Date of Award
2007
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Program
Media Studies
Supervisor
Dr. Carole Farber
Second Advisor
Dr. Lynne McKechnie
Abstract
With the work of critical pedagogy theorists Paolo Freire and Henry A. Giroux providing a theoretical foundation, this thesis will examine the youth television show and website renegadepress.com to consider ways in which cross-media youth programming affords reflection, critical thinking or participation in civic life. As an interactive, issues-oriented youth series airing on APTN and several provincial education stations, renegadepress.com fits into a Canadian tradition of educational and issues-oriented children’s and youth programming. By carrying out a textual analysis of the renegadepress, com television show and website, interviewing the creators/producers of renegadepress, com, observing as renegadepress, com was used in a Grade 8 classroom and interviewing classroom participants, and analysing website statistics and usage patterns, this research focuses, first, on the ways that renegadepress, com is designed and used as a hybrid of two media, and second, on how the cross-media format affects the pedagogy that renegadepress.com offers. This research finishes with the conclusion that renegadepress.com successfully invites reflection and dialogue about its issues, though it is not clear that this process of reflection leads to action toward change.
Recommended Citation
Dick, Maren Elizabeth, "A REAL CONNECTION: CROSS-MEDIA YOUTH PROGRAMMING, CRITICAL PEDAGOGY AND THE CASE OF RENEGADEPRESS.COM" (2007). Digitized Theses. 4486.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/digitizedtheses/4486