Common Core State Standard L.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: Video of a current news event is presented for discussion to encourage student participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the video. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event, draw out the main ideas and key details, and review different opinions on the issue. Then, students should present their own claims using facts and analysis for support.
07/24/2017
How state media became information warfare tool
In the hands of an authoritarian government, press freedom is fragile, and state media can turn from a public good into a weapon of information warfare. Russia, China and others are using their state-run media abroad in hopes of expanding their influence beyond their borders. Russia's state-funded outlet RT made that clear during the 2016 U.S. election. And China is starting to gear its own state-run channel, CCTV, as an advocate for China's government abroad.
■Class discussion: Have you ever watched or read a “news report” that was created by a government? How do you know? How about “news reports” created by companies or industry groups to sell their goods or push their agendas? Do you ever check to see where your “news” is coming from? Have the Russians succeeded in sowing doubts about our elections? Have they hampered our government through information warfare? Has the United States ever used “news” as a weapon against its foes?