Shainne Hostalero

Photo from: jcomp/Freepik The common point of complaint regarding the communication between public agencies serving children and the media has always been the fear, mistrust, and subsequent misinformation. On one side, you have a child welfare system burdened with the nearly impossible task of mitigating the worst effects of societal dysfunction: child abuse, neglect, and child death. On the other side, you have a cast of overwhelmingly well-intentioned journalists, working under a strict deadline, who are met with a foster care system practically and - in more than half of the states - legally cloaked in obscurity. The system's culture of confidentiality invariably erodes the news media's confidence in it, resulting in a more sensationalist coverage that the foster care professionals are scared about. It is a case, which has showcased us the current warped public perception of a broken foster care system. The logical result is that myriad opportunities to engender civi...

Since that I have started a new semester for my Master's degree, I went back to various lessons from certifications I took up before I finally decided to get on board for (even) higher education. Quite surprisingly, I found past assignment, notes, and even exams, helpful - as it gives me more idea and insights as to make a good argument and ask the right questions. Last year, I took up a certification on Media Literacy in believing that in this era, we all need to be media literate. Media is already acting like oxygen in our daily lives hence it is very important to put it on the priority list of something we need to understand or learn more. I found my Media Literacy Week 6 Blog Post activity yet again and I think it is worth sharing here. ------- www.mediactive.com Don't Just Consume Media. Use it. To my colleagues, friends, student assistants and to the student publication, I am very pleased to be with you all in every step of the way as we, individuals in the ...