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 percent get their news specifically from Facebook. Nearly 90 percent of millennials regularly get news from Facebook. In addition, a recent study from Stanford University revealed that many teens have difficulty analyzing the news; 82 percent of middle school students surveyed couldn’t tell the difference between an ad labeled “sponsored content” and a legitimate news story.
This lesson provides an opportunity for students to learn what fake news is, differentiate it from other types of news (including satirical, misleading and tabloid news), develop strategies for spotting fake news and consider what can be done about the proliferation of fake news.
Objectives
- Students will reflect on their own experiences with and preferences of their news sources.
- Students will show they understand what “fake news” is and identify strategies for differentiating real and fake news.
- Students will explore what can be done to be better consumers of news and what else they can do for their school, community and society about fake news.
Common Core State Standards
| CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.7 | Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem. |
| CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.6 | Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose. |
| CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.8 | Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning. |
| CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.5 | Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging. |
Length
100 minutes
Materials / resources
Blackboard or whiteboard
Teacher laptop and digital projector
Internet access
Panetta homework
Assessment
Information to share with students
How to spot fake news
Lesson step-by-step Day 1
Step 1 — Warm-up: Activity I: What is the News and How Do We Get it? (15 minutes)
- Ask students: What is news? Elicit a definition of news as a printed, broadcast or digital (i.e. technological) report of factual information about important events in the world, country or local area.” You can print this on the board/smart board if you think it would be helpful.
- Ask students: Where do you get your news? Explain that we get our news from a variety of sources and show students that some of those sources are written on pieces of paper around the classroom. Read aloud the six signs as follows: (1) Social Media (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, SnapChat, YouTube), (2) Online News Website, (3) Television News, (4) Radio/Podcasts, (5) Newspaper/Magazines and (6) Friends and Family. Answer any questions students may have about the categories. Then have students think for a minute about the news source where they get the most news or one that they like the best. Ask them to move to the part of the room with the sign designating their preferred news source. Give a few minutes for students to situate themselves.
- When students are in their chosen parts of the room, have them talk with each other about (1) why they like using that news source and (2) what are some of the limitations/negatives of that news source. Have them designate one person as the recorder to report back to the rest of the class what they discussed in their groups.
- Have each group report back to the class what they discussed in their groups, focusing on why they like their chosen news source and identifying its limitations/negatives.
Step 2 — Activity II: Turn and Talk: Real News or Fake News? (35 minutes)
- Engage in a brief discussion by asking: What did you notice about the different news sources, what we liked and the limitations of each? After hearing about the other news sources, did it make you feel differently about the news source you picked (please explain)?
- Explain to students there has been a lot of talk lately about “fake news,” especially around the 2016 Presidential Election. Ask students: What is fake news? What is a fake news site? Elicit and explain that fake news websites publish untrue or fake information to drive web traffic to the site. The goal is to mislead readers to believe the stories and to make money through advertising. Social media sites are used to spread the fake news. Also, explain that there are some fake news sites that contain factual news stories that are used to camouflage the fact that other news stories are untrue and fake.
- Share examples of fake news and real news by having students access three examples of news stories.
- www.nbcnews.com/storyline/charleston-church-shooting/dylann-roof-charleston-church-shootingsuspect-can-act-his-own-n689151
- http://abcnews.com.co/obama-signs-executive-order-banning-national-anthem/
- http://americannews.com/alert-bananas-injected-hiv-blood-heres-can-tell/
After accessing each example, have students jot down the title of the news story, whether they think it’s fake or real, and at least three reasons for why. As you share the websites, make sure to scroll around the website and highlight the web address, logo, contact information, story author, etc. to give students a sense of everything on the website in order to best assess it.
- After going through each of the examples, have students turn and talk to a person sitting next to them and together, come up with a general list of how they know a news story is real and why they might suspect a news story is fake. They can create a chart for recording their answers as follows:
| How You Know It’s Real | Why You Suspect/Know It’s Fake |
- Engage students in a discussion by asking the following question:
- Was it easy or difficult to determine whether the news was fake or real? Explain.
- What were some clues that the news was not true?
- How did you feel when you found a news story was fake if you originally thought it was real?
Lesson step-by-step Day 2
Step 1: Reading (20 minutes)
- Link to the article How to Spot Fake News and give students 10–15 minutes to read it silently (do not assign for homework the night before).
- After students have read the article, engage them in a class discussion by asking the following questions:
- What did you learn that you didn’t know before?
- Have you ever used any of the strategies discussed in the article? Please explain.
- Why do you think fake news is created?
- What are the dangers of fake news?
- How might you think differently about news after reading the article?
Step 2: Discussion (10 minutes)
Ask students: What can we do about fake news? What can we do individually and what might we do with others in our school or larger community? Create a brainstormed list which may include some of the following and divide the ideas into two categories — “What I can do to spot fake news?” and “What I can do to educate my school, community and society about fake news?”
- Triple check news sources
- Look for clues
- Teach others how to spot fake news
- Use only certain news sources
- Google the news story and see if it is included on other news sources that I know
- Don’t get news only from social media
- Write letters to social media sites to get them to crack down on fake news
- Use fact-checking websites such as Snopes.com, FactCheck.org, The Washington Post Fact Checker and PolitiFact.com
Step 3: Writing (20 minutes)
Have students write a short synopsis about what they learned about fake news, their best strategies for spotting fake news and/or what we can do as individuals or as a community/society about fake news. They should write their piece as either a Facebook post (that they are sharing with their followers, to inform them) or as a short blog post (which then you could publish later on a class blog). Have students complete their writing as a homework assignment. Have students share their writing with the class and if not completed, share the first few sentences.
Assessment
| Exceeds Expectations | Meets Expectations | Revisit | |
| Student understands what fake news is and can identify it. | |||
| Student can tell the difference between real news vs. fake news | |||
| Student short synopsis about what they learned about fake news. |
Information to share with students
- There is a difference between (1) fake news, which is explained above, (2) misleading news, which often contains some truth including a fact, event or quote that has been taken out of context; these can be difficult to debunk, (3) satirical news, which will often cover current events and then satirize the tone and content of traditional news, using humor, sarcasm and falsities; a good example of satire news is The Onion. Satirical news does not intend to mislead and profit from readers believing the stories as true, and (4) tabloid news, which is a style of news that emphasizes sensational crime stories, gossip columns about celebrities.
- According to a recent Pew Research Center study, 62 percent of Americans get their news from social media and 44 percent get their news from Facebook specifically. Of those who get news on at least one of the social media sites, the majority (64 percent) get their news on just one platform, most commonly Facebook. In addition, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram news users are more likely to get their news online mostly “by chance,” while they are online doing other things. Nearly 90 percent of millennials regularly get news from Facebook.
- A recent study called Evaluating Information: The Cornerstone of Civic Online revealed that teenagers may have some difficulty analyzing the news. Eighty-two percent of middle school students surveyed couldn’t tell the difference between an ad labeled “sponsored content” and a legitimate news story.
- Fake news has been particularly prevalent during the recent 2016 Presidential election campaign. The top Google news link for “final election results” was from a fake-news site called “70 News,” which “reported” that Donald Trump had won both the electoral and popular vote. The Washington Post pointed out that it isn’t true. New web sites designed to trick and mislead people pop up every day.
- Fake news creators make money in very similar ways from how traditional news companies make money, from advertisements. They have display advertising for which they receive a small portion (i.e. a few cents) for every person who visits that page. Their goal is to get the news to go viral so a lot of people will visit; more social shares mean more page views which result in more money. Among a growing group of Macedonian teenagers, the most successful of those creating fake news sites can earn up to $5,000 a month.
- Because a lot of the fake news appears and is shared through Google and Facebook, they have taken steps to do something about it. Google announced that it will prohibit “misrepresentative content” from appearing on its advertising network. Facebook says it will not place ads from fake news publishers on third party apps or websites, because the content falls under the broader category of “illegal, misleading or deceptive” content.
Works Cited
American News. (2017, May 29). ALERT: Bananas Being Injected With HIV Blood … Here’s How You Can Tell. Retrieved from American News: http://americannews.com/alert-bananas-injected-hiv-blood-heres-can-tell/
Anti-Defamation League. (2017, May 21). What is Fake News? Retrieved from Anti-Defamation League: https://www.adl.org/education/resources/tools-and-strategies/table-talk/fake-news
ChangingMinds.org. (2017, May 21). Name-calling. Retrieved May 21, 2017, from ChangingMinds.org: http://changingminds.org/techniques/propaganda/name_calling.htm
NC Civic Education Consortium. (2017, May 21). Propaganda and Spin. Retrieved from StudyLib: http://studylib.net/doc/8877067/spin—database-of-k
NC Civic Education Consortium. (2017, May 21). Propaganda and Spin. Retrieved from StudyLib: http://studylib.net/doc/8877067/spin—database-of-k
Panetta, L. E. (2001, September 9). The Price of ‘Spin’ versus the ‘Truth’. Retrieved from The Monterrey County Herald: http://www.panettainstitute.org/programs/leon-panetta-commentaries/commentaries-from-2001/the-price-of-spin-versus-the-truth/
Robertson, E. K. (2016, november 18). How to Spot Fake News. Retrieved from FactCheck.org: http://www.factcheck.org/2016/11/how-to-spot-fake-news/
Rustling, J. (2016, November 11). Obama Signs Executive Order Banning The National Anthem At All Sporting Events Nationwide. Retrieved from ABC News: http://abcnews.com.co/obama-signs-executive-order-banning-national-anthem/
The Associated Press. (2016, November 28). Dylann Roof, Charleston Church Shooting Suspect, Can Act as His Own Attorney. Retrieved from NBCnews.com: http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/charleston-church-shooting/dylann-roof-charleston-church-shootingsuspect-can-act-his-own-n689151
Weiss, L. (2001, September 10). American Political Spin Cycle Is Out of Control. Retrieved from The Utah Daily Chronicle Archive: http://archive.dailyutahchronicle.com/2001/09/10/american-political-spin-cycle-is-out-of-control/
Read MoreReal, 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 in our world today – real, fake and satirical.
What is the difference? Can you tell the difference?
- In the format of “Jeopardy,” you will choose from five categories that contain information from various news sources.
- Your answers will be in the form of three possible questions: “What is real news?” “What is fake news” and “What is satire?”
- Students will be divided into three groups. Difficulty of questions determined by point total (10 points are easier than 50 points)
- Group with the most points wins.
Michael Johnson bio:
Michael Johnson, editor of the White Mountain Independent in Show Low, Arizona, has a Bachelor of Science in Communication from Ohio University, a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication from New Mexico State University, and is nearing completion of his Master of Arts in Journalism and Communication, with a concentration in Reporting/Editing-Journalism Education, at Kent State University.
Johnson has won numerous awards for his news reporting, feature and editorial writing, and photography during his 29-year career.
Johnson said he discussed with the students the introduction to the activity, but the PowerPoint really got them interested.
The students told Johnson they now better understand how difficult it can be to tell the difference — what’s real, what’s fake and what’s satirical in nature. The said they could not always tell the difference, but now that it was explained and presented to them, they are better able to detect real from fake from satire.
Resources used in the Jeopardy-style game
Beavers, O. (2017, April 23). Pelosi: ‘Of course’ Dems can be against abortion. Retrieved from The Hill: http://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/330136-pelosi-of-course-democrats-can-be-against-abortion
Helin, K. (2012, May 7). Ten years ago today, Allen Iverson ranted about practice. Retrieved from NBCSports.com: http://nba.nbcsports.com/2012/05/07/ten-years-ago-today-allen-iverson-ranted-about-practice/
Holan, A. D. (2016, December 13). 2016 Lie of the Year: Fake News. Retrieved from PolitiFact: http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2016/dec/13/2016-lie-year-fake-news/
Hooper, B. (2017, April 21). Pennsylvania hockey team bans cowbells after rowdy celebration. Retrieved from United Press International: http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2017/04/21/Pennsylvania-hockey-team-bans-cowbells-after-rowdy-celebration/1851492788987/?utm_source=sec&utm_campaign=sl&utm_medium=15
LiteraryDevices.net. (2017, April 23). Satire Definition. Retrieved from Literary Devices: Definition and Examples of Literary Terms: https://literarydevices.net/satire/
Martin, J. (2017, April 22). Photos of the Week. Retrieved from Reuters: http://in.reuters.com/news/picture/photos-of-the-week?articleId=INRTS13DRU
Moreno, N. (2017, April 9). Police: Son dead, father wounded after shooting each other in fight over dog. Retrieved from Chicago Tribune: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-two-men-shot-in-burnside-20170409-story.html
NRAI School of Mass Communication. (2016, January 7). Television Journalism 205. Retrieved from NRAI School of Mass Communication: http://delhimasscommunication.com/wp-content/uploads/…/Television-Jornalism-205.docx
On The Media. (2016, November 18). Breaking News Consumer Handbook: Fake News Edition. Retrieved from WNYC.org: http://www.wnyc.org/story/breaking-news-consumer-handbook-fake-news-edition/
Rosenberg, E. (2017, April 22). American Airlines Suspends Flight Attendant After Altercation Over Stroller. Retrieved from The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/22/business/american-airlines-video-stroller.html?_r=0
Rustling, J. (2016, December 11). Obama Signs Executive Order Banning The Pledge Of Allegiance In Schools Nationwide. Retrieved from abcnews.com.co: http://abcnews.com.co/obama-executive-order-bans-pledge-of-allegiance-in-schools/
Snell, K. (2017, April 22). Ryan promises to keep government open — and makes no promises on health care. Retrieved from The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/ryan-promises-to-keep-government-open–and-makes-no-promises-on-health-care/2017/04/22/2f9aeaea-2769-11e7-b503-9d616bd5a305_story.html?utm_term=.e1f653b3ca1f
Sports Pickle. (2016, December 19). Jim Harbaugh to skip Orange Bowl so he can prepare for his next NFL head coaching job. Retrieved from Sports Pickle: https://medium.com/sportspickle/jim-harbaugh-to-skip-orange-bowl-so-he-can-prepare-for-his-next-nfl-head-coaching-job-95ea60b4f20a
Sports Pickle. (2017, January 8). Report: Odell Beckham planning to take chartered flight to New York after game with some friends. Retrieved from Sports Pickle: https://medium.com/sportspickle/report-odell-beckham-planning-to-take-chartered-flight-to-new-york-after-game-with-friends-8cbd19f3cf7a
staff, D. M. (2009, May 6). Signs of a strange world: The bizarre notices that will amuse, enlighten or just bewilder you. Retrieved from The Daily Mail of London: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1178034/Signs-strange-world-The-bizarre-notices-amuse-enlighten-just-bewilder-you.html
Stroud, F. (2017, April 23). Fake News. Retrieved from Webopedia: http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/F/fake-news.html
The New York Evening. (2017, April 10). Breaking: Malia Obama expelled from Harvard. Retrieved from The New York Evening: http://thenewyorkevening.com/2017/04/10/breaking-malia-obama-expelled-harvard/
The Spoof. (2016, October 28). Time Channel is a go. Retrieved from The Spoof: http://www.thespoof.com/spoof-news/business/127145/time-channel-is-a-go
The Spoof. (2016, September 5). Trump Proposes Ideological Purity Test. Retrieved from The Spoof: http://www.thespoof.com/spoof-news/us/126807/trump-proposes-ideological-purity-test
The Spoof. (2016, September 6). Vanna White to run for President of the U.S. Retrieved from The Spoof: http://www.thespoof.com/spoof-news/us/126811/vanna-white-to-run-for-president-of-u-s
The Spoof. (2017, April 5). Cubs Forced Out of Wrigley Field Just After Opening Day. Retrieved from The Spoof: http://www.thespoof.com/spoof-news/sport/128080/cubs-forced-out-of-wrigley-field-just-after-opening-day
The Spoof. (2017, February 25). MLB to blindfold pitchers during intentional walks. Retrieved from The Spoof: http://www.thespoof.com/spoof-news/sport/127890/mlb-to-blindfold-pitchers-during-intentional-walks
The Spoof. (2017, March 6). Portland’s homeless to be offered a hand up, instead of a handout. Retrieved from The Spoof: http://www.thespoof.com/spoof-news/us/127934/portlands-homeless-to-be-offered-a-hand-up-instead-of-a-handout
Thumbpress. (2017, April 23). Oh, the irony! 30 Funny Ironic Pictures. Retrieved from Thumbpress: http://thumbpress.com/oh-the-irony-30-funny-ironic-pictures/
U.S. Department of Defense. (2002, February 12). News Transcript – DoD News Briefing. Retrieved from U.S. Department of Defense: http://archive.defense.gov/Transcripts/Transcript.aspx?TranscriptID=2636
Weasel, D. (2015, September 1). Donald Trump promises to deport all immigrants “back to Alaska”. Retrieved from The Valley Report: https://thevalleyreport.com/2015/09/01/donald-trump-promises-to-deport-all-immigrants-back-to-alaska/
Weasel, D. (2015, August 28). Nickelback to release Greatest Hits Album; 19 tracks of silence. Retrieved from The Valley Report: https://thevalleyreport.com/2015/08/28/nickelback-to-release-greatest-hits-album-19-tracks-of-silence/
Weasel, D. (2016, April 25). Woman arrested for defecating on boss’ desk after winning the lottery. Retrieved from The Valley Report: https://thevalleyreport.com/2016/04/25/woman-arrested-for-defecating-on-boss-desk-after-winning-the-lottery/
Webopedia. (2017, April 10). Fake News: Resources for Evaluating Information: Fake News. Retrieved from Ashland University: http://libguides.ashland.edu/fakenews/info
Young, N. (2013). 20 Epic Fake Pictures that Have Fooled the Whole World. Retrieved from Photodoto: http://photodoto.com/epic-fake-pictures-that-have-fooled-the-whole-world/
Read MoreJournalists 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 story. The activity ends with a class reflection about best practices for verification and accountability. This lesson works best after teachers have already discussed how their schools are affected by state and federal laws (see SPLC First Amendment rights diagram) so students are familiar with their First Amendment rights as student journalists.
The second lesson builds on the activity from the day before by discussing the purpose of skepticism during the reporting process by looking at a real-life situation where a professional journalist was duped. It also examines the balance between healthy skepticism and unhealthy cynicism.
Objectives
- Students will be able to explain the role of the editor as coach and explore how an editor can coach reporters during the reporting process.
- Students will be able to identify red flags during the reporting process that suggest questionable sourcing and a need to verify information.
- Students will be able to describe the importance of verifying information before publishing a story through participating in a hypothetical role play surrounding an unverified news story.
- Students will be able to describe why it is important for journalists to be skeptical by reading and discussing a Rolling Stone article about a rape victim; the article turned out to be inaccurate.
- Students will be able to employ strategies for fact-checking and determining when a source has a fact wrong or lied.
- Students will reflect on how this may impact their own journalistic practice.
Common Core State Standards
| CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.10 | By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 9-10 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 9-10 text complexity band independently and proficiently. |
| CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.3 | Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text. |
| CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.C | Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions. |
| CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.2 | Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source. |
| CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4 | Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task. |
Length
60 minutes
Materials / Resources
Whiteboard and markers
Teacher laptop and digital projector
Slideshow: “If You Were the Editor” (See the bottom of this lesson)
Lesson step-by-step
Step 1 — Warm Up (5 minutes)
As students enter the classroom, the first slide from the PowerPoint “If you were the editor” projected on the board. Read the prompt and have them journal for five minutes:
SLIDE 1: “Sometimes students want to report on some really tough subjects. How should an editor respond to a story likely to cause community outrage or unrest? Why or why not? Journal for five minutes and then we will share our thoughts.”
Step 2: — Class Discussion (5 minutes)
Allow students to share their initial thoughts and then advance to the next slide. Ask a student to read the question and respond: “Why might editors be tempted to avoid certain stories?” Discuss briefly as a class. (Possible answers: fear of “getting in trouble,” complaints from parents, too controversial. Teacher may want to introduce two types of censorship: external, where someone outside of the staff censors, and self-censorship where the reporters themselves decide not to pursue a story out of fear of the consequences. This is not the same as using good news judgment to determine whether or not a story is worth covering.)
Step 3 — Small Group Activity (15 minutes)
Advance to the next slide, which lays out the case study. Have a student read it out loud and then break the class into groups of 4-5. Students have 10 minutes to discuss this scenario, using the discussion questions below.
SLIDE 2: The situation: You are an editor. One of your student reporters wants to do an article on a student who has been expelled from school. That expelled student is alleging misconduct on the part of one of the school administrators and claims she was expelled just to cover up what the administrator did. However, the administration says that, due to confidentiality agreements, they cannot comment on the situation at all.
Discuss these questions with your group, using your staff manual for guidance.
- Do you have any initial concerns about this story? Do you see any red flags? What questions would you initially ask the reporter about the story? (Possible discussion/responses: Is a student being expelled newsworthy when it’s primarily a private event? How can they verify this expulsion given that administrators cannot legally comment on confidential situations like this one? How can they verify the student’s allegation of misconduct? Are there public records or multiple reliable sources willing to go on the record? If not, students should be concerned about libel law.)
- Who are the stakeholders in this story? How will a story like this affect them? The school as a whole? Why is that important to consider? (Possible answers: the expelled student and his/her family, the school’s reputation)
- Would you feel tempted to not pursue this story? What information/sources would the reporter need and what steps would she need to take in order for you to feel comfortable with this story being written?
Step 4 — Class Discussion/Role Play (15 minutes)
After 10 minutes or once all groups have completed their initial discussion, advance to the next slide. Remind them that they are playing the role of the adviser. You can complete this part of the lesson through discussion or role play, with the student taking on the role of the editor and the adviser pretending to be the student reporter who is determined to write the story.
SLIDE 3: Questions to consider: How would you coach the reporter during
the process if …
- The reporter is persistent and tenacious but still can’t get any comment from any administrator about the expulsion? (These school leaders are unable to comment on personal information like this by lie, so they don’t really have a choice about commenting. You may want to tease out why this is so problematic — we will definitely only be getting one side of the story.)
- The reporter cannot verify that any misconduct took place, though the expelled student maintains it did? (Not being able to verify should stop good reporters and editors in their tracks. This scenario should be setting off lots of warning bells, but don’t give this away yet; the teacher will reveal consequences in the next slide.)
- Despite these problems, the reporter wants to publish the story? She promises she will frame any claims the expelled student makes with “allegedly” and make it clear she reached out for comment and administrators declines, citing confidentiality agreements. (While it’s good that the student would include a disclosure statement, students may not know that simply adding the word “allegedly” does not protect them from liability if they publish harmful, false information. This scenario should be setting off lots of warning bells, but don’t give this away yet; the teacher will reveal consequences in the next slide.)
Before advancing to the next slide, tell students that, ultimately, the editorial board DID decide to go ahead and publish. Ask them how they feel and if they have any predictions about the outcome.
Step 5 — Assessment (20 minutes)
Advance to the next slide and have a student read what happens next:
Slide 4: Aftermath: The reporter publishes her story, and the administration is very upset. The administrator accused of misconduct contacts the adviser and you as the editor and says it was irresponsible for you to let it be published, as it is one-sided and libelous. She says she is considering shutting down the paper entirely given this situation.
Another source comes forward and tells you that she heard the expelled student made the entire story about the misconduct up. Upon further questioning, the expelled student admits it was a lie.
- What processes along the way could have prevented this from happening? (Potential responses: Looking for any kind of firsthand verification of the misconduct beyond the initial source; doing follow-up interviews with the source and asking for some kind of evidence of these accusations; stopping the story when verification became impossible.)
- Who should respond to these developments, and how should that person or persons respond? How do you rebuild public trust? (Potential Responses: If students have an error correction policy established, they should look at now to see what steps they need to follow. Since this is such an extreme case and could cause a libel lawsuit, students should also consider more public responses, such as writing a letter to the community with a transparent accounting of what happened. Reading this blog about how one staff dealt with a recent editorial mistake might also be helpful.)
Either in small groups or as a whole class, discuss how students feel about this situation and brainstorm responses to the two questions.
Advance to the final slide (SLIDE 5) and ask students to write an individual email to you describing what they learned from the activity and how they better understand the importance of verification before publishing a story.
Differentiation
Students with writing challenges could talk to the teacher in person rather than send an email describing what they learned.
Additional Resources:
Ask these 10 questions to make good ethical decisions
SPLC First Amendment rights diagram
“They need the freedom to make mistakes, too,” Lindsay Coppens, JEA Scholastic Press Rights Committee
Day 2
Length
60 minutes
Materials:
Whiteboard and markers
Teacher laptop and digital projector
Student laptops
Paper slips with story scenario
“Columbia School of Journalism report on Rolling Stone’s ‘A Rape on Campus’”
“How a teacher prepared her students to take on the adults and win.”
Lesson step-by-step
Step 1 — Warm up (5 minutes)
Projected on the board:
skeptic |ˈskeptik| noun: a person inclined to question or doubt all accepted opinions.
Given the “You be the editor” activity we did last class, why do you think some say a journalist’s primary job is to be a professional skeptic?
Students share thoughts on this warm-up question. Potential follow-up questions:
- How would yesterday’s activity have gone differently if the student journalist and editors had been more skeptical? (Possible answers: Students would have seen red flags such as lack of verification and stopped the story if it couldn’t be verified; students wouldn’t have been as likely to believe the accusing student.)
- Why is it dangerous to trust sources without verifying, even if you think there are trustworthy? (Possible answers: Sources lie sometimes because they are embarrassed or worried about getting in trouble, but even if they aren’t purposefully lying, they may be incorrect. They may not know the real story even if they think they do, or they may misremember something.)
- What would you do if you suspected a source was lying to you? (Possible answers: Attempt to verify the source’s story through other credible sources; discuss the situation with the editors and adviser; depending on the situation, the reporter might confront the source. If verification isn’t possible, do not use the information.)
- Is it possible to become too skeptical? What might the consequence of that be? (Possible answers: reporters may become cynical and think everyone is a liar rather than remembering the purpose of their work; reporters may continue to doubt even after reliable verification.)
Say, “Today we are going to be looking at a couple of cases where journalists either were or were not skeptical and the consequence of their choices.”
Step 2 — Small group activity (20 minutes)
Break students into groups of three or four and hand out a slip of paper with the following on it:
You are a reporter for a professional publication and have heard about how a nearby university is one of 86 schools under federal investigation due to being suspected of denying students their equal right to education by inadequately handling sexual-violence complaints. After doing some initial research, you find a student who says she was gang-raped by a group of male students at a fraternity party; she’s willing to be the subject of your story, but only if you change her name and don’t reveal her identity. She claims the university is trying to sweep the allegations under the rug, which fits the picture painted by what you have learned about the federal investigation. The school and the fraternity deny this student’s claims.
- Before you begin, do you have any personal biases you need to be aware of?
- How will you check out this source’s story? What evidence will you need to feel confident it’s accurate and honest?
- If you do find enough evidence, will you grant the source’s request to change her name to hide her identity? Look at your staff manual guidelines for using unnamed sources and be ready to justify why you would or would not be willing to proceed.
- Ethically, who else do you need to talk to before writing this story?
- What, if anything, would make you decide to not use this source?
Step 3 — Class discussion (35 minutes)
After 20 minutes of discussions, each group presents and compares its responses to the four questions. The teacher will then say, “This scenario you were working on was based on a real situation. In 2014, a reporter from Rolling Stone wrote a 9,000-word story about a rape victim she called “Jackie” at the University of Virginia, which was indeed being federally investigated. The problem? The story ended up being untrue. Other publications such as the Washington Post debunked “Jackie’s” story, and the reporter and Rolling Stone publisher later lost a multimillion dollar defamation suit brought by a UVA administrator. So let’s talk about what went wrong and the consequences of this situation.”
The class will go around the room reading one graf each until finished with this article: “Columbia School of Journalism report on Rolling Stone’s ‘A Rape on Campus’”
Discussion questions:
- What went wrong? What mistakes did this reporter make? (Possible answers: Main issue: The reporter relied on a single source. Reporter never got in touch with “Jackie’s” friends to verify her story; Reporter didn’t speak directly to “Randall/Ryan” to verify his statement; Editors did not disclose that reporter could not verify the existence of “Drew” and had not spoken to him; the reporter did not give the fraternity enough information about the story she was working on for them to adequately respond.)
- Who was harmed by this false story? (Possible answers: the members of the fraternity, the school administrator accused of not taking the allegation seriously, the reputation of Greek organizations, UVA administration and general reputation, Rolling Stone’s reputation, the reporter herself, students who really have been raped)
- What other consequences might this story have beyond the defamation lawsuit the reporter lost? (Make sure students talk about the damage to real rape victims and how much more difficult it will be to report a similar story in the future.)
Assessment: As a ticket-to-leave, students share a takeaway from this lesson; how will it impact their reporting in the future?
Extension: Now let’s look at a situation where reporters were skeptical despite a lot of pressure. Read this article and come prepared to discuss tomorrow: “How a teacher prepared her students to take on the adults and win.”
Additional Resources
Skeptical Knowing presentation
Using anonymous sources with care
Quick Hit: Using unnamed sources
Slideshow: If you were the editor
Read MoreSelf-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.
Objectives
- Students will examine their own self-censorship content
- Students will discuss why this self-censorship exists
- Students will see whether this topic should be covered — is there a newsworthy peg that can be covered in a journalist responsible way.
Common Core State Standards
| CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.C | Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions. |
| CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.D | Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning presented. |
| CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.8 | Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S. texts, including the application of constitutional principles and use of legal reasoning (e.g., in U.S. Supreme Court majority opinions and dissents) and the premises, purposes, and arguments in works of public advocacy (e.g., The Federalist, presidential addresses). |
| CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1.B | Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed. |
Length
100 minutes
Materials / resources
Handout: “Ask These 10 Questions to Make Good Ethical Decisions,” Poynter Institute (teacher may want to print these for easier student reference during both lessons)
Slideshow: Self-Censorship Lesson Slides (see the bottom of the lesson)
Package planner (if you don’t have one, you could use the planner from Tim Harrower’s site.)
Lesson step-by-step
Day 1
Step 1 — Introduction and slide 2 of the slideshow (5 minutes)
Teacher should tell students the information they provide today will be anonymous unless they decide to put their names on their paper. Let them know the information will be used for a class discussion following this activity. This is outlined on slide 2 of the slideshow.
Step 2 — Prompt (5-10 minutes)
Ask students to answer the prompt on slide 3 using their own paper. They may make a list or use full sentences. It’s important they are honest and unafraid of putting the information down. Let students work through the prompt.
Students will be asked to identify the topic they would most like to cover. When this is finished, ask students to turn in their paper. If students could anonymously submit in an electronic form, it would make the second day preparation easier for the teacher.
Step 3 — Continuing the slideshow (15 minutes)
Students will work through a practice scenario starting at slide 5.
Step 4 — Evaluating their topic (10)
Students will evaluate (either alone or with a partner) if they could cover what they identified as the topic they would like to cover. This evaluation begins on slide 9. Students should work through the questions. The teacher may require students to write the answers down or just ask students to work through them.
Step 5 — Debrief (10 minutes)
Ask a few volunteers to share what they did. Students may opt to not to talk about the topic, but talk about the process instead. During the last two minutes of class, ask three people to share what they learned. (These should be three different lessons from the day.)
Day 2
Preparation: Teacher should examine the topics turned in and create a list for students to use in the following lesson. Teacher should have at least three topics for each group to discuss. Also, print out the list of 10 Questions or project them during class.
Step 1 — Review (2 minutes)
Ask a student to talk about the previous lesson. Again, ask students to share what they learned.
Step 2 — Small group discussion/examination (10 minutes per topic, 30 minutes total)
Put students in groups of four by counting off in class. Teacher or a student leader in class should orally provide one of the topics on a sheet. Teacher should not hand out the sheet since handwriting can identify an individual.
This should be completed three times in the group. Remind students they may be given a topic another group member provided. Students should remain respectful in discussion
Step 3 — Application (18 minutes)
The group should select one of the coverage ideas. If you don’t already have a coverage planner, teacher could use the one provided at Tim Harrower’s site. Teacher should assess the package planner sheet.
Extension
Using your student media mission statement and policy statement, evaluate whether these allows an open forum for the free exchange of ideas — and not just those that are popular.
An extension to this assignment would be for students to take one or more of these assignments and show administrators and others why they should be encouraged to report these stories or similar ones instead of having copy prior reviewed.
Self-censorship examination slideshow
Read MoreAlternative story forms for adding context
by Candace Perkins Bowen
Title
Alternative story forms for adding context
Description
Fake news may just be incomplete news if it doesn’t provide the audience with enough context to really tell the story. That can happen with alternative story forms if they just add visuals and fluff but little real information. As The Poynter Institute’s Vicki Krueger describes them, these are “charticles, non-narratives, storytelling devices, ASFs and alts, among others. Some stand alone as a story, and some are supplemental: forms that clarify, complement and explain information in a traditional news story.” In her 10 ways to engage readers with alternative story forms, she offers guidelines for their use. However, a staff’s first decision is when and why to use them. Note that these are to clarify and explain information to avoid misinforming the audience. While alternative story forms can add visual variety, their main purpose is to accurately convey information.
Objectives
- Students will practice improving the information conveyed by providing alternative story forms when useful.
- Students will evaluate alternative story forms as ways to explain complicated messages.
- Students will apply these lessons to generate ideas for potential ASFs for future media topics.
Common Core State Standards
| CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.4 | Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. |
| CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.5 | Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. |
| CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.8 | Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation. |
Length
50 minutes
Materials / resources
White board and markers
Handout: Alternative story form ideas and how to grow them
Access to the internet for seeing other graphics or printouts of them
Assessment: Exit slip to suggest a future ASF
Article: 10 ways to engage readers with alternative story forms
Lesson step-by-step
Step 1 — Provide a bridge (10 minutes)
Students should read the Poynter article, 10 ways to engage readers with alternative story forms. Create a list of ideas and discuss as a class what students see as some they can use to add information to stories in the planning stages. How can these be both graphically pleasing and add some depth to the factual articles? Don’t spend a great deal of time on this as the class will return to it after the next activity.
Step 2 — Handout and activity (20 minutes)
In pairs, students should look at the handout, “Alternative story form ideas and how to grow them.” Have them assess the hypothetical students’ original ideas. Then they should look at the examples on the second page and in links. Discuss what makes these better and how the ideas they offer can be used to improve the original suggestions. Make a list about what improved these new ideas in general.
Step 3 — Large group discussion and feedback (15 minutes)
Discuss what students thought of the original ideas and how they were able to improve them. Then generate a list on the board of what, in general, made the new versions better (e.g. including number surveyed, indicating source of expert information, etc.).
Step 4 — Exit slips
Students should write down one idea they have for a future ASF for a project in the planning stage.
Extension
Students could start the creation of alternative story forms, either the idea used on the exit slip or another for some of their own stories that are in the planning stages. This could be a more complete explanation of the idea on the exit slip or another idea the student has.
Students could also sign up for Poynter Institute’s NewsU course, Beyond the Inverted Pyramid: Creating Alternative Story Forms, by Andy Bechtel. This self-directed online course is free and only requires registering with NewsU. It is designed to take about two hours to complete.
Additional resources
Tim Harrower’s The Newspaper Designer’s Handbook also has a lot about ASFs, including some pages accessible online.
Read More