Why News Matters An Introduction to News Literacy The News Literacy Project

News Literacy The critical thinking skills to be able to consume and create credible information across all media and all platforms as students, consumers and citizens.

Imagine… You are all senior editors and key decision-makers at a news organization that is entirely new.

Imagine… You are all senior editors and key decision-makers at a news organization that is entirely new. So first, you need to decide how you will decide what to cover. In other words, you need to work together to define what counts as news for your organization.

What is news? What are the key characteristics of news?

Next step… Now that you all have some sense of what you are going to consider news, youll need to figure out the rules youre going to put in place at your new organization.

Next step… Now that you all have some sense of what you are going to consider news, youll need to figure out the rules youre going to put in place at your new organization. What rules, or standards, are you going to have for your reporters?

What is journalism? To help us figure out the rules, lets talk through a pretend news event.

What is journalism? To help us figure out the rules, lets talk through a pretend news event. The way you decide to cover this event will determine the standards and guidelines you put in place that your news reporters must follow.

Tanker Truck Accident Right outside the building youre in now, there is an accident involving a large tanker truck and another car.

Tanker Truck Accident The tanker contains an unknown substancea mysterious green slimethat is oozing out of the tanker onto the street.

Tanker Truck Accident The unknown substance has also seeped into the soil of some nearby yards, and has run into at least two nearby sewer drains.

Tanker Truck Accident Both drivers say its not their fault, and police and emergency personnel are on the scene. You send a reporter (your teacher) to go get the story. This reporter is the first member of the press to arrive.

Tanker Truck Accident Because your rules for reporting news arent established yet, youll need to tell your reporter exactly what to do….

Tanker Truck Accident Because your rules for reporting news arent established yet, youll need to tell your reporter exactly what to do…. GO!

What is journalism? What did this exercise teach you? What rules and standards are you going to put in place for your reporters to follow?

Drugs Near School? Lets try another one:

Drugs Near School? Lets try another one: An editor at your news organization receives an anonymous voic message from a private number.

Drugs Near School? The caller claims that someone is selling drugs just off of school grounds at the citys largest high school.

Drugs Near School? The month before this call, one of the schools students was arrested for attempting to bring drugs into the building. There have also been reports about alleged gang recruitment activity at or near the school in the past year.

Drugs Near School? In addition to giving a physical description of the alleged drug dealer, the caller claims that the school principal called the police two weeks ago, but that police did nothing because the dealer is the cousin of a local politician.

Drugs Near School? The editors meet and decide that this is important enough to send a reporter (your teacher) to investigate the allegations and figure out if there is a story to be reported.

Drugs Near School? But again, this reporter needs you to tell them exactly what to do: which sources they need to talk to, and how to verify the information they receive.

Drugs Near School? But again, this reporter needs you to tell them exactly what to do: which sources they need to talk to, and how to verify the information they receive. GO!

What is journalism? What did this exercise teach you? Did you figure out any additional standards and policies for your newsroom?

Check for Understanding Tonight, go home and consume as much news as you can in 30 minutes, then make a list of the top five news items that you feel need to be covered by your news organization. Write one paragraph explaining your news judgment.