Close Encounters of the Truth Kind: Lesson on Media Literacy Now

By Erik Bean, Ed.D.

When Close Encounters of the Third Kind debuted, the science fiction film began with a mystery, an unknown entity. People were drawn to it. It turned out to be The Devils Tower. They were enamored by it and summoned to it. But they did not know why. Before joining Media Literacy Now (MLN), as a Michigan representative, I had a similar experience. I call it Close Encounters of the Truth Kind. Maybe that’s because the truth seems so alien these days.

But how did I end up here? In my case it started when some people in my social media networks shared unsubstantiated and outdated information for personal or political gain.  I identified this phenomenon right before the January 2021 U.S. Capitol insurrection took place. And then I witnessed misinformation being dispersed during the pandemic. This left me thinking, How could people use information with no prudence or goodwill? 

Then I wondered how could people everywhere protect themselves from being taken advantage of by such misleading news. Many of the headlines were flashy and captivating to lure individuals. They were used as click bait by entities making false promises in the form of ads masquerading as news. Still others were paid for via algorithms to the highest bidders. There was a plethora of falsehoods swirling around social media.  It was at this time that a feeling summoned me to the media literacy “now” cause.
  

I knew we were being bombarded with deceptive data and I also knew our personal biases can affect how we respond to information. As an educator with 25 years of experience teaching, I saw the quality of student paper sources dwindle. And I witnessed numerous school libraries being dismantled by school boards to save space and money. They just expected their students to Google everything. It was then that I realized it was time to write a book. I needed to create this book to help people evaluate sources. I also wanted to include how sharing falsehoods can have harmful mental health consequences. Of course, not just any book would do. 

I studied all the media literacy books in the galaxy and found most were too vast, too long, and overly complicated. Mine needed to be short, concise, and user friendly. So, I joined forces with Gail Gorske, an amazing illustrator who provided all the artwork. My editor Sherry Wexler paid the finest attention to details. I utilized her knowledge of sociology and psychology to enable me to address the mental health consequences of being exposed to falsehoods.  

On July 4th, 2021, through my nonprofit Michigan Healthy Mind Express foundation we published Bias Is All Around You: A Handbook for Inspecting Social Media & News Stories. We considered it “Freedom from Misinformation.” And I included Michigan State University School of Journalism Director, Tim Vos, Ph.D., who was eager to write the foreword.

The book discusses 7 major sources of all information bias. It provides a lesson in critical thinking and includes a process to judge the level of bias dubbed KLEMP with a focus on fallacies and how to judge journalistic sources. It encourages us to examine how we interact with information. And enables us to assess how our inner circle contributes to our biases.

Please take the following 7 question survey: How Does Your Own Biases Affect How You Interpret Information? (app.do). Then go to our book website tools page to see the definitions of personal information bias to understand your results. If your inner circle is biased, what are the consequences? If you cannot properly interact and inspect information bias, it could:

1). Lead you to follow a false cause
2). Leave you feeling foolish
3). Tarnish your credibility
4). Attract the wrong people
5). Create undue stress
6). Compromise your values
7). Harm your mental health. 

These undesirable outcomes need not occur! For it’s time to read between the lines and assess bias now! Having Close Encounters of the Truth Kind is a teachable moment. The galaxy is full of strange alien beings whose conflicts of interest, fallacies, and hidden agendas may be baked into any communication method they choose. Please join me in assisting Media Literacy Now to enact new legislation to require media literacy education. As our children travel through the social media galaxy, they can be more confident and choose to accept or reject any alien information they may encounter.

Erik’s Background

Erik Bean, Ed.D., holds a master’s degree in journalism and a doctorate in education. Currently he is an English teacher at St. Catherine of Siena Academy in Suburban Detroit. He is also an associate research chair for The Center for Leadership Studies at the University of Phoenix where he serves as the Leadership Perspectives section editor of The Journal of Leadership Studies. Bean has 25 years of experience teaching English composition, journalism, film studies, humanities, cyber communications, critical thinking, and technical writing. He has taught at Wayne County Community College, Berkley Public Schools, and American Public University as well as authored numerous innovative academic books for teachers and students including Social Media Writing Lesson Plans. In 2019 he co-wrote Ethan's Healthy Mind Express, a picture book that placed 2nd in education and illustrations from the 2020 Royal Dragonfly Children’s Literature contest. It features lessons on inclusion, neurodiversity, and internet safety. 

His most recent effort is entitled, Bias Is All Around You: A Handbook for Inspecting Social Media & News Stories. In the summer of 2022, he earned a Henry Ford Innovation Nation First Place Teacher award for information literacy studies used in the classroom. Information literacy is the focus of his most recent presentations at the 2022 JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention, the 2022 National Council of Teachers of English ELATE Home Coming Conference, and the 2022 Qualitative Report Conference. In 2018 he also presented a paper on fake ads masquerading as news at the Internet, Politics, & Policy: Long Live Democracy, symposium, University of Oxford. He is honored to be the Michigan representative for Media Literacy Now. 

Book Reviews - The US Review of Books: Professional Book Reviews

Sept. 1, 2021 Book Reviews - The US Review of Books: Professional Book Reviews So grateful to share our first official recommended review of our new book Bias Is All Around You: A Handbook for Inspecting Social Media & News Stories!

https://www.theusreview.com/reviews-1/Bias-Is-All-Around-You-by-Erik-Bean.html#.YTkDUd8pBdh

Ethan's Healthy Mind Express Accepted for Presentation at the 2021 Literacy & Language Arts Summer Institute, National Council of Teachers of English, Normal, IL

Our proposal submitted in January 2020 for the summer 2020 Literacy & Language Summer Institute was accepted on May 1st, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was scheduled for the July 2021 event. This is a significant milestone in the journey of the story that features 7 kids: Rena, Evan, Leah, Jesse, Hannah, Josh and Max who struggle with various mental health challenges as they travel through the social spheres of influence including family, faith, friends, school and community. 

The book also provides tips to avoid the dark web and areas of the Internet that can lead to isolation or danger and contains 19 brilliantly photographed handcrafted paper illustrations. As of May 1, 2020 the book is competing in more than a half dozen contests for its literary rhymes and messages and unique artwork with results set to be released from June 2020 through June 2021. The acceptance at the National Council of Teacher's of English Summer Institute is another opportunity to expose the important messages of the story designed to help not only atypicals involving the full range of "neurodiversity" children, but an overarching reminder that inclusion involves the acceptance of every child as each faces daily mental health challenges. All proceeds from the book support the Ethan Bean Mental Wellness Foundation, a non-profit Michigan public charity. 

PLEASE HELP FUND THE AUTHORS TO PRESENT
Fundraising is underway to help pay for the travel expenses so that Author Emily Lane Waszak (pictured upper left), Co-author, Erik Bean (not pictured), Illustrator Gail Gorske (upper right), and Editor Sherry Wexler (lower left) can facilitate their 75-minute story telling session, how and why it was created. Please help our amazing team stand on the shoulders of giants. Please donate today and purchase the book now!  Ethan's Healthy Mind Express is recommended for ages 5 to 10 and is available on Amazon as a Kindle (ebook app available for all devices), paperback, and larger hardcover. Thank you in advance for coming aboard!  

Fall 2019 and Winter 2020 highlights for Erik Bean, Ed.D

Fall 2019 and Winter 2020 highlights for Erik Bean, Ed.D., associate university research chair for the Center of Leadership Studies and Organizational Research (CLSOR) and section editor of Leadership Perspectives, Journal of Leadership Studies, (John Wiley & Sons) include a recent autoethnography presentation in Jerusalem as well as a paper publication in Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology. He is also co-author of an upcoming rhyming mental health primer fictional children’s book entitled, Changing the tracks: Ethan’s healthy mind express. He will be actively presenting this fall and winter 2020 in the areas of leadership development particularly for Millennials and iGens. He also edited two articles published in Leadership Perspectives, CEO archetypes identity drives organizational culture by Melvin Price, James Forr, Jim Wardlaw, and Joseph Plummer and An Explorative Case Study: Barilla Corporation use of diversity sensitivity via transformational leadership to contain a public relations crisis by Eliane Karsaklian.

Fall 2019 and Winter 2020 Presentations

Bean, E. & Migliore, L.A. (2020). An autoethnography of two scholars who developed a framework on prudent leadership using a quote from President Theodore Roosevelt. The Qualitative Report 11th Annual Conference, Teaching and Learning Qualitative Research, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Jan. 15-17, 2020. Accepted.

Bottomley, K., Migliore, L.A., Burleigh, C., Bean, E. (2020). Using the VAE model to develop sustainable leadership in education by passing the torch to Millennials. The Hawaiian Conference on Education, Jan. 4-7, 2020. Accepted.

Bean, E., (2019). Renewed Energy to effectively lead, Leadership Development Special Interest Group Luncheon Keynote. The International Leadership Association 21st Annual Global Conference, Leadership: Courage Required, Ottawa, CA Oct. 24-27, 2019. Invited.

Ludorf, M., Middlebrooks, A., Jenkins, D., Bean, E., McCaslin, M., Eylers, H. (2019). Publishing, reviewing, and editing opportunities with the peer reviewed Journal of Leadership Studies. (2019). The International Leadership Association 21st Annual Global Conference, Leadership: Courage Required, Ottawa, CA Oct. 24-27, 2019. Accepted.

Summer 2019

Bean E. (2019). Autoethnography of the cultural competence exhibited at an African American weekly newspaper organization. InSite 2019 Informing Science International Conference. Jerusalem, Israel, July 1, 2019.

Erik Announces His Fall 2018 Winter 2019 Speaking Schedule

Erik Announces 7 Speaking Engagements for Fall 2018 and Winter 2019
Grateful to announce my Fall 2018 & Winter 2019 speaking schedule. Feel free to message me for questions or details on any of the 7 topics. The tour starts at Oxford University.


ERIK'S PRESENTING HIS JOURNALISTIC & SOCIAL NETWORK
ST. ANNE'S COLLEGE, OXFORD UNIVERSITY, SEPT 20, 21, 2018
Internet, Politics, Policy 2018: Long Live Democracy? Conference

• Industrial Age Advertising Identity Solutions
       for a 21st Century Social Network Driven World. 

Erik also will be leading and partaking in three presentations each at these prominent leadership and qualitative conferences:


20th Annual International Leadership Association Global  Conference, Authentic Leadership for Progress, Peace, & Tranquility, West Palm Beach, FL, Oct. 24-27, 2018

The Qualitative Report 10th Annual Conference, Teaching & Learning Qualitative Research, Nova Southeastern University, 
Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Jan 11-13, 2019.

Follow this link for more details: News & Events

Benchmark Academy Study Ties Customer Experience to Emotional Branding: A University of Phoenix Center for Leadership Studies and Educational Research Assessment

So humbled to report that I was recently appointed the editor of Leadership Perspectives, a new Journal of Leadership Studies (John Wiley & Sons) section geared towards practitioners commencing in issue 11.4. Issue 11.3 will feature the new call with specifics tied to pieces that utilized Boyer's Model of Scholarship.

On a separate note, my peer reviewed chapter, Benchmark Academy Study Ties Customer Experience to Emotional Branding: A University of Phoenix Center for Leadership Studies and Educational Research Assessment: Business IS, was published in the IGI book, Driving Customer Appeal Through the Use of Emotional Branding. If you are examining how customer experience (CX) ties to emotional branding and in particular an academic setting, my chapter has much in store for you.

Thanks for listening!  Dr. Erik Bean, October 2017

Fahrenheit 451 marks its 50th year with little fanfare

By Erik Bean

Original View, Copyright 1966 Pinewood Studios, Fahrenheit 451
Minstead Gardens in Alton Estates (See below for same area in 2016).

With little fanfare, and certainly barely nothing more than a blog or two like this one, the 50^th anniversary of what many view as the most significant and seminal dystopian film of all time, has arrived. Ray Bradbury’s powerful 1953 novel, Fahrenheit 451 was released on film via the extraordinary direction of Francois Truffaut, his only English speaking film on November 14, 1966.

What has been most striking after all these years are some of the truisms regarding society’s use of large screen televisions, let alone interactive ones, live broadcasts, and the availability and over consumption of drugs. But is that where the similarities to contemporary society stop? The premise is an ideology that like Orwell’s 1984 big brother (or in the case of 451, cousins) is/are watching everyone for it is incumbent upon all citizens to disavow reading books. “Books make people anti-social” says protagonist Guy Montag (Oskar Werner), a fireman whose job is to find and burn all books, yet was so consumed by this role, he ultimately succumbed to it.

A society that ultimately tries to control all forms of media, including what they watch on TV is not a free society. The recent U.S. election raises questions that have plagued society for decades, media bias and control by the powerful and elite, the haves and have nots. An entertaining film starring Julie Christie who plays two roles, Montag’s monorail friend and wannabee teacher Clarisse and conforming wife Linda who ultimately betrays him after he ultimately betrays her and his government by reading the books he was supposed to destroy.

Clarisse, a new teacher on probation is removed from her job after introducing books to her young students, but whose desire to be well read aligns with Montag. How they connect in the end is left for your pursuit. But you know they end up together in a section of town where the book people live. This is after all a love story. One at the very end offers no explanation as to why the two never kiss.

Even so we can be enamored in the amazing job Truffaut and his site selection team did. They were able to secure usage of a mysterious under-track 1958 SAFEGE monorail we’d all would have enjoyed a ride on. Today, it lies as a dilapidated and ransacked Paris suburban relic left rotting after allegedly only having been operational for one year several years prior to the film making. And yet other parts of the film owe what was a small but quite western London suburb a history worth noting. 

The first scene where the first books were thrown from what appears to be a contemporary yet unsettling municipal housing apartment project was shot at RoeHampton University, but it wasn’t a university until 1975. Some websites report that Dunbridge House was it. I recently had an opportunity to gratefully visit the area after presenting at the 2016 Customer Experience Summit.

Winchfield House, 10-20-16, a comfortable looking
suburban London housing project. Photo by Erik Bean.

According to locals, however, that first scene was shot at Winchfield House. Regardless, among one of the film’s most eerily famous scenes occurs after Montag murders his fire chief and the citizens call on all people to be aware he is on the loose. 



Here, at Minstead Gardens in Alton Estates lies a single set of one story contemporary attached condominium style apartments, the unique mise en scene (setting). 
Today? They still look as interesting as they did for their selection more than 50 years ago. It’s as if time stood still. And the kicker? No plaque, no notation, not even a small sign that 451 was ever there.

Minstead Gardens, 10-20-16, RoeHampton, Photo by Erik Bean.

So why can we all still be so enamored with this story? This film?  After two and half generations? We can be enamored with Bradbury’s predictive mind that could place such current societal objects and obsessions as the central theme. Such objects that are still affecting society in ways we still don’t know or can’t predict, a window into the worst and best society can yield. With challenges faced in the U.S. and abroad, a dystopian future we hope never comes true. Indeed, Fahrenheit 451 marks its 50^th year with little fanfare.