Being a Critical Consumer of Media

Explore how the oversaturation of available information and likelihood of bias impacts how we should approach media.

Guiding Questions

• How can citizens recognize media that reinforces existing beliefs or provides new information?
• How can I approach new information responsibly?

Objectives

• Students will explain how the oversaturation of available information and likelihood of bias can impact how they approach media.

Resources

Student Resources:

• Access to the internet
• Media sources (internet, print)

Teacher Resources:

• Critical Questions

Facilitation Notes

• Teachers may need to prepare media sources in advance for the Explore portion. Students will use critical questioning to investigate a source. Local papers, specific sites, clips, or audio should be ready beforehand.
• Suggested prior lessons: “A Historical Look at the Role of the Media” and “How the Media Presents Information.”
• Even without full lessons, review key ideas (media roles and presentation styles) for background.