Does the media create more harm than good? | Citizenship

Starter quiz

__________ journalism is in-depth and it can be more trustworthy.
- reportive
- secretive
- investigative ✓
- explorative
What is information called that is true but is shared or used in a way intended to cause harm?
- disinformation
- misinformation
- malinformation ✓
Match the term with its meaning.
- fact-checking
  
  ⇔
  
  many media outlets have teams to verify things before publishing ✓
- bias and agendas
  
  ⇔
  
  outlets might favour specific political or social viewpoints ✓
- mistakes and corrections
  
  ⇔
  
  trustworthy media will issue corrections when they are wrong ✓
- misinformation risks
  
  ⇔
  
  pressure to publish quickly can lead to spreading false stories ✓
What is the second step in the REVIEW model?
- evaluate
- evidence ✓
- verify
- valuable
Who created the REVIEW model? Order the words that make up the title of the citizenship charity.
- 1
  
  ⇔
  
  Association
- 2
  
  ⇔
  
  for
- 3
  
  ⇔
  
  Citizenship
- 4
  
  ⇔
  
  Teaching
Knowledge communicated about a particular fact or subject, often presented to us in the media, that can be trusted, believed and verified with external sources is known as ______ information.
- 'reliable' ✓

Exit quiz

The media can both positively and ______ influence public opinion, depending on how it is used.
- humanly
- negatively ✓
- equally
The EVALUATE tool to spot misinformation is called an acronym. What does the letter 'T' stand for in this acronym?
- totality
- thriving
- trustworthiness ✓
- truthfulness
To form a well-rounded opinion, what do you need to look at?
- one side
- both sides ✓
- no sides
Match the start of the sentence with its ending.
- Evaluating sources is crucial
  
  ⇔
  
  to identify disinformation, misinformation and malinformation. ✓
- The media plays an important role
  
  ⇔
  
  in informing and educating the public about important issues. ✓
- We should try to maximise how
  
  ⇔
  
  much the media helps and minimise how much it harms. ✓
The media holds people in ______ to account for their actions which makes it a valuable tool in a democracy.
- 'power' ✓
If something makes something worse or creates problems instead of solving them, it could be said to be ...
- harmful ✓
- helpful
- hopeful

Worksheet

Loading worksheet ...

Presentation

Loading presentation ...

Video

Lesson Details

Key learning points

The media can both positively and negatively influence public opinion, depending on how it is used.
Tools like the EVALUATE acronym help us critically assess arguments for and against various perspectives.
Carefully reviewing evidence and reasoning on both sides of an issue is essential for forming well-rounded opinions.
Media plays a vital informing role, but evaluating sources is crucial to identifying and avoiding disinformation.
Ensuring the media we consume is reliable and accurate helps maximise its benefits while minimising potential harm.

Common misconception

The media always helps the public learn information.

Sometimes we are given misinformation, disinformation or malinformation. It is important to learn to spot this and realise that some of the media we are presented with is not always designed to help the public learn the true facts.

Keywords

Media - forms of communication like radio, television, newspapers, magazines and the internet, that reach or influence people
Evaluate - to judge or determine the significance, worth or quality of someone or something