Lesson Plan: Exploring Media: Understanding and Identifying Editorial Perspective in Television and Radio News

Lesson Plan

Before Project Launch

Prepare by reading the CBC's "Journalistic Standards and Practices" at http://cbc.radio-canada.ca/htmen/policies/journalistic (and look under POLICIES AND GUIDELINES, Corporate Policies). Brainstorm student-generated definitions for journalistic standards and compare these with the CBC's standards.

Consider launching this project in one of the following ways:

Construct a word web around the word "bias" and discuss this concept as a class. Lead a class discussion on the concept of factual versus editorial news reporting. Choose a story from a newspaper that is also the topic of an editorial in the same paper. As a class, read both and create a chart on the board outlining the characteristics of each type of article. Ask: How are they similar? How are they different? Discuss which type of article would be more likely to change public opinion on an issue or event.

View some clips of television news as a class and have the students note such elements as music, reporter's tone of voice, and other factors that can help create opinions in viewers as they watch a news story.

Outline the Project Parameters

Prepare by reading the CBC's "Journalistic Standards and Practices" at http://cbc.radio-canada.ca/htmen/policies/journalistic/. Brainstorm student-generated definitions for journalistic standards and compare these with the CBC's standards.

Consider launching this project in one of the following ways:

Construct a word web around the word "bias" and discuss this concept as a class.

Lead a class discussion on the concept of factual versus editorial news reporting.

Choose a story from a newspaper that is also the topic of an editorial in the same paper. As a class, read both and create a chart on the board outlining the characteristics of each type of article. Ask: How are they similar? How are they different? Discuss which type of article would be more likely to change public opinion on an issue or event.

View some clips of television news as a class and have the students note such elements as music, reporter's tone of voice, and other factors that can help create opinions in viewers as they watch a news story.

Revisit and Reflect

When students have completed their individual research, they should work in groups to discuss the information they have gathered and prepare their presentations. Students can use the download sheet Talking About Journalistic Integrity in these groups. Students should use these discussions to refine the arguments and opinions they will use to present their ideas and findings to the rest of the class. This discussion must result in each group creating a set of principles for reporters to ensure journalistic integrity.

Extension

Students can use their reports as the basis of a formal or informal debate about the issues explored: immigration policy, abortion, and nuclear power.

Students can create two different news reports about an issue in their school. One report will show journalistic integrity and the other will not.

Discuss as a class the nature of truth in the media. Can we ever really know the whole truth? Is bias-free reporting ever really possible? Discuss or debate these ideas as a class.

The class can research media ownership and the role of profit and advertising in the creation of media. Does the publicly-funded CBC have an advantage over news agencies that depend on advertisers and profit to stay on the air? Hold a debate about the importance (or lack of) maintaining a government-funded media outlet.

Material

Current editorials and news stories on the same topic

Television news clips

Print
Alan, Jeff and Hugh Downs. Responsible Journalism: A Practical Guide For Working and Aspiring Journalists. Chicago: Bonus Books, 2001.

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