News literacy resource: Using NewsWhip in the classroom
Teaching news and media literacy requires a seemingly endless set of contemporary resources. As media changes, examples become outdated, and students move on to the next technology.
A primary goal of news literacy education is to help students see how media operates and its effects on society—in other words, what does the “system” of media look like today?
With this outcome in mind, I’m constantly on the lookout for tools that can shed light on the dynamics of news, social media, technology, and human behavior.
One of my favorite (although admittedly also one of my newest) resources for exploring these topics in the most up-to-date way is via NewsWhip, a website that tracks social media content, how it’s shared, and the human influence of that content.
Here’s how NewsWhip describes its work:
Through indicators like tweets, shares and comments, people signal what stories are engaging them every minute. NewsWhip’s technology tracks all of this activity for millions of stories to identify those getting the most discussion online.
While NewsWhip is designed as a sort of real-time consulting tool for media companies, its blog provides fresh content and analysis to help students discover more about media and news content today.
For example, an early September post looked at which Republican Candidate was most prominent on Facebook. Using their own data and analysis, including the tracking of shares and comments, NewsWhip provides facts and figures about how candidate information is circulating on Facebook.
The site’s blog posts are not only appropriate for teaching news literacy concepts, but they also often provide insight into using social media and media marketing tools more successfully. These are all topics student media explore on a regular basis, and they provide the perfect context for encouraging students to apply professional media lessons to student media operations.
Read MoreApply for First Amendment Press Freedom Award recognition
by John Bowen
With the recognition and celebration of Constitution Day, applications are now available for this year’s First Amendment Press Freedom Award (FAPFA).
Illinois civics law reinforces
value of journalism education
by Stan Zoller, MJE
The successful passage and subsequent signing by Illinois governor Bruce Rauner of legislation that mandates a one-semester civic education course for high school students provides more than ‘just another’ social science course.
It re-enforces the importance of journalism education.
Throughout the process, The Illinois Task Force on Civic Education cited the need for citizens to be civic literate. One way to achieve that? News literacy.
The task force noted that:
“Responsible citizens include individuals who are informed and thoughtful. They have a grasp and an appreciation of history and the fundamental processes of American democracy; have and understand the importance of news literacy; have an understanding and awareness of issues impacting their communities; have a capacity to think critically; and have a willingness to enter into dialogue with others about different points of view and to respect diverse perspectives.”
[pullquote]Quite simply, the skill that is paramount is the ability to critically think the contents of news reports no matter how they are delivered.[/pullquote]
The impact on journalism educators is simple: informed and engaged news consumers need to receive news reports that are independent, free of bias and provide information that is not only accurate, but also verifiable and transparent. The task force noted that a civics education course needs to offer students more than content; its needs to include skills, especially those related to news literacy.
Quite simply, the skill that is paramount is the ability to critically think the contents of news reports no matter how they are delivered.
Does this validate the need for a journalism course? Not solely, but it is a message that administrators need to hear. Ethically produced journalism that embellishes the basic fundamentals of news literacy has a new goal – at least in Illinois – to provide news consumers, as Tom Rosenstiel and Bill Kovach note in “The Elements of Journalism” information that people need to live their lives and to also understand the world. They also write that it needs to be “meaningful, relevant and engaging.”
To achieve this, the need for student reporting to be ethical and adhere to media laws is at a new high. That’s because students, like other news consumers, are no longer just looking to be entertained, but informed so they can become not only active at school, but also in the civic process as well.
Read MoreStudents making content decisions – 1 Administrative review – 0
by Candace Perkins Bowen
Even media staffs that have been the well-respected voice of a large, diverse student body sometimes run into problems with administrators. And sometimes a few tweaks of the editorial policy or staff manual could get them through the rough spots and apparently back on track to publish what they know their readers need and want to know.
Censorship and broadcasting video
Title
Censorship and broadcasting video
by Chris Waugaman
Primary Common Core state standards addressed
(see http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy )
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.2a Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so that each new element builds on that which precedes it to create a unified whole; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Brief goal/outcome statement:
This would be intended to be a lesson I would use with producers in my broadcasting class or even my online editors who often use video and stream events.
- Students will learn terms that familiarize them with censorship in video and radio.
- Students will use their skills at gathering information and using online sources to guide them in times of legal uncertainty.
- Students will learn how to make critical decisions regarding their press rights by applying the case outcomes they learn in this lesson.
| • COMPREHENSION | • PRACTICE | •APPLICATION | • REFLECTION |
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· Gathering Information · Documentation · Note-taking
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· Using web as resource · Responding to questions · Documentation |
· Using modern events to make decisions for their staff
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· Describe the process of video censorship · Discuss other possible scenarios that can occur
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Unit: Scholastic Press Rights
Lesson – Censorship and Broadcasting
Length of lesson: One 90 minute block (35 minutes instruction/45 minutes activity/10 minute reflection)
Resources/Equipment:
Handouts/Internet/Computer
- Introduction & Instruction: The instruction aspect of this lesson includes instruction in what is the FCC and how is video normally regulated. Students will understand what most news broadcast organizations are required to consider when broadcasting.
There will also be a clear indication of what is required to be censored with video. It would be helpful if students are familiar with the Hazelwood court case and the Tinker court case before this lesson, but it is not a requirement.
Who governs free speech on radio and television? What is censorable on television?
https://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/faqs-television-and-cable
For most high school programs, students publish videos online. The FCC does not govern such publication; however, students can still make decisions with this knowledge.
With the following case students should consider a few factors in relating to the content and situation at hand:
- Is the video part of a school sponsored publication or is it for an individual?
- What is the publication’s forum status?
- Is there a valid educational purpose for censoring? (Hazelwood)
- Can the administration predict a reasonable disruption of the school activities or will it present an invasion of privacy? (Tinker)
In the following case, a student shot video of a post-fight activity in a school. That camera was confiscated along with the video. Read the following account or what happened, and the SPLC response to determine if the student’s rights were violated.
Seizing video of a fight
http://www.splc.org/article/2004/08/officials-seize-video-of-fight-from-student
Article about video of school fight and SPLC position:
http://www.splc.org/article/2004/04/n-y-high-school-principal-confiscates-tape-of-school-fight
- We will briefly explain what happened in this case from 2004.
- We will cover the Privacy Protection Act and how it might apply to this case. http://www.splc.org/article/2002/01/student-media-guide-to-the-privacy-protection-act
- Next I ask the students to identify what in the school handbook should protect this student journalist.
- As a final element to the 35-minute discussion I ask the students to conclude if this scenario impacts our publication and work.
Key pages such as the SPLC web page will be introduced as a primary source for research as it involves the law of the student press.
List of other helpful websites:
http://www.collegefreedom.org
http://www.firstamendmentschools.org/
http://teachfirstamendment.org/
http://www.freedomforum.org/
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/
http://www.nfoic.org/
http://jeapressrights.org/
http://www.splc.org
Sometimes this will take longer than 35 minutes.
- Practice: Students will pick from one of the following cases chronicled on the SPLC site.
• http://www.splc.org/blog/splc/2015/06/judge-rules-security-videos-subject-to-ferpa-protections
http://www.splc.org/blog/splc/2014/11/connecticut-school-security-video-ruled-exempt-from-ferpa
• http://www.splc.org/blog/splc/2014/02/students-lewd-video-about-teacher-provokes-errant-wisconsin-ruling-applying-online-harassment-law
• http://www.splc.org/article/2004/04/ill-school-refuses-to-allow-students-to-air-video-tribute-of-deceased-student
• http://www.splc.org/article/2004/06/calif-university-bars-student-from-airing-beheading-video-on-school-sponsored-tv
• http://www.splc.org/article/2015/02/western-illinois-u-editor-reinstated-after-suspension-for-freelancing-video-of-campus-brawl
• http://www.splc.org/article/2012/03/u-of-rhode-island-proposal-would-bar-photos-video-of-sensitive-material
They will read the article and answer the questions below to the best of their ability.
Students need to be prepared to briefly describe what happened in the case they have chosen to the class. They can brief the class by presenting their responses to the questions.
• Who does the case involve?
• What happened in the case? How does it involve video?
• Who has made the decision?
• Was this case similar to any other cases you have heard about? What was it?
• How does this situation relate to Hazelwood or Tinker?
• Does the video include anything that is obscene, indecent, or profane?
• How could this case set a precedent?
• Name and document any other sources from the web that pertain to this case.
III. Application: Have students decide together which case could most likely occur this school year.
Students should outline a policy in their staff manual that will inform students how to proceed should a similar scenario to the one that they have researched could develop.
The policy should be agreed upon by the entire staff and be introduced to the administration, along with any updates on the staff manual, for the year.
- Reflection: Have students write in their logs details about what new considerations they have thought of after learning about video censorship. It can be as structured as you would like or as open as “what did you learn during the process of researching your topic that you did not realize would happen simply by following the examples I explained at the beginning of the lesson.”
- Assessment: Credit for completing questions on case. Credit for hypothetical scenario. Credit for reflection in daily log. Each assignment is worth 33% of the total unit grade. See RUBRIC ON NEXT PAGE.
- Assessment: Credit for completing questions on researching topic. Credit for hypothetical scenario. Credit for reflection in daily log. Each assignment is worth 33 percent of the total unit grade.
| Grade | A (100) | B (90) | C (80) | D (70) |
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Questions on Selected Topic
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All questions are answered thoroughly with great detail included about case and sources (Special Attention Ques 6).
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All questions are answered adequately with some detail included about case and sources (Special Attention Ques 6).
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Most questions are answered. Question 6 must be answered.
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Some questions are answered. Question 6 must be answered. |
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Paper with Scenario
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The created scenario must be on topic with a great amount of detail included about case and sources (Special Attention Ques 6).
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The created scenario must be on topic with enough details to answer questions from activity one (Special Attention Ques 6).
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The created scenario addresses topic and answers most of the questions from activity one (Special Attention Ques 6).
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A scenario is created and it answers some of the questions from activity one (Special Attention Ques 6). |
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Reflection
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The reflection includes details about the process of online research. Some details are included. It reflects an understanding of the process and a response to the activity, |
The reflection addresses the process of online research. It reflects an understanding of the process and a response to the activity, |
The reflection shows an understanding of the process and a response to the activity, |
It responds to the activity, |
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2015 Constitution Day lessons
Please contact me if you have any questions or feedback about the lessons or how to implement them. For a video about the lessons, go to https://youtu.be/39c8sZVmT20.
The SPRC works to provide information and resources on legal and ethical issues to journalism students, teachers and administrators. SPRC members also work to promote the First Amendment rights of students across the nation.
The lessons
• Celebrating Constitution Day, by Lori Keekley.This activity encourages the English, social studies and journalism teachers to engage students in exploring the Constitution’s relevance to their daily lives, facts about the Constitution and understanding the amendments to the Constitution
• Crossword Puzzle, by Lori Keekley. For fun activities to celebrate Constitution Day in a number of curricular areas.
• Understanding the perils of prior review and restraint, by Jeff Kocur. Click here for the activity. For additional resources and model ethical guidelines and staff manual procedures for this, go here and here.
• Listening with a skeptical ear: checking source accuracy and credibility by John Bowen. With candidates jostling for positions in the 2016 presidential election and numerous state, local races taking shape and issues developing readers and viewers face an onslaught of information not limited to politics. Student journalists must able to separate valid from questionable information and know how to determine if sources and their messages are credible.
• Where should journalists draw the line? by John Bowen. By examining The Huffington Post’s announcement it would only report Donald Trump’s bid for the Republican nomination for president on the entertainment pages, students can further explore ethical issues pertaining to the decision while again examining the role of media.
• Should there be limits to taking a stance in front page design? by John Bowen. This lesson examines the ethical and philosophical issues as to whether it is OK for a student newspaper to Rainbow Filter its Twitter profile picture or show any unlabeled viewpoint.
• Censorship and broadcast video by Chris Waugaman. This lesson would be intended to be a lesson used with producers in a broadcasting class or even anonline editors who often use video and stream events. Students will learn terms that familiarize them with censorship in video and radio. Students will also learn how to make critical decisions regarding their press rights by applying the case outcomes they learn in this lesson.
To see past years’ lessons, go here.
Please send any feedback to keekley@gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you!
Lori Keekley
For JEA’s Scholastic Press Rights Committee and the Constitution Day Committee
Constitution Day Committee
John Bowen, MJE, Kent State University (OH)
Lori Keekley, MJE, St. Louis Park High School (MN)
Jeff Kocur, CJE, Hopkins High School (MN)
Chris Waugaman, Prince George High School (VA)
Content list
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