How Comics Can Be Used To Convey Media Messages

I think comics are a great way to convey media messages.  They are easy to read, are at a lower reading level so that they can hit a large audience and are usually short.  It almost seems that if you put information into a comic and call it humour you can say anything you want.  Most political comics are meant to be funny, but really state the truth or things that people are thinking and are scared to say. Students are more likely to read a comic since they thought to be only for pleasure reading.  Students also have a great time creating comics to show their understanding of information.  They look at it as more of an art activity then a pure language activity.

The webpage that I found was Political Cartoons and I think this website could be useful in class to show on a smart board or projector.  I think it would be a great way to show student what’s going on in the world and let them determine the meaning.  I like how you can search through the comics by date.  This site sells the comics, but that’s only if you want your own copy.  You can simply show them on a screen for the students.