Michael Forsman 222 thinking and critical consciousness respectively be described and how can they be related to assumption regarding the ideal media student? The article starts with a discussion around what we could call the critical imperative, including some historical notes about critique. This is followed by a section where I try to describe critical thinking and the critical thinker, based on scholars engaged in the Critical Thinking Movement (CTM) (PAUL, 1993; PAUL; ELDER, 2014; c.f. DAVIES, 2015; DWYER, 2017; FACIONE, 1990). This is followed by a section on critical consciousness. This part is based on thinkers that are connected to the Critical Pedagogy Movement (CPM). Especially Paulo Freire (1974) (c.f. BURBULES; BERK, 1999; KELLNER; SHARE, 2019). After con- clusions, I suggest three challenges, that we as media educators are facing today in relation to a perhaps more classical ideal for a critical mindset, that I think we as media scholars and media educators should discuss. 5. The critical imperative There are a lot of dedicated scholarly work put in to investigating the meaning of and practices of critique and criti- cal thinking, and Raymond Williams once noted that the term critical is “a most difficult one” (WILLIAMS, 1976, p. 74). In The media education manifesto Buckingham (2019) argue for what something like a “critical mindset”. However, he says that this not mainly is about thinking and arguing properly, well founded, and reflective. But also, about understanding media structures (grammar, codes, representation), media systems (technologies, productions, economics) and media cultures (everyday, identity, meanings) as a complex and integrated whole that we all are embedded in. In relation to higher education in general, Davis (2015, p. 41) calls critical thinking “a broad church”. Many cherish the ideal, while it still can be somewhat unclear what is being as- pired for. Does critical thinking refer to an analytic method, a certain subjective disposition, a societal ideal? Or should it more be understood in ”the spirit of philosophy” (HANSCOMB, 2017, p. 13) as “thinking about thinking” with the aim of improving it
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