Lesson 2.44.2, Year 2 American English Lessons with Maestro Sersea

  1. Directions: Read and translate if needed, the following article.

Today we are at the Newseum in Washington D.C. – where the history of free expression is explained and defended.

The first printing presses arrived in the United States in the mid-1600s, marking an important step in the history of America’s free press.

A free press is important in democratic society. It allows citizens to speak freely and criticize the country’s leaders without fear. Some journalists have even lost their lives for that right.

But, it can also lead to news that is false. Last year, a fake news story about a Washington pizza restaurant went viral, causing a gunman to open fire at the business.

One of the most common terms we hear today is “fake news.” The public and politicians use it to talk about the news reports they do not think are accurate.

While people have paid much attention to the term in recent years, the problem is not new. False news reports have been around since modern journalism started.

Today, information moves around us in many forms, every hour of every day. Even if we do not seek out news on our own, we often receive it anyway, instantly, on our phones.

So how can we manage this mountain of information so that fake news does not mislead us?

We believe this requires news literacy. News literacy is the ability to use critical thinking skills to judge news reports. Are they credible? Can you rely on the reports to be true?

We use real media examples to teach useful skills and methods to recognize journalism over other kinds of information. We examine the differences between facts and what people report in the media as truth.

The course provides tools to identify real and reliable news sources. And, it demonstrates ways to separate news from opinion.

Professors at Stony Brook University in New York created the News Literacy education program. We will share it with you in simple English on VOA Learning English.

The need for news literacy is possibly greater now than ever before. Learning this important skill can give us the power to take full control of our own search for the truth.

Because as we’ve seen many times before, some news presented as truth can actually turn out to be completely false.

This lesson is based on the News Literacy course at the Center for News Literacy at Stony Brook University. For more information on how to become a news literate citizen, go to The Center for News Literacy.

2. Directions: Watch the video. Discuss what you’ve learned from this lesson via the comments section below.

4 thoughts on “Lesson 2.44.2, Year 2 American English Lessons with Maestro Sersea

  1. Lesson 2.44.2 Year 2
    As I understand, the above article is about, how to differentiate between fake and authentic news. The
    Newseum is an American museum dedicated to news and journalism that promoted free expression and the first amendment to the United State. In a democratic society, a free press and a free flow of information is very important. Now a days information moves around us in many forms every hour of every day, it comes out to us in various mediums. It is very hard to manage this mountain of information so that fake news does not mislead us. read more…

  2. In a democratic society, the ability to access and critically evaluate information is essential. A curriculum developed at Stony Brook University in Newyork over the past eight years is designed to help students develop the critical thinking skills needed to judge the reliability and credibility of information. Professors at Stony Brook University created the news literacy program. Learning this important skill can give students the power to take full control of their own search for the truth.

  3. Dear teacher,
    In this video said about new literacy which was defined the real or fake news.
    One of the most common terms we hear today is “fake news.” The public and politicians use it to talk about the news reports they do not think are accurate.
    While people have paid much attention to the term in recent years, the problem is not new. False news reports have been around since modern journalism started.
    We believe this requires news literacy. News literacy is the ability to use critical thinking skills to judge news reports. Are they credible? Can you rely on the reports to be true?
    The need for news literacy is possibly greater now than ever before. Learning this important skill can give us the power to take full control of our own search for the truth.
    Thank you.

  4. Hello everyone:

    This video tells us about the importance and right of receiving true news. Given that the news is very frequently manipulated based on particular interests, consequently generating false information and disinformation, it is necessary to develop skills to determine when we are facing this flagrant threat to freedom of expression and the right to be well informed.
    Hence, one of the primary roles of universities must be to train citizens to develop skills that allow them to distinguish between fake news, disinformation and reliable news.

    Thanks Maestro Sersea

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