What is the media?
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the different sources of media, how we can tell what is newsworthy and why information neighbourhoods differ.
Key learning points
- Media has three main types: print media, such as newspapers; broadcast media like TV and new media, like social media.
- To be considered reliable news, information must follow the VIA model - Verification, Independence, Accountability.
- News values guide journalists in selecting stories which are interesting, for example timelessness, oddity and impact.
- It's important to know the information neighbourhood you are in. These include categories like news and propaganda.
- Understanding these different sources of media and information neighbourhoods helps you know the purpose of the media.
Keywords
Media - forms of communication like radio, television, newspapers, magazines and the internet, that reach or influence people
Information - knowledge communicated concerning a particular fact or subject, often presented to us in the media
News - information about current events
Common misconception
We all get our news and information from the same place.
People get their news and information from a range of different media sources which can result in people believing very different stories.
Teacher tip
It would be useful to get a range of different newspapers to show the students the different sort of news that is presented in a variety of ways.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Who is the head of the Government in the UK?
Q2.What information does the news contain?
Q3.What does the acronym, TV, stand for?
Q4.A government has ideas which they want to put in place to improve life for people in society. There are not just rules or laws but there are official documents called...
Q5.Match up the type of media with the sense you need to access it.
Q6.What is the UK's system of government called?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of these are examples of print media?
Q2.All forms of the media are about giving people ...
Q3.What is the model to test whether information is newsworthy known as?
Q4.News __________ guide journalists into selecting interesting and important stories.
Q5.Match up the word with its definition.
Q6.What is an information neighbourhood based on?
To help you plan your 8 citizenship lesson on: What is the media?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 citizenship lesson on: What is the media?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 citizenship lessons from the How does the media affect us? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.