The need to teach media competency in the schools in a systematic way has been largely unrecognized. The Media Now course of study provides an example of the type of instruction needed to teach the knowledge and skills necessary for informed media consumption and skilled media production. The course, which has been thoroughly tested and validated in the classroom, is built around performance objectives, learning by doing, and individualized instruction, and concentrates on the film, radio, and television media. (STS)