Media Analysis Sheet

Goal • Use this page with Conduct an Investigation 3-2B, Be a Media Watchdog on Environmental Issues, on page 135 of your student book.

Current Issue choices: Toxins in Athabasca oil sands Ft McMurray

Enbridge Building pipeline on Dallas Road

Transporting Nuclear Waste on Canada rivers and lakes to Sweden.

What to Do:

1. Find an article, read it
2. Open your email program.
3. Copy/paste the questions below into the body of an email addressed to me at ndupuis@sd61.bc.ca and a copy to your email.
4. Answer the 10 questions as best as you can right after the questions; send to me with your name and title of article in the subject line. Ex: joe bloe – oil sands in alberta
5. Email your work to me today.

Questions:

1. Environmental media topics tend to fit into one of the following categories. Which category does this report fit into? Highlight or bold one: Animal Habitat Loss, Global Warming, Air Pollution/Acid Rain, Water Contamination/Water Quality, Other.

2. In 20 words or less, summarize what the report is about.

3. What social, political, or economic issues are involved?

4. What are the arguments?

5. Are the arguments based on scientific experts’ claims? What evidence do you have of this?

6. What lifestyles, values, and points of view are presented in this message?

7. Does the report interpret data to favour one perspective over another? Explain.

8. What techniques are used to attract my attention? For a newspaper article, consider the title of the article, what page the article appears on, and any pictures that are included. For a television report, consider the length of the segment, when it appears, and the footage or interviews.

9. What emotional effect does the report have on the listener or reader?

10. Do you think the story was presented to appeal to a specific audience?

11. Why do you think this message was sent?

12. Based on the information presented in the report, would you accept or reject the information as entirely true or possibly true? Give reasons for your answer.