Purpose and Audience
1.1 explain how media texts, including complex
and challenging texts, are created to suit particular
purposes and audiences (e.g., aspects
of advertising campaigns are often modified to
reflect the priorities of different regional, cultural,
or socio-economic groups; the differing story
line-ups of a major news network and a community
television news channel reflect their differing
priorities and target audiences1)
Teacher prompt: “Why are different versions
of popular board games created for sale in
different countries? What are some of the
differences?”
Interpreting Messages
1.2 interpret media texts, including complex or
challenging texts, identifying and explaining
with increasing insight the overt and implied
messages they convey (e.g., explain the satiric
message in a newspaper cartoon about a social
or political issue; explain the messages about
Canadian culture in a television program about a
Canadian topic; identify some underlying social
and/or political messages in an animated TV sitcom
and suggest possible reasons why the messages
are implied rather than openly expressed)
Teacher prompts: “How can you detect the
particular bias of a blog if it is not overtly
expressed?” “Why is it important to verify
information found on websites?” “Why do
you think the few women are featured so
prominently in this photograph of a group of
politicians?”
Evaluating Texts
1.3 evaluate how effectively information, ideas,
themes, issues, and opinions are communicated
in media texts, including complex and challenging
texts, and decide whether the texts
achieve their intended purpose (e.g., determine
the credibility of the claims made in a documentary
film, based on an evaluation of the reliability
and relevance of the evidence presented in it;
determine whether and how rhetorical devices
such as hyperbole and metaphor in newspaper
headlines help clarify the accompanying stories
for the reader)
Teacher prompts: “How effectively do the
photographs in this feature article enhance
the reader’s understanding of the themes
and issues addressed in the article? Could
more effective photographs have been
chosen?” “What makes this public service
announcement so effective in reaching a
youth audience?”
