Media Literacy and Identity

Photography was a new technology in the mid-1800s. Frederick Douglass knew that the way he presented himself in portraits sent a powerful statement and defined his personal and social identities.
Credit: Frederick Douglass Digital Newspaper Collection. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

Analyzing Media

Now it is your turn to practice analyzing media and its impact on identity. Select a piece of media from the slideshow below that presents an issue of identity that is important to you. Jot down the name of the image you want to analyze.

Now, analyze the image you chose by responding to the guiding questions in the activity below. After completion, you may download or print your responses.

Continue to the next section to review the key takeaways about media literacy and identity.