be harmful, even when its intentions are well-meaning and designed to support a worthy cause.
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