Beyond the Printed Word
Module 2, Activity 1.6 - Comparing Print and Electronic Journalism
Student Page
(teacher lesson for this page)

Introduction:
You will respond to several question individually, then participate in a panel discussion or a threaded discussion.

Activities:

Task One - Putting it all together
You have done several activities including the comparison chart in Characteristics of Electronic Media and the rewritten stories in Electronic Media and Style. Now you are ready to complete some questions regarding the differences between print journalism and electronic journalism. Please be aware that while these questions have a potential mark value attached, your teacher may or may not choose to evaluate your responses by marking them.

Task Two - Talk Back
In this activity, you will participate in a panel discussion with 6 to 8 other students. You will discuss the effects of the type of media on what news is presented. You have three jobs to do during the discussion:

1. Give at least 3 opinions backed with a specific reason.
2. Say things that are new - don't agree with exactly what someone else said.
3. Think about "why". Always look a little deeper to see why something is the way it is.

Resources:

- a list of questions to write responses to
- computers if you do the shift task
- a list of questions for the anchor of the panel discussion

What is Panel Discussion:

It is a discussion with experts on a topic. A moderator (often the anchor of news show) asks questions and the panelists take turns responding. They are chosen to participate specifically because they have expertise and because they have different opinions and beliefs. In this discussion, you are the experts.

Task Two Continued. . .
Start you discussion by selecting a moderator or news anchor. This person should do the following:

• ask the questions on the list for anchors, plus ask some questions that just come up in the discussion
• choose who speaks, and try to give everyone an opportunity

Once you have picked the moderator, you are ready to start. The discussion should focus on the anchor's questions, but it is okay to discuss anything related to the topic, You have 20 minutes to complete the panel.