International Conference on Media Literacy Convenes in Helsinki

The conference was held in Helsinki, Finland

INTERNATIONAL GATHERING OF ACADEMICS DISCUSSES THE GLOBAL IMPACT OF MEDIA

When we went to Helsinki, it was quite an extraordinary experience. We realized that just like the movies that we were trained to critique, we too, were ambassadors for something much larger than ourselves. Sure, we fully understood that our ideas were our most important offering, yet, we also were reminded that for better or for worse, our reputation as Americans preceded us, and that many questions we entertained were out of curiosity and fascination for a culture that many Finns have seen, read or heard about, but had not experienced directly.

It goes without saying, that movies are a key component of this virtual learning process. At the local grocery store, it was eye-opening to see movie over twenty years old still sold at premium rates (e.g., Pretty Woman @ $16 U.S.). The experience only intensified our focus, broadened our appreciation for our growing craft and encouraged us to keep the international audience in mind as we continue to grow in our ability to explore this wonderfully captivating and important topic further.