Support Community Media!

Media education is important now more than ever.

Did you know nearly half of Americans get their news and information from social media? Media is everywhere and, with the accessibility of social media, it’s becoming easier and easier to find and spread disinformation.

This is why media education is so important. Media education is more than learning how to operate a camera or a microphone. It’s about understanding media messages, how they influence our world view and how we can become thoughtful, responsible media consumers and creators. Media education is critical to ensuring that everyone has access to technology and understands how to use it to participate in important civic conversations, get an education, find a job, and so much more.

CMAC helps bring media education to the Central Valley.

Since its launch in July 2020, our Media Literacy Series has reached over 15,000 views on YouTube. Our Media Literacy Workshop was our third most attended workshop this last year. Our fourth Youth Voices program was our most successful yet! After receiving over 50 applications, we were able to accept 12 students into the cohort.

Over the course of 10 weeks, these young filmmakers were guided through production training, learning the ins and outs of planning, producing and publishing video content. By the end of the cohort, each student had produced their own short documentary about a local issue that was important to them.

Many of our Youth Voices participants left the program feeling empowered to use their voice to make positive change. Ishan Singh said, “The foundation and concept of this program felt very special and enlightening to me because I had a place where my voice, opinion, and thoughts were heard.”

Through this kind of education, we can help students learn, not only how to share their own stories, but how to be engaged and take thoughtful action to make their communities better.