Combating Apathy in an Era of “Fake News” and Standardized Testing

Leigh Kolb, English and Journalism Instructor at East Central College

January 1, 2018

Filed under Civics, News & Media Literacy, News & Media Literacy Corner, Teachers

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...

Ancient Texts, Modern Media Literacy

Leigh Kolb, English and Journalism Instructor at East Central College

September 24, 2017

Filed under Lesson Plans, News & Media Literacy, News & Media Literacy Corner

Perspective. This is a word we use often when we delve into the fundamentals of media literacy. Whose perspective are we getting, and who is in control of the message? How is this perspective different from what we are used to? Are many perspectives being considered? When we teach media literacy,...

Commentary vs. Journalism: Are journalists biased?

Michelle Turner, Washington High School, Washington, MO, and JEA 2016 Broadcast Adviser of the Year

July 23, 2017

Filed under Civics, Lesson Plans, News & Media Literacy, News & Media Literacy Corner

A recent poll by Gallup reports that 62 percent of Americans believe journalists are biased in the arena of politics. The majority of those polled feel journalists favor Democrats in their reporting. This isn’t a shocker. Poll after poll has similar results: Americans believe journalists are biased...

Character Ed should link in lessons on Media Literacy and Digital Citizenship

Michelle Turner, Washington High School, Washington, MO, and JEA 2016 Broadcast Adviser of the Year

April 17, 2017

Filed under Civics, News & Media Literacy, News & Media Literacy Corner, Training

The need for Media Literacy and Digital Citizenship in school curriculums cannot be denied. However, I have a radical proposal. Can we emphasize in those lessons themes that include kindness and respect for others? Just a few weeks ago, I saw two prime examples of why incorporating Character Education...

Journalists’ Creed gets an updated look – download!

April 4, 2017

Filed under Lesson Plans, News & Media Literacy Corner, Training

The Missouri School of Journalism just redesigned the print presentation of The Journalist’s Creed. Please feel free to download here, share this, make copies, hang it as posters, etc. Walter Williams’ words are timeless!...

Beyoncé and Black History: Get in Formation

Leigh Kolb, English and Journalism Instructor at East Central College

January 28, 2017

Filed under Lesson Plans, News & Media Literacy, News & Media Literacy Corner

On Feb. 6, 2016, Beyoncé released "Formation," a surprise new single and music video. The next day, she performed the song during the Super Bowl halftime show. The music video itself featured stunning imagery of southern African American pride, and included painful imagery as well, including Katrina floodwaters, an empty swimming...

New Year’s Resolution: Consume a Healthier News Diet

Leigh Kolb, English and Journalism Instructor at East Central College

January 1, 2017

Filed under Learn, News & Media Literacy, News & Media Literacy Corner

Resolving to eat healthier is a common new year's resolution. Moving away from the holiday gluttony of dips and roasts and cookies can be difficult--after all, in our society, it's fast, cheap and easy (not to mention addictive) to feed our cravings for junk. While many of us will resolve to try to...

Fake News Making Headlines Nationwide

December 19, 2016

Filed under Learn, Lesson Plans, News & Media Literacy, News & Media Literacy Corner, Tech

How do we help our students? Try these links: ~ What is Fake News? How to spot it and what you can do to stop it.  ~ Making News Literacy a Trending Topic ~ Reliable Sources Lesson Plan ~ 7 Reasons to Include Current Events in Your Lessons ~ What Comes Between Fake News and Students? Educators!  ~ Fake or Real? How to Self-Check the News and Get the Facts...

Encouraging Lightbulb Moments: ‘Single Stories’ and the Lack of Diversity in the Media

Leigh Kolb, English and Journalism Instructor at East Central College

December 5, 2016

Filed under Lesson Plans, News & Media Literacy, News & Media Literacy Corner, Writing

When we ask students to critically analyze texts and ideas, the most powerful moments often occur when they flip on the lightbulbs themselves--not when we do it for them. Students will look sheepish when they admit they get their news from Facebook headlines; they know--at least on some level--they need to be more critical in t...

Making News Literacy a Trending Topic

Leigh Kolb, English and Journalism Instructor at East Central College

October 31, 2016

Filed under Civics, News & Media Literacy, News & Media Literacy Corner, Recent News, Tech

United States Media Literacy Week - Oct. 31 - Nov. 4, 2016   When asked, teenagers--high-schoolers and college students alike--will typically say that if they feel connected to the news at all, it's through sites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Snapchat. They will often say that they read the...