by Filipa Pajevic | 20 Feb 2024 | Americas, Culture, Politics, University of Toronto Journalism Fellows
Selling books in English in Montreal is a political statement, unless you are simply someone who loves books in any language. Caution tape warns bookstore shoppers that the books are in English. (Photo illustration by News Decoder) This article was produced...
by Jonathan Thatcher | 1 Feb 2024 | Asia, Politics
The upcoming election pits employment against the environment. Meanwhile China and the United States wait to see whether the new president will look east or west. Indonesian presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto, right, and his running mate Gibran Rakabuming Raka,...
by Malcolm Davidson | 29 Jan 2024 | Environment, Europe, Technology
A heat pump isn’t nearly as sexy as an electric BMW or a floating wind turbine. But on an individual level, it might make a big difference. Flowers grow next to a heat pump installed at a residential house. (Photo by one pony/Getty Images) This article was...
by Enock Wanderema | 25 Jan 2024 | Africa, History, Politics
The 121 countries of the Non-Aligned Movement agree on one thing: It is time to assert their place in a divided world. A Risk game board of the world with cracks in it. (Illustration by News Decoder) This article was produced exclusively for News Decoder’s global...
by Alistair Lyon | 24 Jan 2024 | Decoder Replay, History, Human Rights, Middle East
The Houthis, battle-hardened from years of fighting a civil war in Yemen, have proven to be a formidable adversary to Israel and its allies in the Red Sea. A Houthi forces helicopter approaching the cargo ship Galaxy Leader on 19 November 2023. Yemen’s Houthis...
by Jeremy Solomons | 22 Jan 2024 | Africa, Human Rights, Politics
Britain wants to send migrants to Rwanda. The British court says that’s not safe. For our correspondent Rwanda is home — and a place people come to for safety. Home Secretary James Cleverly and Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs Vincent Biruta shake hands at a...
by Ella Gorodetzky | 18 Jan 2024 | Educators' Catalog, Human Rights, Israel-Palestine, Media Literacy, Middle East, University of Wisconsin, Youth Voices
From Gaza to Israel to the United States some people are turning to social media for civil discussion. Can we stop disinformation about the Middle East? Posts on an imaginary social media page calling for civil dialogue about the Middle East. (Illustration by News...
Social media can be a double-edged sword — with the power to unite and to divide. How can students differentiate between disinformation and credible content? Journalism undergraduate student Ella Gorodetsky from the University of Wisconsin-Madison looks at social media posts about the Israel-Hamas war to investigate.
Exercise: After reading the article together, have students come up with a social media campaign to stop the spread of disinformation. In 160 characters or less, students should invent a catchy slogan to help others distinguish between credible and fake content. This activity should be done in groups of 2-3.
by Joseph Katusabe | 17 Jan 2024 | Africa, African Leadership Academy, Catholicism, Decoder Replay, Human Rights, Religion, Student Posts, Youth Voices
One parishioner argues that the Church should welcome gay members. The Pope is just now cracking open the door by offering a small blessing. Vatican City with an LGBT flag superimposed to seem waving in welcome. Photo illustration by News Decoder. Editor’s note:...
by Alan Wheatley | 15 Jan 2024 | China, Decoders, Economy
It is the top trading partner for 120 countries. So if China’s economy tanks so will the world. But fears that that will happen may be overblown. A worker checks the growth of mushroom at a modern agricultural company in Laixi city in east China’s Shandong...
by Andrea Knezevic | 8 Jan 2024 | Educators' Catalog, Europe, Journalism, WePod
Ljudmila Janković is a journalist in the Balkans, where speech isn’t quite free. But podcasting there might help foster a more independent media. Ljudmila Janković. (Photo courtesy Press Freedom Foundation) In the Western Balkans, journalists operate within a...
A free press is a central component of a democratic society. But press freedom worldwide is far from guaranteed. In this article, News Decoder Communications Specialist Andrea Knezevic interviews Ljudmila Janković of Press Freedom Foundation Serbia to uncover the challenges journalists face in the Balkans.
Exercise: As students dive into the world of journalism, help them explore the many ways to tell stories — audio, visual, text. After reading the article, students should listen to the text’s accompanying podcast episode. What are the nuances of audio versus text storytelling? Which types of stories lend themselves to audio best? You may consider following up with a podcast interviewing assignment for students.