That’s when I realized that being media literate involves a whole lot of nothing. Literally, no thing. I don’t mean in a Buddhist “Everything is no thing” kind of way. (I wouldn’t go from zero to zen on our first blog trip together.) It’s that reading media messages requires noticing what’s not the thing we’re supposed to be noticing. What are you not seeing, hearing, reading? Who’s been left out? Or at least pushed to the sidelines?

"He Can No Longer at the Age of 98" by Francisco Goya

It’s much like the concept of negative space in art which the Getty Museum summarizes this way: “The area around the primary objects in a work of art is known as negative space, while the space occupied by the primary objects is known as positive space.”

For example, in this drawing (left) by 19^th-century Spanish painter Francisco Goya, the disproportionate amount of negative space accentuates the figure’s vulnerability and isolation.  So the negative space helps the artist express something he wants us to know or feel about the primary object–the positive space–which is the man.

Okay, so that’s fine for paintings, but how does that help us read media messages? In this iconic 1964 Lyndon B. Johnson presidential campaign commercial, the camera is trained on a little girl counting the petals of a daisy she’s plucking. The negative space here is the sky around her head, possibly also the trees and flowers. Since the girl takes up much of the positive space, she’s more important than anything else in the frame. Now if we go a step further in identifying the negative space, we could say it includes adults, the city, all that isn’t children or nature. Take that one step further and consider what children and nature mean: purity, innocence, goodness, that which we want to protect.

Still from the 1964 Lyndon Johnson campaign 'daisy ad,' created by Tony Schwartz

So what is not in the picture increases the importance, and the value, of what is in the picture. Once she’s counted to ten (not exactly in order, but she’s multi-tasking so we’ll cut her some slack), a male voice begins an eerily familiar countdown. The camera zooms into the girl’s eye and dissolves into the harrowing silhouette of a mushroom cloud. While the explosion is the primary object in that frame, it’s contrasted with the primary object first established–the simple sweetness of a little girl in a field of daisies, the picture of innocence, peace, hope. Even without the soundbites of Lyndon B. Johnson and narration giving the political context, the message is clear. Daisy girl, and those who prioritize her: good; atom bomb, and those who prioritize arms and the military: way bad.

In a mass media universe, the primary objects tend to be the people, ideas and practices that align with the dominant culture. In this case, a little white girl picking daisies illustrates purity and innocence. Now, what if this little girl was black? Or in a wheelchair? Would we only think “innocent” or would we also think “poor” or “helpless?” And how might that influence the impact of the message?

It can be so hard to notice the negative space of our mainstream messages and what’s missing from the public eye, that one filmmaker decided to make what’s missing actually go missing. Director Sergio Arau highlighted the invisibility of Mexicans in America by making them truly invisible in A Day Without a Mexican, a mockumentary in which all Mexicans mysteriously disappear from California overnight. The non-Mexican characters, especially those who unconsciously rely on Mexican labor, only notice how vital a role our Latin neighbors play in daily life when there is no one there to cook the food, work the farms, pick up the children. The invisible become visible by becoming invisible. And by doing so, the hope is that the invisible can take up positive space, moving from the margins towards the focus of our media, our awareness, and our communities.

And whereas in artistic terms, the “negative” in “negative space” doesn’t necessarily mean derogatory, in a mass media context, by repeatedly making someone or something missing or secondary, we convey that the person or thing is less valuable, less desirable, or just doesn’t belong.

Often, what’s chosen to be primary objects in the media tap into social and cultural beliefs which are so ingrained that noticing them can be like asking a fish to describe the feeling of water. Men in leadership positions, wealthy people who are white and straight, women as caregivers…the list could go on for days. Naming the communities, ideas and realities that typically inhabit the positive space while acknowledging that which is relegated to the negative space of our media landscape may feel uncomfortable, pointless or just mean-spirited. I’d suggest this comes from a primal human impulse to belong–we don’t want to seem critical and be out of step with the mainstream, with the world we’ve always known. Back in the day, when we roamed with our tribes, not belonging meant no food, no shelter…until finally, curtains for the outcast.

"Rosie the Riveter" in WWII morale-boosting ad

Until we acknowledge what’s missing in the messages and images we encounter every day, those people, ideas and practices will remain invisible and less than. The result? Those who are unrepresented must work harder to become empowered to take up space in their own lives and communities. Those negative space ideas and practices don’t gain a foothold to become worthy of mainstream exploration or resources. Consider how we’d feel about women in the workplace, let alone the women themselves, if the image of Rosie the Riveter never existed.

Taking a cue from paintings, if we begin seeing the people and ideas that typically inhabit positive and negative spaces in the media as complementary and then see complementary as meaning equally valuable, interchangeable, we might become more flexible in our thinking and in our lives. A Latina at the head of a boardroom table in a magazine ad for JPMorgan Chase, a white father grocery shopping in a Cheerios commercial, a differently-abled person playing the summer blockbuster Rom-Com lead… the obstacles to these becoming common symbols in the media are real and pervasive.

So perhaps the first step is in our imaginations, and in our willingness to put on media-literate goggles and ask, “What’s the primary object here? Why should that occupy the ‘positive’ as opposed to the ‘negative’ space? What makes it more important than what’s left out or secondary?” It’s when we start asking these questions that we liberate our minds. By questioning what’s given, considering whether we agree or disagree, deciding whether these values support the world we desire, or help us wake up to what’s important, we can imagine alternatives that don’t yet exist. We can find the inspiration and the courage to take action in some way: to voice dissent, demand different versions of our world than what we see in the media, become more empowered members in our communities.

–Angela Martenez

Angela Martenez is a non-fiction writer, documentary maker and community mediator. Follow her on Twitter: @AngelaMartenez

Having been a twelve-year-old girl myself during the years of AIM, I know how media and online interaction drove my self-worth. And I know how things have evolved.  The use of new media by kids 8-12 is growing exponentially and, according to the Stanford study, kids are watching multiple screens at once. YouTube and Google are verbs for most American ten-year-olds and today the tween years are a huge marketing target. From Hannah Montana to Winx Club to iCarly, television doesn’t offer the best role models for young girls. On the Internet, the girl-positive sites are often difficult to find. Unless kids are looking specifically for empowering spaces, girls are bombarded with challenges to define themselves as women much too early. Their bodies are being sexualized and their brains are being sidelined. The more media they consume, the more girls are given images that tell them their self-worth should revolve around other people’s perceptions of their body.

Sure, the Stanford study tells us we should nurture face-time and interpersonal interaction for girls. It’s something that’s important for all humans. Regardless, kids are going to use media and that’s why education is so important. We aren’t going to change the system in one day so that girls can feel empowered through their media use. It’s not possible. But there is empowerment through media literacy. If we educate children to be able to contextualize stereotypes that affect their self-image, there’s less chance they’ll recreate them or rely on them in their own lives, and as adults. And who knows? Maybe they’ll find spaces online that will inspire that positive interpersonal interaction we know they’re missing.

–Emily Breitkopf

Emily is a contributing writer for The LAMPpost. You can find more of her writing on her blog, “Kids and Gender.”

Fotoshop by Adobé from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

Click here to learn how you can join LAMPlatoon, and be part of our project to take on big media.

Even though it’s black today (or perhaps because it is), stop by Wikipedia to check out their call to action. Share this article. Join the conversation, learn more and take a stand and show Congress you care about an open Internet.

Check out more videos made by kids taking on big marketing–like this one, specifically about the color pink:

Click here to learn how to submit your own broken commercial to LAMPlatoon and join the movement fighting back against big media!

Students learning about video in a LAMP workshop

Begin the new year by giving back! We are in need of four volunteers coming up in February, but also need help with our LAMPlit resource guides and LAMPpost blog. Click here to send an email letting us know if you’re interested in any of these opportunities. (Psst: If you’re interested in teaching with us, volunteering is the way to start.) We hope to see you soon!

Help fourth-grade students break commercials!
Two dates are available for this opportunity in February:

Day 1: Monday, February 6, 2012; 8:45am-2:30pm
What: Help fourth grade students edit their own ‘broken’ commercials (see examples of broken commercials)
Where: Manhattan public school, to be provided upon volunteer commitment
Skills required: Basic iMovie editing
Number of volunteers needed: Two
Ready to get started? Click here to send an email!

Day 2: Monday, February 13, 2012; 8:45am-2:30pm
What: Help fourth grade students edit their own ‘broken’ commercials (see examples of broken commercials)
Where: Manhattan public school, to be provided upon volunteer commitment
Skills required: Basic iMovie editing
Number of volunteers needed: Two
Ready to get started? Click here to send an email!

Ongoing Opportunity: Translate LAMPlit!
The LAMP has four LAMPlit resource guides, which are available for download and used in workshops and presentations. We would like them translated to reach a wider audience. If you are fluent in a foreign language–Spanish, Haitian, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, etc–please email info@thelampnyc.org for details!
Ready to get started? Click here to send an email!

Ongoing Opportunity: Blog for The LAMP!
If you’re interested in media literacy and media criticism, and looking to sharpen up your writing skills, this is the perfect opportunity for you! Join LAMPpost bloggers Emily Long and Emily Breitkopf by contributing pieces on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, with deadlines that work for you. Email Emily Long for more information.

Every year, people are sabotaged by these messages because they don’t ask the right questions or believe that what they see on the packaging or in advertisements must be true. But the fact is that advertising in the United States is almost entirely self-regulated, and while some companies do get in trouble for misleading ad statements (like when General Mills was sued last year for marketing Froot by the Foot as health food). Unfortunately for consumers, a lot of companies still manage to exploit loopholes in both the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission. Take a look:

If you’re looking to get healthy, you need to get educated too. Read food labels carefully, and do some basic research to make sure you’re making the right choices to meet your goals–websites like LiveStrong and WebMD are great places to start; you can also learn more about food marketing at the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. Then, once you get the facts, apply your knowledge and critical thinking skills to breaking down commercials, like we did in LAMPlatoon for the General Mills commercial above. Send us your video, and we’ll share your findings with the world to spread the message about health and advertising literacy!

Marketing beer in Russia has been a special challenge since at least 2004, when the Russian Parliament banned beer ads on television between the hours of 7am and 10pm. The use of people and animals in ads is also prohibited, as well as sending the message that beer will somehow improve your health, intelligence or social life. Sound confusing and vague to you? I thought so as well, especially since a search on YouTube for Russian beer commercials turns up plenty of examples using people and implications that beer = some kind of happiness (like the examples above). But starting in July of 2012, television ads for beer will be banned altogether in Russia. So I guess that clears the whole thing up, or at least makes it a moot point.

Citing an epidemic of alcoholism in the country, President Medvedev signed the bill into law as part of his effort to cut the amount of alcohol consumed yearly per person (18 liters) by over 50% as of the year 2020. If you’re like me, you read this and think, “If you want to address alcoholism in Russian, why go after beer? Don’t they all drink vodka?” Not so. As a product, beer has been classified as a “foodstuff,” meaning it can be sold and consumed in much the same way as we Americans enjoy our soda—openly, frequently, in public, and available to buy or sell at any store or kiosk. This is one factor making Russia one of the world’s top beer-drinking countries in recent years, beating out even Germany in 2007 for billions of liters consumed (see table above). It’s also notable that growth spiked sharply even after the 2004 restrictions were put in place, indicating that the advertising changes weren’t enough to decrease beer consumption. A tripling of excise taxes on beer in 2009 brought volume down about 10% in 2010, but apparently the Kremlin thinks the Russian people still have not been adequately sobered and so further measures are necessary.

I’ve written before that regulation on its own is not enough for a public shift in perspective towards advertising; education is also required. Fortunately, media literacy in Russia is alive and relatively well—it faces many of the same challenges as in America, like lack of funding, the bureaucracy around education and teachers that are already overworked and underpaid. However, unlike in the United States, Russia also has its history of communism as part of the mix; the country’s first efforts at media literacy in the 1920s were shut down by Stalin, and a free Russian press has yet to be realized. But thanks in part to efforts from UNESCO and UNICEF, media literacy and media education is growing in Russia. (Click here for an excellent library of English-language documents on media literacy in Russia.)

Particularly given the current state of Russian politics, it’s hard to imagine that President Medvedev will endorse media criticism as a tool for fighting misleading and harmful advertising, but without it, his anti-alcoholism work will continue to be undermined. The Russian beer industry will look to new avenues like digital media, which is more difficult to regulate, and will probably sharpen its already tight focus on building brand loyalty, thus shutting out smaller brewing companies that lack the budget to pursue aggressive, out-of-the-box advertising. The best hope lies in the fact that Russia is finally acknowledging beer as an alcoholic beverage; the shift in classification will be another interesting road for Russian advertisers to navigate. But in the months leading up to full implementation of the new restrictions, the people of Russia can expect a last gasp from advertisers eager to take advantage of their relative freedom. And once the ban is put in place, advertisers will surely get creative and find loopholes to reach and retain consumers. In both cases, media literacy is the best weapon the Russians can have to fight the onslaught.

–Emily Long

Follow The LAMP on Twitter: @thelampnyc

Follow me on Twitter: @emlong