A media literacy organization asked for nominations of teachers and groups who teach youth about press freedom. Nominations came from all across the world. Children in a classroom and a blackboard that says “Test Monday: Press Freedom.” Illustration by...
Getting stories right used to be more important than getting the scoop. Maybe it’s time to return to careful, skeptical and dispassionate reporting. Four jockeys on horseback. (Credit: Jupiterimages) This article was produced exclusively for News Decoder’s...
A blank page confronts every writer on deadline. Turning that empty space into an article someone might read takes more than simply hitting keys on a keyboard. Two images of a woman at a typewriter trying to find an idea. Photo illustration by News Decoder. This...
ND correspondent Helen Womack takes us through her process of going from a blank page to a published article in this piece on confronting writer’s block. How can we help students find their voice?
Exercise: Read the article with your class, then have students brainstorm pitches that they can submit to News Decoder. How might their initial ideas be transformed into a publishable piece? Consider: global/local relevance of pitches, at least two sources to interview to investigate the topic, students’ unique angle on the topic. Students should then submit a pitch for an opportunity to work with our editors to be published on our global news site.
For further tips on interviewing and drafting, direct students to our asynchronous E-Learning courses. If you’re not a member of our school network, contact us to learn more about these members-only resources.
Living in a globalized world means appreciating the nuance of diverse perspectives and shared experiences. Global Citizenship Education (Canva). The field of education loves its buzzphrases. Standards-based grading. Project-based learning. Media literacy education. ...
Making sure that information is true isn’t easy. Our correspondent takes you through the arduous process of fact-checking a news story. Illustration by Ana Schwartz for News Decoder When I first started out in journalism as a 17-year-old, I had never heard of...
Correspondent Norma Hilton models the process of fact-checking in this important article for students and adults alike. In a world inundated with instantaneous information at our fingertips, knowing how to distinguish fact from fiction is ever-critical.
Exercise: After reading the article, have students dissect the fact-checking process modeled in the text. Prompt a class discussion on what the process looks like in practice, step-by-step. Did anything about the process surprise them? Then, in pairs, students should fact-check a short news text (either one they’ve selected or one you provide to them). Which sources should they examine to confirm that the text is credible?