Starter quiz
- A democracy is a system of government in which citizens ______ in regular, fair elections.
- 'vote' ✓
- There are two main voting systems, first-past-the-post is one, what is the other one?
- 'Proportional representation ' ✓
- Match the word to its definition.
- constituency⇔the specific geographical area that is represented by each MP ✓
- general election⇔when the citizens of a country vote to elect a new government ✓
- election⇔the voting process to select a person for a public position ✓
- Some people believe individual votes don’t matter, so there’s no point in voting. Which answer shows that individual votes matter?
- every vote counts equally, regardless of the seat
- in marginal seats, the outcome can be decided by just a few votes ✓
- only votes in large cities matter in elections
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- An independent candidate is ...
- one that does not belong to a political party. ✓
- someone who represents multiple political parties.
- a member of a political party but runs without official party support.
- a government official running for re-election.
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- Which of the following are key features of a democracy?
- free and fair elections ✓
- no elections and the leader makes all decisions
- government controls the media
- the media operates independently from government ✓
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Exit quiz
- What does press freedom help to promote?
- inequality
- limited choice
- citizens to ask questions ✓
- censorship
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- Order the countries from most to least press freedom according to the 2024 World Press Freedom Index.
- 1⇔Norway
- 2⇔United Kingdom
- 3⇔China
- ______ is the control of information or ideas in a society.
- 'Censorship' ✓
- In a democracy, the media should inform the public by making sure when they report news it is …
- 'accurate' ✓
- Media freedom plays a crucial role in ... the government and ensuring it holds them accountable for their actions.
- 'scrutinising' ✓
- Which of the following statements best reflects the concept of media freedom?
- the media should be completely neutral in their reporting
- the media should have a variety of perspectives, as long as they are accurate ✓
- the media should only report the facts and avoid any form of analysis or opinion
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- The media plays a key role in any democracy.
- The media can be controlled to protect others, allow integrity and fairness.
- The media can be controlled through censorship, regulation and laws.
- Media freedom allows scrutiny of government and holds them to account.
Common misconception
The media should always be neutral.
Media freedom does not require journalists to be entirely neutral. It allows for a range of perspectives, such as investigative journalism and opinion pieces, as long as they are reported accurately.
Keywords
Democracy - a system of government in which citizens vote in regular, fair elections for representatives who then make laws and decisions on their behalf
Press freedom - the ability of the press to give information and express opinions
Censorship - the control of information or ideas within a society
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