Top Tips: Is that a fact?

Top Tips: Is that a fact?

It can be difficult to tell the difference between fact and opinion. And some things we consider true may not be true to all people. (Illustration by News Decoder) At News Decoder we are all about fact-based journalism.  That means that the information in a news story...

Afghanistan: Where free expression costs reporters their freedom

Afghanistan: Where free expression costs reporters their freedom

For 20 years Afghan journalists could report without fear or favor. With the Taliban in control they are out of favor and under intense fear. Many have fled. Afghan journalists attend a press conference of a former president Hamid Karzai in Kabul, Afghanistan, 13...

Guest writer Rafiullah Nikzad shares his experience as a journalist forced to flee Afghanistan after the Taliban retook control in 2021. This article underscores the importance of a free press, in line with News Decoder’s mission to amplify voices that are under-reported and under-heard. 

Exercise: Read the article together as a class, then launch a discussion on the importance of a free press. What does independent journalism bring to a country? Why might some governments seek to censor what is published? What are the social, political, economic and legal frameworks that underpin a free press? Have students investigate the level of press freedom in your country, using the Press Freedom Index from Reporters Without Borders. You may consider having students conduct a comparative analysis of several country case studies. 

Tag: media