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© Boardworks Ltd 20061 of 24

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The significance of the media in society



Learning objectives

What types of stories make the news locally, nationally and globally?

How does the media portrayal of certain issues or people affect public opinion of them?

How does the media help promote charity?

Is the media’s treatment of celebrities acceptable?

What is the relationship between the media and sport?



The media describes all forms of mass communication, including newspapers, magazines, television, radio and the Internet.

How important would you say the media is in your daily life? Have you watched TV today, read a newspaper, or surfed

the web?

What is the media?


News used to travel very slowly, but these days we can hear about important stories as soon as they happen!

What types of stories tend to make the news?

Are some events more newsworthy than others?

What’s in the news?


What makes a good news story?


Some news stories are of interest internationally, some nationally and some just locally.

In pairs, make a list of three recent news stories – one which has featured in the world news, one in the UKnews, and one which was reported in your local news.

What is each story about?

Where did you find out about the story?

Are there any types of story which might feature in international, national and local news?

Local, national, and international news


Whose headline?


Different forms of media report on some of the same stories,but in different ways.

In Britain there are two main types of national newspaper – tabloids and broadsheets.

Our understanding and view of a particular news story can often depend on where we found out about the story.

In what ways are they different?

Can you think of any examples of these newspapers?

How does the media portray stories?


Look at these headlines about the same event as reportedin two different newspapers.

What is the difference in the way the story is presented?What view might the reader have depending on which

paper they read?

How does the media portray stories?


People who write and report the news have different opinions, and can sometimes show bias toward a particular point of view.

In groups, look through the day’s newspapers and find articles on the same story.

Identify the differences in the way the story is portrayed, thinking about the following things:

What page is the story on? What does this tell us about how important it is to that paper?

News task!

What is the balance of fact and opinion in the story? Is it reported in an objective way, or isthere bias? How can you tell?

What details about the story are reported?


Biased or not?


You are going to become journalists!Choose a recent school or community event which you could write a news report about.

Write your story in the style of either a tabloid or a broadsheet newspaper.You can look at examples to help you.

You will need to think about how much detail to include, and how balanced your report will be.

Reporting the news!


The media can be a very useful tool for promoting charities and raising awareness about important issues.

Why do you think this?

Think about these charities.

Comic ReliefCancer ResearchChildren in Need

Causes and campaigns

How have they made use of the media?


The 2005 ‘Make Poverty History’ campaign used many famous facesto help promote its message.

Is there a charity you support, or a good cause you care about?

Why do you think charities do this?

How could you use the media to help promote this cause?

Would you use any celebrities as the ‘public face’ of the cause?

Causes and campaigns


Celebrities in the news!


Think about the headlines you came up with.Were they to do with the work or personal life of the celebrities?

Do you think the media should be able to report on the private lives of celebrities?

The Human Rights Act (1998)states that people have ‘the right to respect for privateand family life’.

Does the media’s coverageof celebrities infringe this right?

Celebrity headlines


Right to privacy?

It could be argued that celebrities do not have a right toprivacy because they choose to be in the spotlight, so shouldput up with both the positive and negative sides to fame.

Do you think this is fair?Can you think of any other arguments for and against a celebrity’s right to privacy?

Take a class vote onthe motion ‘do celebritieshave a right to privacy?’.Use the graph to show theresults.


The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) is responsible for investigating any complaints about intrusion into people’s private lives.

During Prince William’s time at school,British newspapers and magazines madean agreement with the PPC that theywould restrain their coverage of the Prince.

Press Complaints Commission

Why do you think this agreement was made?


Right to privacy?

In groups, devise a set of five responsibility guidelines which you think reporters and photographers should stick to in order to respect celebrities’ rights to privacy.

Responsibility Guidelines


We have learnt that the media has a lot of power and influence, and can use this in a positive or negative way.

Sport and the media

‘Let’s Kick Racism Out of Football’ is a media campaign which uses footballers to help promote equality in the game.

This is particularly true with regards to the media’s portrayal of sport and its supporters.

Can you think of a positive effectthe media can have on sport?

Do you think this is an effectivecampaign?


You may have seen coverage offootball hooliganism in the media.

What sort of impact might this type ofcoverage have on the sport and its supporters? Does it make the problem worse?

Use the Internet or a selection of newspapers to research coverage of sport and its supporters.

What is the balance of positive to negative stories?

Sport and the media

Can you think of any negative ways the media portrayssport and its supporters?

Why do you think the media reportson this?


Sport and the media


Anagrams!


Glossary

Bias: prejudice for or against a person, group or point of view.

Campaign: activities organized to accomplish a goal.

Objective: impartial and unbiased; not influenced by a particular view.

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