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In the present multimedia society, our understanding of knowledge communication has undergone a major transformation. Formerly, the media was dominated by the printed or written words. However, at present, many people are turning to photographs, movies, television, or the Internet for their information needs. Despite this transformation, there is no perceptible development of "literacy," with which one can theoretically understand the characteristics of new media while simultaneously putting them to practical use. At the Media and Culture laboratory, we are dealing with this vital issue facing contemporary society in the following manner:
(1) By theorization and immanent understanding of visual media including photographs,
movies, television, and graphic design, and further, by the pursuit of their social
functions, we aim to establish "Media Aesthetics" in the digital society.
(2) We attempt to examine the media society and culture, which have been
transformed as a result of globalization, from the sociopolitical approach of cultural
studies.
(3) By making optimum use of visual media such as the Internet and television, we
experimentally seek a communication system that can create a new "public sphere."
Our objective is the promotion of research activities in which theories and practices are reciprocally related. For this purpose, in addition to the pursuit of theories in (1) and (2), Sekimoto established the "Media Literacy Project (MLP)" in the laboratory in order to encourage "Civic Media" and "media literacy education" activities. Sakata is involved in carrying out practical joint research projects on cross-cultural understanding and media literacy through a network of universities in Japan and other Asian countries.
Our laboratory welcomes all who are enthusiastic about experimenting with the possibilities of information dispatch in society as well as learning media theory.
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