Various authors make suggestions about the inclusion of public address, civility critical communication pedagogy and social justice into the basic course in communication studies. Media literacy pedagogy encourages students to actively and critically consider the messages they send and receive, critically assess all forms of communication, be encouraged to engage more actively with governmental affairs, understand the role of media and other messages in the construction of their own identities, and more effectively understand the role of values, standpoints, beliefs, etc. on their communication choices, as well as on those of others. However, the National Communication Association does not list media literacy as a core competency for the basic course in spite of public calls to include media literacy in K-12 education. This essay argues that the communication studies discipline should make message/media literacy a standard objective of all versions of the college-level basic course. Doing so would help clarify and highlight the importance of the communication studies discipline, as well as encourage a more well-defined perception of communication studies.