Innovative educators from Bolivia, the U.S. and Nigeria have won awards for teaching why news matters and about threats to journalists. An international jury has singled out educators in Bolivia, the U.S. and Nigeria for innovative teaching about why democratic...
A News Decoder partner has awarded top prizes to news organizations in five countries for innovative reporting on COVID-19 for kids. News organizations in Denmark, Germany, Indonesia, Singapore and the United States have won top global reporting prizes for their...
After more than a year of COVID-19 reporting, it can be hard to find a fresh perspective on the pandemic, especially for children. But the gold-medal winners of the Global Youth and News Media Prize for pandemic reporting did just that. In an interview with the prize’s director, Aralynn McMane, News Decoder Board member Nolwazi Mjwara of UNESCO learns more about the innovative strategies taken by the winning news organizations to engage children in the storytelling process and support their mental health. Winning strategies included creating interactive games, dispatching youth correspondents to cover the pandemic and hosting a virtual art exhibition.
Exercise: How might you adopt some of these reporting practices in your own classrooms? Have your students create a game for kids to learn about issues in the news in a fun, positive way.
Thirty years after a landmark declaration of press freedom principles, journalists face threats that jeopardize democratic institutions around the world. Committee to Protect Journalists The international community salutes World Press Freedom Day on May 3 with...
Two new global prizes will honor news producers who help youth understand COVID-19 and teachers who help students learn about press freedom. Artwork by newsomatic/emma A French not-for-profit that is supported by News Decoder is seeking candidates for two new global...
A pro-democracy movement in South Korea offers lessons to two U.S. social movements — against police brutality and for a defeated ex-president. Black Lives Matter protesters hold their phones aloft in Portland, Oregon, 20 July 2020. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) This story...
Sociologists are the first to admit they are apt to speak their own tongue, so reporting on sociological research can tie even experienced reporters in knots. And high school students are not always interested in events of half a century ago. So it’s a rare pleasure when a student connects a pro-democracy movement in South Korea during the 1960s and ‘70s with social movements in the United States today, and renders sociology understandable to the untrained ear in the process. Christina MacCorkle of The Thacher School takes academic research about a country far from her school’s California campus and connects it to current events in the U.S., using simple language to convey complex academic arguments. Many students are trained to write academic essays, but MacCorkle enlightens those of us outside of academia.
Fake news is already eroding our shared sense of reality. Now, deepfakes and AI stand to fuel disinformation and imperil democracy. An image of a deepfake video of former U.S. President Barack Obama (AP Photo) The unprecedented mob assault on the U.S. Capitol on...
Technology permeates students’ lives and has contributed many economic benefits to the world while bringing far-flung communities closer together. But what of the downsides? The polarization of society? The dangers of spending too much time on social media? Citizens being hoodwinked into believing the unreal? One of the biggest questions facing policymakers around the world today is how to protect democracy without infringing on free speech. It’s a question that is not going to go away and which students would do well to start considering today. In this article, Stuart Grudgings introduces us to some of the disturbing possibilities of deep fake technology and begs the question of what to do about it.
Journalists and NGOs often rely on each other to inform the world. But beware vested interests. It’s best to follow the money trail to see the full picture. A sign that counter-protesters lit on fire burns after supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump held...
Technology has revolutionized news photos since I launched my career decades ago. But the maxim “always be prepared” still holds true. All photos by Enrique Shore “Luck is when opportunity meets preparation.” So said Manuel León Lopez, my photojournalism...
Good journalists try to remain neutral. I once hopped on a U.S. military helicopter during the Vietnam War. Had I abandoned my principles? U.S. troops during Operation Lam Son 719, February 1971. This photo was on the last roll of film received from Associated Press...
They’ve been around for a long time and flourish in a crisis. Conspiracy theories may seem absurd and harmless to some — but they can do damage. Activists demonstrate against 4G/5G cell towers in Los Angeles, California, 2 May 2020. (AP Photo/Damian...
Like fake news, conspiracy theories abound in today’s polarized political world. Sarah Edmonds shows that they have been around for a long time and thrive in times of crisis such as the coronavirus pandemic. In an age when facts and science are under attack, how can a student know what to believe in? Should we simply dismiss those who perpetrate conspiracy theories — or engage with them? Edmonds interviewed numerous experts for her article and skilfully weaved in their quotes — a good example for student writers. Teachers of subjects from Science to Politics can use Edmonds’s story to encourage students to suspend their prejudices and push themselves to see contrasting viewpoints.