• Have students view a recent tape of a local news "investigative
journalism" report on a topic of interest to the class or community.
Generate a discussion about how the topic was covered. Encourage the
class to identify perspectives or information that might be missing (omissions),
and bias. Generate hypotheses as to why this might be missing. Discuss
the concept of "filters" in news reporting.
• Provide students with an overview of the activity prior
to viewing The Corporation so that they can take appropriate
notes. Consider providing a template to assist them in recording relevant
information.
• View only the section of The Corporation on the
Fox News issue. Ask students to identify issues that caused dispute between
different people. Generate a class list of possible topics that might
be suitable for a debate based on issues identified.
• Discuss what happened to the reporters. Have students compare
what happened in the documentary to their hypotheses about the first
video they viewed. Encourage them to think about how they can trust what
they see and hear.
• Form teams of four or five students to prepare their own
investigative journalism reports. Distribute assessment criteria (e.g.,
see BLM 4 for details) to class and ensure they understand the process
and expectations. Either assign topics to groups, or allow them to select
their own topics for investigation. Ensure that students research a variety
of perspectives on their issue. The "Electronic Resources" provided in
this package provides a starting place for some issues. Encourage students
to use BLM 3: Argument Analysis Sheet when looking at positions, as well
as to help them form their own sound arguments.
• If equipment is available, have students prepare video
reports to supplement class presentations and written work.
Allow time for students to make presentations, and to discuss/debrief after
each.
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