Several TV networks and newspapers have been criticized for their misleading and sometimes inaccurate coverage of black Florida teen Trayvon Martin's Feb. 26 shooting death. How are the events of that February night being misrepresented? Here, four examples:
1. ABC's misleading video scoop
4. ...And demonization of Trayvon Martin
In the Digitial Age, how can we prepare our students to deal with these biasses and misrepresentation that can be created and shared instantaneously?
Entire Article:
http://theweek.com/article/index/226354/the-trayvon-martin-case-4-things-the-media-got-wrong
I think a good way to prepare students to deal with these biases and misrepresentations is to do exactly what was done above. Have the students pick a controversial event, then research the different representations by media outlets. How are they accurate or not? If students also do research on the actual court documents, if they are available, they can compare and contrast the accuracy of the outlets.
ReplyDeleteStudents could also work in groups on topics, such as the Trayvon Martin case, bringing a discussion piece into the exercise with different perspectives and life experiences.