Language Art Unit 5: Globalization and the Future Lesson 2

Which questions best help determine whether a news source is reputable and objective? Select three options.

- In what order does the news source choose to present the headlines? - Does the news source use language that might lead to an emotional response? - What type of language do the reporters use in the published news stories?

Which parts of the SPJ code of ethics should be considered when deciding whether to air the interview? Select two options. A reporter is covering a protest at a local chemical plant suspected of dumping toxic chemicals into the water supply. The reporter interviews a 17-year-old protester on camera. The protester says, "I am concerned for our health—all of us who drink or bathe with this water are at risk. And we need to think about the harm being done to the environment." Later, the protester's mother calls and says that her daughter, a minor, regrets speaking to the reporter on camera. The mother asks the news station not to air the interview.

- Minimize harm because the protester might be affected by the interview. - Seek truth from another source, because the protester made a statement about a major issue.

Which characteristics best identify an article as an editorial? Select three options.

- The article is written to convince others to agree with the author. - The author uses emotional language to support a claim. - The author includes a persuasive conclusion at the end of the article.

Read the excerpt from an op-ed. As a candidate for the Westwood Board of Education, Raj Mathur has the necessary community experience to excel. He is a member of the chamber of commerce and several other township committees and community groups. I have worked beside him in our real estate office for three years. He has been a mentor to me, willingly sharing his wisdom of not only the business, but the community as well. I believe that he is well qualified for the board of education job. Which elements of an op-ed are evident in the excerpt? Select three options.

- The op-ed comes to a conclusion for the audience. - The op-ed includes first-person pronouns. - The op-ed attempts to persuade the audience.

Which headlines can be considered objective? Select two options.

- University Athletic Director Resigns amid Controversy - Softball League Umpire Admits Error on Final Play

Quiz Read the scenario. A construction company reaches out to a local newspaper with news that it will be expanding its business in the near future. The company promises to share more specific information exclusively with the newspaper in exchange for the newspaper running free advertisements for the company. What are the most ethical decisions for the newspaper to make in this situation? Select two options.

- confirm the company's expansion through other sources before reporting it - be completely transparent in reporting about the company's attempt to trade favors

Which scenarios are considered ethically acceptable for journalists? Select three options.

- paying money to attend a conference about climate change in order to do research for an article - ending an investigation because it may lead to violence and disunity in a local community - interviewing the CEOs of two insurance companies that are competing against each other

Which details reveal the reporter's purposes in the editorial? Select three options. Turning 16 has long been a rite of passage, as teens head to the Department of Motor Vehicles to get their license to drive, but that may change if conservative state senator Rob Evans has his way. Evans proposes raising the minimum age for a temporary driver's permit to 16.5, requiring teens to have six months and 50 hours behind the wheel before they can take a driving test. Evans, 66, says that "times have changed" since he was 16 and that today's teens "do not exhibit the same caution and concentration" his generation did. Clearly, Senator Evans is living in the past. Students need their licenses to get to school, activities, and part-time jobs. Documenting driving hours takes time and money. Call Senator Evans and let him know that this is an unnecessary and ridiculous proposal.

- using the label "conservative" to make the proposal seem biased - using loaded language, such as the word "ridiculous" - using quotes that criticize today's teens to persuade people to oppose the proposal

1. How could the headline best be revised to make it objective? 2. How could the first sentence of the article be revised to improve objectivity? 3. How could the reporter balance Senator Saud's comments to make the article more objective? Valido Accused of Accepting Bribes Unpopular conservative senator Raymond Valido (R-Louisiana) stands accused of accepting more than $1 million in campaign donations from the Nosco Oil Company in exchange for his efforts to pass a bill. The bill would allow the company to build a massive oil pipeline that will span the entire East Coast of the US. Senate colleagues on both sides of the aisle are demanding Valido release his campaign finance reports. "If Valido did accept these contributions from Nosco, he essentially accepted a bribe and is now fulfilling his part of the bargain," said Senator Michelle Saud (D-New Hampshire). The Federal Election Commission saw no evidence of unlawful conduct in Valido's fundraising. However, if the senator did accept contributions in return for legislative favors, he may be censured by the Senate.

1. Valido's Conduct under Review 2. by removing "unpopular" and "conservative" 3. by adding a comment from a Republican senator

1. The text "The three wealthiest Americans have more money than half of the American population" is an example of 2. The sentence "The taxes would then be invested by government bureaucrats, who have always failed at creating meaningful wealth" is an example of The Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) published research showing that the three wealthiest Americans have more money than half of the American population. The IPS stated that the poor are poor because the rich are rich. The IPS implied that the way to make the poor less poor is to make the rich less rich through government policies. They advocate higher taxes on the wealthy. The taxes would then be invested by government bureaucrats, who have always failed at creating meaningful wealth.

1. a statistic that can be proven true or false 2. a debatable opinion

1. The author's purpose for writing this article is to 2. The quotation from the article that most clearly states the author's purpose is Getting a new business off the ground can be a challenge, but a teenager in regional South Australia is managing to not only run his own clothing label, but complete high school at the same time. Last year at the age of 16 and while studying Year 11 at Renmark High School, Nathan Woodrow started his own clothing label, Ryde Clothing. His target market was teenagers and young adults wanting to grab life with a passion. Using the motto "stay stoked" (defined by Urban Dictionary as a state of limitless enthusiasm), Nathan drew his clothing designs around skating, surfing and riding. These were his passions until he a knee injury sidelined him from sport and he ventured into the world of business to fill the void. "I wanted something to motivate me throughout the year so I started Ryde Clothing," Nathan said. "I'm really interested in riding my motorbikes, mountain bikes and I do a lot of skating too [as well as] wake boarding, wake skating, that sort of stuff." -"Teen Entrepreneur Rides Wave of Business Success with Own Clothing Label," Catherine Heuzenroeder

1. inform about a teen business 2. "woodrow started his own clothing label"

1. The phrase "a mouth-watering haul" is an example of 2. The quote "besides NASA equipment and experiments, the Orbital ATK capsule holds chocolate and vanilla ice cream" is an example of 3. This article appears to be reliable because Astronauts got a mouth-watering haul with Tuesday's Earth-to-space delivery—pizza and ice cream. A commercial supply ship arrived at the International Space Station two days after launching from Virginia. Besides NASA equipment and experiments, the Orbital ATK capsule holds chocolate and vanilla ice cream for the six station astronauts, as well as make-your-own flatbread pizzas. Astronauts always crave pizza in orbit, but it's been particularly tough for Italy's Paolo Nespoli. He's been up there since July and has another month to go. -"Space Delivery: Astronauts Get Ice Cream, Make-Own Pizzas," Marcia Dunn

1. reporter commentary with loaded language 2. a factual statement 3. it reports verifiable facts with some commentary

Warm-up What statements are true about fake news? Select two options.

- Fake news deliberately publishes incorrect information for the public. - Publishers of fake news may be interested in financial or political gain.

1. What is the reporter's motive in article 1? 2. What is the reporter's motive in article 2? 3. Which phrase from article 1 is an example of bias? 4. Which statement from article 2 is an example of bias? Article 1: Canine Vaccines: Making Profits or Saving Lives? Not everyone supports canine vaccinations. Some uneducated pet advocates think that pet owners are essentially forced into vaccinating their pets out of fear without knowing the risks associated with the vaccines. There are some reports of animals experiencing irreversible health conditions immediately following a series of vaccinations. Critics think that giving too many vaccinations at one time may be to blame. Other veterinary professionals disagree. The research connecting the number of vaccines given at one time and dangerous side effects has been refuted. These qualified professionals believe that vaccines are essential to a healthy pet population. So the debate continues. Are vaccinations about making profits or saving lives? Article 2: Vaccines Can Be Harmful to Dogs' Health Do you sometimes wonder, "How often do I need to vaccinate my dog?" Or which vaccines are absolutely necessary and which are not? And what's required by law? It can get confusing. A lot of veterinarians give out misleading information to get you to keep vaccinating your dog regularly. . . . . . . 60% of vets today are vaccinating pets more often than the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) recommends (which is already too often). And, as you'll see below, that can be very harmful to your dog. Core vs. Non-Core Core vaccines are the ones most vets recommend your dog should have as a puppy. These vaccines all protect against dangerous viral diseases. . . . Several of the non-core vaccines (Bordetella, Lyme and Leptospirosis) are bacterial vaccines. Bacterial vaccines have low efficacy rates coupled with high incidence of adverse reactions. This means they should rarely be used, and then, only after careful consideration of all the risks of vaccinating vs not vaccinating against these diseases. -"Which Vaccines Does Your Dog Need?,"Julia Henriques

1. to report factual events from both sides 2. to cast doubt on current advice on dog vaccinations 3. " without knowing the risks" 4. "veterinarians give out misleading information"

1. What is the reporter's motive in article 1? 2. What is the reporter's motive in article 2? 3. Which term from Senator Nelson's quote in article 2 is an example of bias? Article 1: Valido Accused of Accepting Bribes Unpopular conservative senator Raymond Valido (R-Louisiana) stands accused of accepting more than $1 million in campaign donations from the Nosco Oil Company in exchange for his efforts to pass a bill. The bill would allow the company to build a massive oil pipeline that will span the entire East Coast of the US. Senate colleagues on both sides of the aisle are demanding Valido release his campaign finance reports. "If Valido did accept these contributions from Nosco, he essentially accepted a bribe and is now fulfilling his part of the bargain," said Senator Michelle Saud (D-New Hampshire). The Federal Election Commission saw no evidence of unlawful conduct in Valido's fundraising. However, if the senator did accept contributions in return for legislative favors, he may be censured by the Senate. Article 2: Pipeline Foes Accuse Valido of Misconduct The Federal Election Commission reported Wednesday that its initial investigation into Louisiana senator Raymond Valido's 2016 reelection campaign showed no apparent irregularities, despite accusations from liberal senators that Valido took $1.1 million dollars from Nosco Oil in exchange for consideration of that company's proposed East Coast pipeline. Valido does not dispute Nosco's campaign contribution, but insists that he made no promises to the Nova Scotian oil company about their pipeline. "There was no bribe, and I did not strike a bargain with Nosco executives," Valido said in a statement. Although a Senate censure is unlikely, Valido's Republican colleague Sarah Nelson (R-Georgia) said, "We will defend Senator Valido in this liberal witch hunt."

1. to report factual events with added commentary 2. to report on the unfolding investigation 3. "witch hunt"

Which statement best compares the two headlines? Headline 1: New Polls Indicate a Lack of Confidence in City Planners Headline 2: Polls Reveal Citizens Are Disgusted with Corrupt City Planners

Headline 1 uses objective language, while headline 2 inserts an opinion.

Read the two headlines. 1. Protestors Continue Rally Despite Police Requests to Stop 2. Attempts to Shut Down Rally Met with Civil Disobedience Which statement best compares the two headlines?

Headlines 1 and 2 both use clear, objective language.

A high school student has just won a science award from NASA, and the local paper is reporting on this accomplishment. Which headline would best indicate that the priority of the news source is to maintain credibility?

Jones High School Senior Wins NASA Award

Lesson Read each phrase carefully, then determine if it describes laws or ethics

LAW - rules governing a community - published in writing - punishments for violations ETHICS - based on morals - no legal punishment - principles to guide people

Sort the characteristics of news as objective or subjective.

OBJECTIVE NEWS - objective facts - plain, direct style - intention to inform - impersonal third-person pronouns SUBJECTIVE NEWS - intention to persuade - emotional language - opinions and commentary - first-and second-person pronouns

Which statement about valid and reliable news reports is true?

They include objective facts presented without bias.

Which statement best evaluates the reliability of the article? Superintendent Asks for Tax Levy At Thursday's regularly scheduled school board meeting, Springfield Schools superintendent Gerard Schmidt asked board members to approve his plan to put a tax levy on the November ballot. The superintendent cited rising healthcare costs for faculty and staff and aging school buildings as two key reasons the district needs additional funds. School board president Mona Soales said, "The board recognizes the need for the funding, and will decide on the details of the levy next month."

This is a reliable news report providing an objective, verifiable summary of events.

ethics

a set of principles and beliefs that guide the actions of an individual or specific group

Assignment What is the most ethical action for the network to take? A Marine captain is accusing a major news network's journalist of lying in a story. The journalist, who was with the Marines on patrol, wrote that the helicopter he was in came under sniper fire. The journalist admits to his producers that he embellished the story. The journalist was not under fire, but other choppers behind him were struck. The producers want to minimize the damage to the network and are unsure how to proceed.

have the journalist give the accurate account of the incident and apologize for lying to viewers

subjective

influenced by feelings or opinions

intent

the purpose for reporting on a topic

motive

the reason for reporting on a topic

bias

the tendency to favor one person, thing, or idea over another

Read the excerpt from an article. Lewis Township officials have been publicly—and loudly—quarreling for what seems like forever over what to do with the 20-acre lot of land on the north side of Main Street. It seems to me that the decision is easy. A big-box retailer will bring Lewis hundreds of jobs—jobs desperately needed here. What is the writer's primary purpose for writing this article?

to persuade the audience to share the writer's point of view

objective

unbiased; free from opinions and prejudice