This article explores what media literacy courses actually teach students. Do students become more knowledgeable consumers of media messages? Do students, armed with that knowledge, become more engaged citizens? A large multiyear study utilizing a sample of 239 University of Maryland undergraduates in a pre-post/control “quasi-experiment” found that the students enrolled in a media literacy course increased their ability to comprehend, evaluate, and analyze media messages in print, video, and audio formats. Based on the positive empirical findings, focus group sessions were conducted within the experimental group and the control group. When the discussions concerned media relevance and credibility, the students from the media literacy class expressed considerable negativity about media’s role in society. Preliminarily, these findings suggest that media literacy curricula and readings that are solely or primarily focused on teaching critical analysis skills are an essential first step in teaching media literacy but that the curriculum should not end there. The paper concludes by recommending a way forward for postsecondary media literacy education—one that aims to connect media literacy skills and outcomes that promote active citizenship.
