Chapter 1. LaunchPad for Media and Culture 11e
Trust in the News
Author Name:
Richard Campbell
Activity Objective:
Students will interview individuals from various generations and audience demographics to gather, and then analyze, information about trust in the news media.
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Activity
Interview 10–15 people from different generations and audience demographics to find out, anecdotally, about their trust in local and national news organizations. Ask your interview subjects the following questions, and record their answers in the boxes below each question.
Use the space below to answer the following question.
1. Do you prefer getting the news from your local newspaper or TV station or from the national media—either through a newspaper like the Wall Street Journal, or via a TV or cable network like NBC or Fox News, or from NPR, or from an online site? Explain your reasons and give examples.
2. How do you know that where you get your news is a credible or trustworthy outlet or site? Provide evidence.
3. What do you think about the 2018 Sinclair Broadcast Group incident? Do you think that news media owners and publishers should be able to dictate to their reporters, editors, and anchors that they cover a particular story and read or print corporate-generated copy? Why or why not?
Analysis
Use the space below to answer the following question.
Take a look at the answers you received to the questions on the previous slide. Did you find any patterns here? What are your takeaways from the feedback you received? Record your thoughts in a paragraph (or a few paragraphs) in the box below.