A free press, free to investigate and report on responsibly, compelling stories, is essential to a democracy. A 10-slide presentation details where to get ideas, how to go about an investigation, gather data, and assure the accuracy of...

Young scholars explore the code of ethics in journalism. For this journalism ethics lesson, students use Hazelwood and Tinker to explore journalism ethics. Young scholars compare ethics of journalists and pirates, read a related article,...

Accuracy and fairness are key principles in journalism. It is the responsibility of reputable news organizations to correct their stories when new information is found. Viewers learn to spot these corrections and clarifications through a...

High schoolers learn about ethical issues and its connection to journalism. Students examine examples of ethical issues some journalists have faced. in small groups, high schoolers collaborate to write a code of ethics for their school...

Students explore ideas about journalism ethics as they relate to Watergate and discuss various issues related to an anonymous source being revealed. They write letters to the public editor of The NY Times about credibility and anonymous...

Explore the newspaper as a unique entity with a detailed and extended unit. The unit requires learners to consider the newspaper's role in democracy, think about ethics, practice writing and interviewing, and examine advertising and news...

Is journalism more or less reliable with the influx of Internet sources? Learners investigate the issues of freedom of speech, journalistic ethics, and social responsibility in the age of Twitter and Facebook. After examining the...

How can your journalism class ensure they use social media responsibly and legally? The sixth instructional activity in a 16-part Social Media Toolbox series asks pupils to dig deep into the legal aspects of social media use by school...

Learners use texts on media ethics and various Web sites  to explore real world examples of media law issues. For this media ethics lesson, learners examine the Food Lion case using a transcript from the...

Students examine the importance and responsibilities of journalists through examination of illegal immigration. In this journalistic ethics instructional activity students analyze scenarios and look at the pros and cons of illegal...

students investigate how to editphotos and understand the ethics of photo-editing in regard to photo-journalism. In this photo journalism instructional activity, students examine photos and photo spreads in various sources to...

Students examine the role of citizen journalism, freedom of the press, and the First Amendment. They analyze the results of an Internet survey, discuss the ethics of downloading copyrighted material on the Internet, and write a news story.

Pupils view a movie about ethical journalism and Stephen Glass' rise at The New Republic. In this news ethics lesson, students view "Shattered Glass" and explore Glass' descent into an ethical black hole. Pupils complete the...

The case of the 1928 execution of Ruth Snyder takes center stage in a instructional activity that asks young journalists to consider the ethics involved in publishing an image of an execution. A series of discussion questions ask...

Young journalists engage in a role-playing exercise that asks them to consider the journalism and ethical issues raised by the coverage of the mass shootings at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007. Pupils play the role of either a reporter...

How do journalists balance bias and ethical reporting? The final lesson in a series of five from iCivics examines the different types of bias and how they affect the news we read. Young reporters take to the Internet to find examples of...

Nineteen slides use the story of Chris Cuomo of CNN and his refusal to discuss his brother, New York governor Andrew's political troubles, to inform viewers about the idea of conflict of interest in journalism. 

A short video introduces middle schoolers to different media-related news terms. Viewers then complete a worksheet and discuss the differences between news and journalism, between facts and opinions.

When is using someone else's copyrighted material appropriate? Learn about copyright and fair use with a lesson from PBS.org. Scholars read through a reference sheet about authors' rights and users' rights, and then create posters...

Hey, what's so funny? Explore the use of satire in a variety of media with a hands-on lesson. Fourth in a five-part journalism series from iCivics, the activity introduces satirical language in print and online. Pupils work alone or in...

Students examine journalism ethics. In this journalism lesson, students complete a think, pair, share activity about the journalistic code of ethics. Students then discuss an ethics scenario.

What does it take to create news stories that are both informative and objective? Aspiring journalists walk the line between engagement and activism with lesson 15 of a 16-part series titled The Social Media Toolbox. Grouped pupils...

Reporting the news is easy, right? Think again! Show young scholars the difficult choices journalists make every day through a lesson that includes reading, writing, and discussion elements. Individuals compare the language and sources...

Given all the recent criticism of the news media and coverage, it's crucial that young people are given the tools they need to evaluate what they see, hear, and read about current events. A video interview from "News Goggles" introduces...