Journalists’ Creed gets an updated look – download!
April 4, 2017
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
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
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
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
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
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...
Plan now for Constitution Day: Teach the First Amendment
May 4, 2016
Teachers can prepare now to teach the First Amendment as part of Constitution Day on Sept. 17 with the materials and ideas below. Many teachers incorporate First Amendment instruction into their curriculum on a weekly basis by using news articles to discuss First Amendment issues. In Peter Paccone’s clas...
Mini-grants give classrooms premium access to Checkology — a news literacy e-learning platform
April 15, 2016
The News Literacy Project is offering teachers a new cutting-edge e-learning platform and first-rate resource for the classroom. The Checkology™ e-learning platform incorporates many of the best practices in e-learning, including self-pacing, blended and experiential learning, personalization, rich ...
Citizens around the country promote open government during Sunshine Week
March 11, 2016
Across the country, citizens are celebrating access to public information during Sunshine Week, March 13-19. The goal of Sunshine Week is to promote a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. Here are just a few highlights of Sunshine Week planned during the week all...
Sunshine Week offers teachers opportunity to teach watchdog journalism
February 26, 2016
Knowing how to access information, such as public records, is a critical component of news literacy and an important role of journalists. Started by the American Society of News Editors in 2005, Sunshine Week, March 13-19, provides the perfect opportunity for educators to address the Freedom of Information Act, ...
