OTR Media Group

07/02/2025

Media Literacy is Self-Defense!

The phrase coined by Gene Crawford and our founder Sherard Shekeese Duvall during an episode of Gene's The Warrior Mindset Podcast has become a mantra for us here at OTR Media Group

Our argument? Equip citizens of the world with the tools to understand the language of the screen. Then, together, we can move from a habit of "use" of screen media, to a habit of understanding how screen media is used to communicate messages to us - which in turn we can use the same techniques to communicate messages of our own.

Sending and receiving. Reading and writing. Comprehension 101.

We had an absolute BALL working with the Richland Library Teen Center this past weekend at our first of two FREE summer workshops for the Columbia community.

Missed this one? Register below for our August adult workshop! In the meantime and between time, check out some stills from our recent Teen workshop!

Photo Credit: MJ + Amin for OTR Media Group

https://www.richlandlibrary.com/event/2025-08-28/media-literacy

06/26/2025

FREE Critical Thinking Workshop for Your Teenager This Sunday!

We have partnered with Richland Library to host the TWO free workshops this summer to help our community combat disinformation and misinformation on your screen device.

This Sunday at Richland Library's Main Branch on Assembly Street from 3-5pm we are hosting our FREE Screen Language 101 Workshop.

This training is designed to arm teenagers with practical skills they can use in real time, while scrolling, or binging, to critically engage with content on ANY device.

There are only 13 seats left! Sign up at the link below!

Media are defined as the means of communication that reach or influence people widely (radio, television, newspapers, magazines, and the Internet). To be media literate, we ask ourselves questions such as 'Who made this?', 'Why was it made?', 'What is missing from this message?', 'Who might benefit....

02/10/2025

We are very proud to be the lead sponsor for this year's

Hit the video to hear Sherard Shekeese Duvall share his thoughts about this year's event.

February 12-13th South Carolina. For more info check SC Arts Alliance or www.scartsalliance.com now!

10/15/2024

Super shout out to the entire team Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) for opening up their sandbox to us and letting us come in and play!

Have you seen the commercial on your local TV station yet South Carolina? If so double tap or leave a comment below!

07/09/2024

Join OTR Media Group Founder Sherard Shekeese Duvall this Saturday July 13th for an in depth presentation about understanding screen language and empowering ELA teachers to utilize screen literacy and video production modules in classrooms.

Hol up, registration is required! Visit National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) to find events and register now!

02/21/2024

Love, Peace & Hip-Hop is on a mission to innovate and disrupt in the Education space and we are here for all of it!

We are incredibly proud to be afforded the opportunity to capture this remarkable work for the world to see! LPHH’s W.E.A.L.T.H. Initiative includes remarkable inclusive, engaging and incredibly exciting opportunities for students to learn, express themselves creatively and practice collaboration and critical thinking ALL WHILE HAVING INCREDIBLE FUN!!

We hadn’t seen students this engaged, ever! Made us want to be in 5th grade all over again! Take a look at the video above to get a sneak peak into this remarkable work!

Date: January 22, 2024Location: Koger Center for the Arts [University Of South Carolina]Program: Beats To The Rhyme: A Youth Songwriting Project powered by L...

12/14/2023

Summer 2023 we had a chance to work with an incredible collective of folk in the Newberry S.C. community.

Haven Newberry is a collective of Newberry High School grads that got together and said, we gonna hold it down for our own. They created a space that provides middle and high school Newberry County students somewhere to grow professionally and artistically.

The Newberry Arts Center - NAC reached out to us and together with the team at Westview Behavioral Health Services we made space for an incredible workshop with an awesome group of kids.

Cordell, Cordae, Ay’Zion, TJ, Zay, and Ty made up the Media Team at our I Got A Story To Tell workshop in Newberry SC during June and July. These young men, from 13-17 had never produced, filmed or edited any video before and after only seven Fridays of training, created a documentary video and recap video of Haven Newberry’s summer program which included the making of an incredible mural that all of the students worked on this summer.

Shout out to Marquerite Fowler Palmer Gracie Peck the Prevention Coalition of Newberry County and Create Newberry for working together for this summers incredible program!

And a special shout out to every parent and student and mentor that participated in The Haven Newberry 2023 Summer Program!

Head over to Haven Newberry to check out both videos now! In the meantime, check out this awesome recap shot and edited by OTRMG Team Member Adrian Williams