Level(s): Grades 7 - 10
Overview
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This lesson is part of a unit that explores news journalism across the media. In this lesson, students explore the impact of news reporting on a visual medium such as television. Students begin with an analysis of their television viewing habits and an introduction to the terms and vocabulary associated with television and radio. In small groups, they will analyze, contrast and compare news broadcasts from different types of televised news sources. Optional activities include deconstructing a news broadcast in class, comparing the strengths and weaknesses of both television and radio as sources of news, and completing a short essay about television news reporting and youth.
Outcomes Students will demonstrate:
- an understanding of the terminology associated with radio and television
- an appreciation of the strengths and the weaknesses of a variety of mediums as sources of information
- an appreciation of the role that target audience plays in the creation and content of a news broadcast on television
- an awareness of the way in which news is "packaged" for a particular target audience
- an awareness of their television viewing habits and attitudes
- an understanding of how different mediums approach news reporting
Preparation and Materials
Photocopy student handouts:
Procedure
If you have not already done so, review the Radio and Television Vocabulary terms with students.
Distribute the Television News Questionnaire to students and give them time to answer the questions.
As a class, discuss students' answers to the questionnaire. Select note takers to record on the blackboard the percentage of students who watch televised news on a regular basis, compared to those who don't. Ask students to explain why they do, or don't, watch television news.
Still using note takers, ask students which news source they are most likely to use: television, radio, newspapers, newsmagazines or the Internet. Discuss the merits and limitations of each medium for news reporting.
Ask students, "what makes television such a compelling news medium?"
Activity
Activity One: Radio News Comparison
- Divide the class into groups of three students.
- Within each group, each student will listen to a different television news broadcast and, using a column from the Television News Information Chart, make notes about content, style, length of program, advertisers, etc. (In order to ensure a wide cross-section, students should be encouraged to choose from a variety of stations: i.e. a news broadcast from a 24 hour cable news channel; a national news broadcast; a local news broadcast etc.)
- When students return to their groups the next day, have them share, compare and contrast their findings with group members.
- Have each group summarize their findings and present them to class.
Optional Activities:
- If students have not yet done the "Comparing Radio News and Television News" activity from Lesson Three of this unit, this would be an appropriate opportunity to do so.
- There is a common belief that youth are insufficiently represented in mainstream news and that mainstream news does not reflect the concerns of young people. Ask students to respond to this statement in a brief essay.
Evaluation
