Friday, February 10, 2017

Lesson on Friday, February 10, 2017

Aim: Should the Fairness Doctrine be reinstated?

Bell Ringer: Assign students to work in pairs to complete Parts B and C of “The Fairness Doctrine: Student Research Guide.”

Objectives:
1. Students will evaluate, take, and defend positions about rights protected by the Constitution and Bill of Rights
2. Students will evaluate, take, and defend positions on issues that cause the government to balance the interests of individuals with the public good.

Agenda:
1. Bell Ringer (5 min)
2. In pairs analyze the data collected in Part A of the assignment to complete the three questions listed in Part B. The questions consider the extent to which controversial matters of public concern were covered by the media sources analyzed, the presence of multiple perspectives in this coverage, and any ideological undertones that accompanied this coverage. Students are to search for differences on each of these fronts across the sources they analyzed. (15 min)
3. Lead a brief discussion of student findings in Part B. (5 min)

4. Move next to Part C. Distribute copies of Limburg’s “Fairness Doctrine: U.S. Broadcasting Policy.” Read this individually, then discuss with your partner. Finally, pairs should write one paragraph (no more than four sentences) defining the Fairness Doctrine in your own words. (10 min)

5. Distribute copies of Rendall’s “The Fairness Doctrine: How We Lost It, and Why We Need It Back” and the Washington Times editorial “‘Fairness’ Is Censorship” to each student. Ask one partner to read the Rendall article, and the other the Washington Times editorial. Then, instruct pairs to complete Questions 4 and 5 of Part C. (rest of class)


Home Learning:
1. Question 6, parts A through D, place the Fairness Doctrine debate beside that of  your analysis of media coverage, predicting how the reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine might impact coverage of controversial issues of public concern, the offering of multiple perspectives, and the ideological tone of coverage. In balance, pairs are then asked to decide if the Fairness Doctrine should be revived.

2. Question 7: In pairs consider the Fairness Doctrine in the context of First Amendment protections of freedom of speech and the press. It presupposes some knowledge of the First Amendment, but any confusion can be fleshed out in the context of the class discussion that follows.

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