Breaking news reports can be short of facts. Young journalists select a pair of news articles about a disaster; one published within hours of the event and the second published the following day. They examine whether facts in the report changed over time, the sources credited in the report and whether there is conflicting information from the different sources.

Concepts

news articles, news broadcast, news reporting, news media, journalism, journalism ethics, facts, locating information, conflicting information

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Instructional Ideas

• Many newspapers have a program that offers schools a free class set of newspapers; check to see if this program is available in your area

Classroom Considerations

• Requires copies of the "Tracing the Facts" worksheet, one per pupil or small group

Pros

• The lesson demonstrates how information in news reports evolves during a disaster

Cons

• None

Common Core

CCRA.R.1 CCRA.R.8