This resource has been put together to help users understand and efficiently use media and its accompanied tools. The dictionary attempts to define/explain terms used in/on media platforms. The intent of this dictionary is to inform users of these terms and their meaning (and to some extent, their uses) so that they can apply them while navigating the media spaces or creating information/content using the media tools.
The dictionary has forty-six (46) terms and has been put into four parts - part one (1) focuses on Data and Infographics; part two (2) focuses on News Literacy – explaining key terms that are helpful in assessing news content/information; part three (3) focuses on Visual Literacy; and part four (4) focuses on multimedia literacy.
NOTE: The terms are not alphabetically arranged. Hence, numbering has been used to help readers associate a number with a particular term.
Part one (1) - Data and Infographics
MEDIA LITERACY DICTIONARY
Data refers to facts, statistics, or information collected for analysis. It can be qualitative or quantitative and comes in various forms, such as numbers, text, images, or multimedia, and is often used to derive insights, make decisions, or support arguments.
Infographics are visual representations of data or information and are designed to make complex concepts easier to understand and more engaging for the audience. They combine text, images, charts, and graphics to convey key messages quickly and effectively. Infographics are commonly used in presentations, reports, articles, and social media posts for diverse purposes.
Visualization in the context of data and information, refers to the graphical representation of data to convey insights, trends, patterns, and relationships more effectively.
Data Visualization refers to the graphical or imagery representation of facts, statistics, or information to convey insights, patterns, trends, and relationships. This usually helps users to easily understand, analyze, and interpret complex data. Think of this as establishing a relationship between two objects/things.
Statistics – These are usually the numbers/figures used in an infographic to analyze, interpret, and present data. They may be related to any topic – for example, number of social media users
Axis: these are lines on which a particular set of data is represented. They can be used to reference a particular set of data.
Scale: this usually helps measure the data or associate a weight to the data. For example, 500 people use Facebook social media – here, “people” has been used as a scale to measure the data on social media users.
Proportional Ink Principle: this principle helps users to represent a set of data with the appropriate ink. The principle requires that, where a shaded portion is being used to represent a numerical value or data, the shaded portion should correspond with the numerical value or data. So, you cannot have 500 out of 1000 people using Facebook social media and represent this with a rectangle where a two-thirds portion is shaded.
Pictogram: this is a form of data visualization that uses images to represent data.
Part Two (2) - News Literacy
Authoritative: this refers to a statement believed to be credible, reliable, accurate, and trusted usually due to its source, logic, and the author.
Balance: this is the reporting or presentation of two sides of a situation without making judgments or showing favoritism. Favoritism could manifest in the length of time or space allotted to each side of the situation.
Bias: means having a preconceived thought about the information. It could manifest by reporting or presenting two sides of the situation in a way that tends to make one favorable and/or superior to the other.
Corroborate: this means to support or confirm news or information with other credible sources to make sure it is not just a single source making a claim. This is usually done to make one certain and to also identify other perspectives of the information. Think of this as having a witness to back your case in court.
Credible: this is a measure of how convincing or believing news appears to be to an audience. Things like authoritativeness and facts-backing are considered
Free Press: this is the right to make public or share news without any authority restricting or distorting the process or making amendments/alterations to the news. It is usually associated with government regulations or authority.
Freedom of Information: this is the ability (preferably, right) of individuals or citizens to publish, consume, and or access information freely or at will.
Freedom of Speech: this is the right to share ideas and opinions either by writing or speaking without fear or legal sanctions usually by state authorities.
Native Ads: these are types of paid adverts that take the style and format of a media source or content near the advertisement’s placement with a seamless user experience.
News Commentary: this is the expression of opinions or explanations of a report of news contents or events.
News Drivers: these are key characteristics that propel, influence, or are required to consider information to be news. They influence what is created, produced, or disseminated
Reliable: a piece of news is identified as reliable when it is but not limited to, objectiveness, accuracy, fairness, completeness, and the absence of biases making it trustworthy.
Sponsored Content: this is a piece of content in a publication paid for by an advertiser and intended to promote the advertiser’s products or services in reaching its targeted audience.
Part Three (3) - Visual Literacy
Background: this is the part of a visual, scene, or design that forms the setting for the primary object of the image. They usually lay the foundation for visuals to be created or designed.
Color Palette: this represents the set of colors chosen to be used in the design of your visuals.
Composition: this is the arrangement of how a visual text can organized to create a cohesive, coherent whole, through choice of salience (what the viewer’s attention is drawn to first), color, and viewing path. Think of this arranging parts of the human body.
Contrast: this is a technique used to draw the viewer’s attention to an object or idea, and mark it different from its environment.
Foreground: this is what the viewer sees at the front of the scene and is usually the first thing to catch the eyes of the viewer.
Framing: this is the presentation of visual elements present in an image/video and how these elements are related to each other within the image.
Mood: this is a technique used to create an atmosphere or an emotional state of an image. Think of this as the current situation/feeling of the viewer
Perspective: this is an element used to create the illusion of depth and space on a two-dimensional surface making an object appear closer or farther away.
Scale: this represents the size of an element/image/video used
Texture: this refers to the visual representation of the surface quality of an object used in designing the visuals
These terms are more applicable to multimedia information/resources, preferably, videos. You will find these terms in many video editing tools like Kinemaster, iMovie, Canva, etc. This resource should help you easily navigate and use these tools when next you create/edit your media/video.
Audio: this represents the sound of the video you are working on. In most cases, it can be the original sound that accompanied your video, an imported sound, or an instantly recorded one. Users are able to adjust the audio to their preference.
B-roll: this is a second/secondary video used to supplement the main video you are working on. It can be used as an overlay, an intro, or for a transition
Chroma Key: this works like the term contrast in visual literacy. With this tool, users are able to select specific colors and isolate or focus on them
Editing environment: this is the space where the work is being done - where you start bringing the videos/images you want to work on.
Clips: These are snapshots of images that can be included in your video production/creation. They can be images you already saved in your gallery or shots from the video you are working on. You can clip and add to the video or clip to save and use it in the future. Call them screenshots!
Export: This tool helps make videos available in an accessible and/or preferred format. Users are able to select the quality and size of their media, and then save it. Think of this tool as the means to get the end product of your video creation/editing efforts - call it downloading or saving your video.
Import: This is used to bring into the editing environment the video or clips you want to work. With this tool, you can add raw footage and images from your device to the Editing environment. Usually, access to your device gallery is required.
Lower Third: this is used mostly when users want to use the overlay tool. This tool lets users place overlays (images or text) at the lower region of the editing environment or the video screen
Overlay: Have you thought of how some videos have images and/or sub-videos displaying while the main video plays on the big screen? This is what overlay lets users do! This tool lets you display two or more media simultaneously. Users will have to determine how they want the display to appear by positioning the images/videos they add as overlay.
Template: an already existing composition that helps users to quickly create their videos. They are usually created to fit into specific situations and users will only need to select from the list of templates, the situation that applies to the video they intend to work on.
Timeline: this tool is used to control the duration of a clip, B-roll, overlay, or pieces of the video you are working on. With this, users are able to determine the length of an element in the video.
Transition: This tool lets users nicely break in between videos, moving from one part to another. Think of this as changing topics or making a new point during a presentation, this tool gives you the break you need to introduce or bring in that new point.
Trim: Depending on the application you are using, this tool let users cut, split, or extend the video you are working on. With this tool, users can basically cut/remove the part of the video that they do not want to be included in the final work. For some editing applications (like Kinemaster), users can "trim to the left" to remove the video on the left side; "trim to the right" to remove the video on the right side; or trim & split to separate the video.
Split: this tool is used to separate the video you are working on. Splitting a video will separate the video, creating two or more videos (depending on how many times you split) in one editing environment. Users can work on these videos separately but in the same editing environment. This is helpful when users need to insert clips or transitions in between particular parts of the video.