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

Make your own poll

Truthiness

Take the TV News 'Truthiness' Poll

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

Are feelings more important than facts?

How do our poll results compare to the national poll?

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

Where do most young people your age get the news?

What should be the ultimate goal of any news network?

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.

Debate Debrief

 

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris touched on over a dozen topics during the debate Tuesday night in Philadelphia. The graphic above shows the time dedicated to each subject.

The fiery and contentious debate may be the only face-off of the campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris And former President Donald Trump. Harris tried to walk a fine line between being both an incumbent and a change candidate and Trump was called out repeatedly for misinformation.

Donald Trump doubled down on unsupported claims that Haitian immigrants are abducting and eating people's pets in the city of Springfield, Ohio.  

Which of these topics talked about in the debate were most important to you?

Which of these topics do you think they should have talked more about?

Who do you think won the debate?  Why?

Campaign Songs: Harmony vs. Discord

 

Music has helped set the stage for politicians for generations, and some songs have become intertwined with campaigns, from Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the U.S.A.," to Beyoncé's "Freedom." But sometimes artists don't want their songs to be used by a particular candidate – and sometimes they sue! Correspondent Tracy Smith looks at when the playing of political anthems segues into copyright infringement.

1) What messages or values do campaign songs convey?

2) Why do you think some artists don't want their songs to be used by a particular candidate?

3) Are Republican and Democrat's tastes in music different?  Which artists associate with each party?

4) Listen to the playlist from the roll call of the DNC.  Which song represented Ohio?   Do you agree?  Why or why not?

5) If you were a candidate, which song would you pick as your anthem? Why?

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 the rest of the world 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?