Globalisation:Media Smart

Media Smart Logo

Chantal Bennett, Leigh Gallagher, Ludo Moyo & Kirstin Walker

Media Smart Official Website: http://www.mediasmart.org.uk/

Introduction

Media Smart is an organisation funded by fast-food, media and toy industries. Its website states it is a

"non profit media literacy programme for school children aged 6 to 11 years old, focused on advertising. Media Smart develops and provides, free of charge and on request, educational materials to primary schools that teach children to think critically about advertising in the context of their daily lives. Our materials use real examples of advertising to teach core media literacy skills."

We aim to investigate and analyse the purpose of Media Smart and the impact it has on children. By looking at various areas, we hope to find out exactly what type of organisation Media Smart is and whether it is a positive or negative one. We will look at the history of the organisation to get some background knowledge and at the people involved in running, organising and funding the group. We will also look at the activities that Media Smart take part in and promote and finally, the international expansion of the group i.e. what they are doing in other countries. Our hope is by looking at these areas in detail, we will ba able to get a fuller understanding of the Media Smart group and what their aims are.

History

The History and Aims of Media Smart can be traced back to the Canadian organisation "Concerned Children's Advertisers."

People

Employees

Media Smart does not name its employees on its website. Their Director is Paul Jackson, also known as the Chairman. He has extensive history working within the medai industry, an example of this is in 2005 alone Jackson was recorded as:

• Vice President of the World Federation of Advertisers
• Chairman of the Responsible Advertising and Children Group which represents the interests of European Advertisers,agencies and the media.

Expert Group

The Group Has an Expert Group(as of November 2008)which has not changed considerably over the previous 8 years.Media Smarts Expert group includes a range of Academics and experts in education, media and Government officials form the regulator group Ofcom and the Advertising association both evoke the standards and excellence of the academics and experts needed to run such successful companies. Without the research agencies would be at a standstill and not be able to plan project into the future and ensure their goal of promoting media literacy continues to develop. In this chapter we will look at Media Smart and Their relationship with academics and what they need them for.

Funders

Media Smart also has a number of Supporters or Funders who take an active roll in making sure they have their voices heard by the pannel when continuing the research in which the company is based. These companies also play a key part in implementing media smarts ideas and policies into their own products.

Policy Makers

Its policy makers are the UK and EU Governments. They support Media Smart’s aims – “to teach children to think critically about advertising in the context of their daily lives” – and will inevitably have some say in what happens within the literacy programme. Media Smart is also funded by the advertising businesses in the UK, so they will no doubt have some amount of input and influence over it too.

Media Smart seems to have a good relationship with its policy makers. They speak very highly of the work that Media Smart does and believe it is a positive programme for young children. Lord McIntosh, The Minister for Media and Heritage, said that:

“Media Smart’s work helps children to deal with the complex messages of advertising in a critical way and the government welcomes the advertising industry’s initiative to take a responsible role in this. I believe Media Smart’s work plays a valuable role in equipping children with the tools to make informed choices about their viewing, and to effectively use, interpret and understand what they are viewing.”

He clearly approves of the work done my Media Smart and this suggests that he is speaking on behalf of other politicians. They being the policy makers, obviously agree with Media Smart's aims and objectives and therefore, it would seem that their relationship is strong and positive.

Furthermore, Tessa Jowell - the UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport - stated that;

“Media Smart acknowledges the power of advertising and attempts to empower the consumer. And it is an example of an industry taking responsibility for its own actions. It is enlightened self-interest.”

Again, this shows the positivity that the policy makers have for Media Smart. They feel strongly that it is a beneficial programme that will be advantageous to many young children in the UK.

It is fair to say that Media Smart appear to have a strong, encouraging relationship with their policy makers. There are many more positive comments on the organisations website suggesting that it is a successful, reliable programme.

Activities

Independent report

In 2006 Media Smart commissioned an independent evaluation of their BeAdwise 2 teaching materials from The Centre for the Study of Children, Youth and Media, Institute of Education, University of London. In 2007 the centre produced their independent report. The overall conclusions of the report were positive.

The authors of the report were:

• Professor David Buckingham
• Dr Rebecca Willett
• Dr Shakuntala Banaji
• Dr Susan Cranmer

Buckingham and Willet are both members of Media Smart's expert group.

The Media Smart website runs activities though their web-site for younger children to enjoy outside of the school environment. Aimed at children between the ages of 5 and 11 they provide stimulating and enjoyable pastime to make them realise how much advertising plays in their daily lives.

Digital Adwise

More Recently, Media Smart have created, and are now connected to Digital Adwise which is a set of online lessons intended to teach children about digital content in a fun and engaging way.

More details on Digital Adwise can be found on Media Smart: Activities

International Expansion

The emergence of commercial globalization has had an impact on children around the world. Many people from all walks of life take part in the global force of commercial interest. This results into standardized effect at both local and international level. Children’s media products, television programs, games and advertising makes it lucrative for the dominant companies. Nowadays children are exposed to irresponsible advertising. Most youth use the internet and television that makes them the target for merchandising vehicle to international expansion. Foe example Disney channel is one of the global children ‘television. These dominant companies should have a responsibility and commitments to children’s welfare.

Article 17 of the Convention of Rights of a Child should be paramount concern to advertisers to protect them from material that is injurious to their well being

Media Smart Groups has expanded to other parts of Europe. Most of the European Schools are using the Media Smart educational material in Primary School e.g. in Belgium, Finland, Germany, Hungary, The Netherlands, Sweden and Portugal.

More detailed information about Media Smart's expansion can be found on International expansion

• The Organisation

The office address is given as:-
7th Floor North
Artillery House
11-19 Artillery Row
London SW1P 1RT
Telephone: 020 7526 3615
Fax: 020 7526 3699
Email: info@mediasmart.org.uk

Conclusion

'Paul Jackson explaining Media smarts creation and what the organisation stands for