Blog prompt: "The second blog post should address the different MEDIA INFO outlets that now exist for the acquisition of news, and in particular those of a POLITICAL nature".
One of the things that frustrates me the most about modern society is the fact that so many people speak in news headlines. They will watch the news for a few minutes, "get the highlights," as it were, and then go about their day. While at work or hanging out with friends, if someone else mentions a news story, they are quick to regurgitate whatever snippet of the news they heard earlier that day. Political discussion cannot happen because not everyone involved in the conversation is knowledgeable about the situation.
We live in a "give it to me now" society; people want things quickly, and they want to access them easily. It is much more time-consuming to read a newspaper or book about an issue than it is to listen to a five-minute news segment.
Of course, it is out of necessary that the media (television news stations, newspapers, etc.) edit news stories. They do not have the time or resources to put all the information out there for consumption; not only that, viewers would be bored and bogged down in all the details. These necessary exclusions are not a major problem for many adults, who can seek out more information about issues they see on the news if they wish. It's different for children. If they happen to catch a few minutes of a news show (either on a national news channel or a satirical news show like The Daily Show or The Colbert Report), they are likely to take it at face value. They have not yet learned to be filters instead of sponges for everything they see and read.
In my classroom, I attempt to teach middle schoolers how to think critically. It is crucial that they learn to question everything. In his preface to Leaves of Grass (1855 edition), Walt Whitman encouraged his readers to "re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book." I have taken this advice to heart, and I want my students to as well. I don't want them to not trust anyone, but I do want them to understand that everyone is biased to some degree (in the case of the media, this is an important concept) and that it is ok to question what others say...for it is only by asking questions that we learn.
When people start asking questions about the media (especially political media) and why certain things/issues/ideas are presented the way they are, they become more media literate. They are able to filter what they see and hear, which is necessary for critical thinking.
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