Activity

News Goggles: Tracking Developing Stories

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

A 28-slide presentation introduces viewers to the process reports go through to track and verify developing news stories. Using the reports of the attacks at Atlanta, Georgia, massage parlors as an example, viewers are taught what to look for in the storylines to recognize when information has been updated, revised, or corrected. The presentation also teaches viewers how to evaluate the reliability of sources. The second part of the lesson explores the debate on how the story was covered.

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Instructional Ideas
  • Begin the lesson with a reading of the India parable, "The Blind Men and the Elephant," discuss how the impressions of the group lead the truth
  • Post the "Breaking News Consumer's Handbook" on the classroom wall to remind young reporters of how to approach a breaking story
  • Assign groups breaking stories to follow as they develop and report on how the stories are or are not updated
  • Divide the resource into two lessons; one about how to track developing stories and the second about the reporting of anti-Asian sentiment
Classroom Considerations
  • A protocol must be in place to ensure that discussions of race and bias are safe and respectful
  • The resource has many elements; instructors should read carefully through all the links to determine how to approach the reporting of the increase in Asian bias
Pros
  • The Shooting Coverage Debates section includes links to reporters who discuss the way violence against Asians is increasing, possible motives behind these attacks, and how these attacks are reported
Cons
  • None