The Latest
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Self-censorship examination
by Lori Keekley Title Self-censorship examination Description This lesson examines the self-censorship on the individual level. The lesson starts by providing a prompt in which students examine what they would like to cover, but feel they can’t for some reason. Discussion addresses why this self-censorship exists and examines whether this self-censorship should be abandoned. …
Solutions journalism in student publications
by Kristin Taylor Title Solutions journalism in student publications Description Critics accuse the news media of only reporting bad news, but journalists must investigate and report on problems. One alternative to reporting solely on the problem is to report on how people and communities are seeking to solve those problems. This form of investigative journalism…
News v. public relations
Our second Tools of Truth lesson addresses fake news by helping communities differentiate between public relations and journalistic news. The entire package will be available Wed., Aug. 30. The Tools Truth package consists of more than 20 lessons on how to deal with fake news in four categories: censorship, satire, sloppy reporting and deceptive news. This…
Free expression and your school
by Lori Keekley Title Free expression and your school Description In this noncontinuous lesson, students will localize the 2016 Gallup survey “Free Expression on Campus: A Survey of U.S. College Students and U.S. Adults.” Students will use their technical writing skills to craft the directions (teachers and students), questions similar to the Gallup questions, and…
How to spot fake news
by Michael Johnson Title How to spot fake news Description There has been a lot of talk lately about “fake news” because it has been particularly prevalent during the recent 2016 Presidential election campaign. According to a recent Pew Research Center study, 62 percent of Americans get their news from social media sites and 44…
Spin and how it works
by Michael Johnson Title Spin and how it works Description In this lesson, students pick up where they left off in propaganda techniques as well as the concept of “spin” and discuss how politicians use these techniques to sway public opinion. Students will identify propaganda used in past and current ads and create their own…
Real, fake or satire?
A quick review
by Michael Johnson Jeopardy-style game activity Following the How to Spot Fake News lesson or Satire’s role in Current Events lesson (or perhaps even on its own or before the lesson), urge students to download the Jeopardy-style game to see how they really do in identifying fake news. There are three predominant types of news…
Propaganda
by Michael Johnson Title Propaganda Description In this lesson, students explore propaganda techniques, and discuss how they are the targets of advertisers and politicians. Students will understand and identify how propaganda techniques are used to influence them into doing, feeling and believing a message that may or may not be of benefit to them. Students…
Satire’s role in current events
by Michael Johnson Title Satire’s role in current events Description According to Wyatt Mason in an online article published in the New York Times Magazine titled “My Satirical Self,” readers in the 21st century have “taken shelter in the ridiculous.” He provides an excerpt from The Onion, a satirical online news source referenced as “America’s…
Satire in your publications:
Who is the joke really on?
by Jeff Kocur Title Satire in your publications: Who is the joke really on? Description Students think of themselves as smart and funny, but does that mean they can handle satire? Satire opens students up to many legal risks including libel and invasion of privacy. Use this activity to explore some of the pitfalls of…
Satire is hard
by Jeff Kocur Title Satire is hard Description Students are funny. Students are smart. But are they smart enough to be funny with satire in a way that advances the journalistic goals of the publication? Can they do it without violating the SPJ ethical guidelines or their own publications’ ethical guidelines? Use this lesson to…
Journalists as professional skeptics
by Kristin Taylor Title: Journalists as Professional Skeptics Description The first lesson explores ethical decision-making about what to publish and the importance of verification in that process. It is a case study that puts students in the role of an editor as they walk through a hypothetical story pitch and consequences of publishing an unverified…