During Newspaper in Education Week, which runs from March 1 to 5, teachers across the country are encouraged to incorporate newspapers into their lesson plans to help students become critical thinkers and engaged citizens.
Here are some key questions that can be used to analyze a newspaper article.
1. Who’s telling the story?
Although most newspapers adhere to strict standards of accuracy and objectivity, it’s important to recognize that all articles are written by people with attitudes and beliefs that could unintentionally affect their perception of a story and how they decide to cover it.
2. Who benefits from the story?
The topics covered in the news can greatly influence how the public views social issues, political leaders, corporations and specific groups of people. Even if an article is written objectively, it can still show certain people, institutions or ideas in a positive or negative light. Consider how this might affect the way that different readers interpret the story.
3. Who’s missing from the story?
Think about what issues are being reported on, who’s directly affected by them and whether these people’s voices and points of view are equally represented in the article. Additionally, consider whether the various experts cited throughout the newspaper accurately reflect the diversity of the community.
Keep in mind that these questions can be used to assess media messages from a wide range of sources including video games, social media posts, advertisements and TV shows.
