Goldilocks Number

Once upon a time---  November 2005--- someone said a very SCARY number...

What was it? Read Chapter 5 in the book (pgs. 49- 55) to find out.

Then answer these questions.

What is fear mongering and how/ why does the media lie?

Birds On a Wire

How is the media like birds on a wire?

Brooke Gladstone compares the press to blackbirds perched on a wire, saying, “one bird will fly to another wire, and when it doesn’t get electrocuted, all the birds will fly to that other wire.” 

Senator Eugene McCarthy came up with that;  but what does it mean?

If 'courage and caution' are the 'yin and yang' of journalism,  when can a little bit of caution a good thing?

How are tracking polls often a ‘snare and delusion?

Take the TRUTHINESS Poll

How to identify good and bad survey questions.

Make your own poll

Truthiness

Take the TV News 'Truthiness' Poll

1) Does one TV News Network have more 'Truthiness'  than the others?  

2) How do our poll results compare to the national poll?

3) Which network does the rest of America trust the most for their news? Why? 

4) Where do most young people your age get the news?

5) How should we choose our news?

6) Why is it the more news outlets there are, the less we seem to trust them?

Canis Journalisticus

If journalists really are like dogs, 'barking at anything that moves', then Helen Thomas agrees.

Reporters are celebrated not because of the truth of their story, but according to whether their story fits the public's mood.

Without a free press doing its job as a journalistic watchdog, citizens are left to guess if their elected officials are doing their jobs, or if the people they have entrusted have earned that trust.

Does Secrecy Make Us Safer?

When NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden leaked details of massive government surveillance programs in 2013, he ignited a raging debate over digital privacy and security. That debate came to a head this year, when Apple refused an FBI court order to access the iPhone of alleged San Bernardino Terrorist Syed Farook. Meanwhile, journalists and activists are under increasing attack from foreign agents. To find out the government's real capabilities, and whether any of us can truly protect our sensitive information, VICE founder Shane Smith heads to Moscow to meet the man who started the conversation, Edward Snowden.  Watch the episode.

Described by WIRED as “the most wanted man in the world,” Edward Snowden is being sought for leaking top-secret documents that unveiled widespread surveillance programs overseen by the federal government. He currently is hiding out in an undisclosed community in Russia, where he says he goes mostly unrecognized.

1) Is Edward Snowden a 'traitor & a coward' or a 'patriotic hero?  You decide.

2) What does Tulsi Gabbard, our new Director of National Intelligence, think?

3) Should we have secrets from our Government? Explain.

4) Should our Government have secrets from us? Explain.

5) Where does our right to 'privacy' end and the Government's right to 'know' begin? 

6) Who plays Snowden in the Hollywood movie?  Watch the Trailer.

7) Do you agree or disagree with this decision?  Is it biased?

8) If you were directing the movie who would you choose?  Why?


Watch an Oscar nominated documentary about Snowden .

Watch the pivotal moments in 'Citizen Four' and learn how they came to life on the screen.

Should Edward Snowden be 'pardoned?'

What has happened to Edward Snowden in the decade since his exile?

President vs. the Press

President Donald Trump claimed Friday afternoon that he is “banning” CNN, MS NOW and Politico “from the White House.” He said it was “effective immediately,” but there was no indication his administration had taken steps to follow through. The country’s leading First Amendment groups said that if Trump tries to implement a ban, it would be unconstitutional and rejected by the courts. The newsrooms targeted by Trump echoed that sentiment, and have filed a lawsuit.

1. What does the First Amendment protect when it comes to freedom of the press?

2. What happened in today's news story?

3. What is the difference between criticizing a news organization and restricting its access to government?

4. Why might independent journalists be important to citizens?

5. Does freedom of the press guarantee journalists unlimited access to government officials? Explain.

6. What question about today's story do you still think needs to be answered?

What In the World?

In more than half the world’s countries, banning, confiscation and censorship of publications are everyday occurrences. Even today, nearly two billion men and women live under governments which restrict their right to know the truth. More than 1 billion of those people live in China.

How does Chinese censorship work?