Curriculum

Lessons By Topic

Agenda-Setting & Gatekeeping 

Agenda Setting & the News

Publicity & Gatekeeping in the Media

Personalization & Microtargeting

Mass Personalization, Microtargeting, and the News

Microtargeting, Digital Advertising, and Political Campaigns

​Misinformation

Misinformation, Disinformation & "Fake News"

2020 Election Misinformation Trends

Mini Media Literacy Activities

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Agenda Setting in the Time of
COVID-19

Who controls the agenda when it comes to the news? That is, who has the power to say what is news and what is not? In the case of COVID-19, what are the health consequences of this agenda setting? 

Activity:  Review one of the sites where you get news or search the web for today’s headlines. Consider which types of stories are being covered and which are not. What are some events happening in your life or the world that you think should have more reporting?  Write a summary of the patterns you notice. What agenda is being set? Whose interests do these stories serve?

Extension:  Write an article about how you are experiencing COVID-19. See this page from PBS News Hour for tips, tricks, and tools on making sense of the Coronavirus. 

Framing in News Coverage
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Framing refers to the way that events and persons are described through common themes and patterns. Frames often reflect particular viewpoints. Some common frames in news stories include conflict, personality, conjecture, and the horse race, or who is winning and losing. When thinking about a story's framing, consider what is emphasized and how it is described. 

Activity: Choose a trending news topic, and examine the ways news outlets are reporting this topic or event. What common frames did you find? Are there any other ways to describe what occurred?  
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For more on frames, check out this resource from the Pew Research center.

Rewriting Headlines
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“Extra! Extra! Read all about it!” Way back when, kids would run around trying to sell newspapers with this rallying cry. But today, the traditional newspaper has been replaced by the one on the screen, so without the newspaper boys, newspapers often try to make the headlines scream instead. But these headlines don’t always accurately reflect the article.

Activity: Choose three news stories and identify the central ideas. Explain whether the headlines match the article content. When you are finished, write a new headline that you think more accurately reflects the article’s central idea.

Extension: Provide a summary of each article without the headline and then exchange with a partner. Ask your partner to write a new headline and compare your headline with theirs. 

Additional Resources

Media Literacy Tips Poster


Social Dilemma Media Literacy Resources