Media Activism and Action‐Oriented Learning

Abstract

Neither media activism nor action‐oriented learning are precisely defined concepts nor are they considered as equally relevant in discourses on media literacy, learning, and education. This entry provides an overview of both key terms and their relationship to each other as well as an exploration of challenges for education. As media have changed across history, culture, and technologies, so have the concepts of media activism as well as action‐oriented learning and education. As to media activism, we find a broad spectrum of phenomena including graffiti, community media, visual activism, tactical media, and, more recently, media interventions questioning the workings of biopower. However, debates on action‐oriented learning have been going on for decades. This entry points out conflicting and compatible relations, and it shows that neither media activism nor action‐oriented learning are values per se. Related concepts and practices are relevant in sociocultural and discursive contexts and dependent on the characteristics of the actors, groups, and communities involved.