At an almost alarming rate, students these days are unable to determine news writing from opinion writing. In my two Journalism I classes, I conducted a pre-assessment experiment where students evaluated a news article and opinion article from the local newspaper. I asked students to read both pieces, underline the facts and opinions in each article and then decide which piece was from the news section and which piece was from the opinion section. Students were able to accurately identify facts...
One of the most exciting aspects of weaving media literacy instruction into the classroom is the rich source material that we are able to glean from news and entertainment media, pop culture and social media. It can also feel overwhelming to try to keep our instruction on pace. When Beyoncé dropped “Formation” on Feb. 6, 2016, and the next day gave a Black Panther-inspired performance during the Super Bowl halftime show, there was backlash on social media and from political pundits. I quickly...
Fake news. Bias. Alternative facts. Journalism is under attack, and our students certainly feel the apathy that results in this constant cycle of distrust. For students who might be interested in journalism, the job market seems dubious and there’s been increasing vitriol about mainstream news outlets being “fake news.” These realities and fictions affect morale about the field, to be certain, but larger trends in education also threaten the ways in which young people could and should be encouraged...
With digital storytelling and production majors on the rise, more students who would have pursued a journalism degree in college now roll the dice on a degree that some say allows more freedom and flexibility in both career options and storytelling styles. SchoolJournalism recently visited with two such students to get their thoughts about their course of study. Their insight can be helpful for teachers as they guide students towards their next steps, as well as current high school students who are looking for information about these majors. Lindsay Alfermann: “I will graduate from the University of Missouri-Columbia in May 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Digital Storytelling, a Minor...
Are you looking to strengthen your journalistic skills? Do you want to deep dive on a single issue that reaches across politics, social justice, science, policy, human interest and animal wellbeing? Come join us this summer at the Institute for Environmental Journalism. The Pulitzer Prize-winning news organization InsideClimate News is running two summer journalism programs that introduce newbies to the process of environmental journalism and give more experienced reporters a unique approach to covering climate change. Spend two weeks in NYC or Bar Harbor, Maine, learning from journalism specialists, immersing yourself in climate science, going off-site on reporting trips, hearing from...
Fall 2018 was my first semester teaching a Drone Video and Photography course. Like any new course, we had our ups and downs. Here are the things that I learned: If your district is similar to mine, sometimes new class materials aren’t always available the first thing in August. I felt like I was teaching a ELA course with no books. So yeah, I could make due for the first month, but it really was a lot of making it up along the way. Basic concepts in aviation, mathematics, and technology were important starting out. For a very right-brained learner, it actually turned out to be fun to see how these all work together. I felt proud of myself for teaching a subject with more than creative...
Multiple surveys and studies have shown that Americans remain unaware of the five freedoms the First Amendment guarantees. When more Americans can name characters from an...
MIPA is a state organization working in association with the Missouri School of Journalism; Journalism Educators Association, JEA; and the National Scholastic Press Association,...
January 14, 2017
