A multi-modal newspaper and internet information resource for schools Echo onlinE A multi-modal newspaper and internet information resource for schools

Echo Online has two main sections: * The Issue Outlines section and … * The Newspaper Index section Both are useful sources of material on media issues, but they can also be used across the curriculum as an information resource. Let’s look at the Issue Outlines section first …

Echo Online’s Issue Outlines section looks at contemporary media issues and isolates the various arguments … for … … and against

To do this, Echo’s writers look for news, background, analysis and comment in newspapers, television and on the internet.

Each issue outline has seven sections, which are …. 1: Introduction - a brief explanation of what has brought the issue to the attention of the media 2: Background information on the issue 3: Arguments for the proposition in the issue 4: Arguments against the proposition in the issue 5: Some of the further implications of the issue 6: Web links and documents – internet sources relevant to the issue 7: Newspaper sources – print media sources for the issue

This is what a typical introduction section looks like. The buttons at the top click through to the other sections of the issue outline

There are also two other sections a: A printable single-document version of the full issue outline and … b: A link to any related outlines which might be useful for background a b

The introduction section This page includes key quotes from either side of the issue to show students the crux of the issue. There is also a brief account of the particular event that brought the issue into the media. Where possible the different stakeholders are then introduced. See the next slide for another important feature of the introduction section.

Other sections may also contain video and / or audio. The Echo issue outlines are mixed-media. The introduction page includes at least one relevant video clip backgrounding the issue. Other sections may also contain video and / or audio. These help engage students and address the multimodal emphasis of the new national curriculum. Clip: short sample only

The background information section This section supplies the information necessary to put the issue in context. The information may include historical background, an overview of relevant legislation or the manner in which the issue has developed in other countries. It also often includes definitions of key terms.

Arguments for … arguments against… These are the heart of the issue outline. There are always at least five arguments given for each side of the issue. Treatment is balanced and they are presented in neutral language. Stakeholders supporting each argument are quoted where possible. These are ideal material for researching and preparing an argumentative essay, a talk or a debate.

Web links and documents Exactly as the heading suggests, this section presents students with a range of relevant internet sources. Echo Online attempts to include comment on both sides of the issue from a variety of sources. These sources often include special-interest groups or stakeholders. The sources’ positions on the issue are summarised so that students are aware of any bias in the piece before they go to the link. These internet sources may include radio interviews, video news reports, media releases, letters and blog comments. Again, this is a rich, multimodal set of sources. Teachers looking for different types of persuasive text for students to analyse will find them here.

Further implications This section seeks to have students look beyond the immediate issue. They are encouraged to consider what might happen next and what further directions the issue may take. There is inevitably an element of opinion in this treatment; however, its tone remains speculative.

Newspaper sources This section contains a list of recent newspaper items relevant to the issue outline. The list comes from a search of the Echo newspaper index. Since 2009, the items on this list have been hyperlinked to original online versions. The hyperlinks remain “live” for anything from three months to a year, giving students ample time to read the items. This means that, usually, students do not have to visit the library’s newspaper stacks to gather their material.

The Echo newspaper index When the Echo newspaper index was first published, nearly twenty years ago, printed newspapers were a major source of information for the public, along with radio and television. Students – especially Victorian students and teachers grappling with the requirements of the new VCE – needed a way to quickly access newspaper items needed for study.

Today, newspapers are still an important resource Today, newspapers are still an important resource. Whether in print or electronic form, newspapers gather the day’s news into one place, so that the issues of the day are immediately visible. Similarly, the Echo newspaper index is still basically the same, except that now, Instead of going through multiple weekly printed editions, a list of news items can be retrieved from a full twelve months of indexing by using a simple keyword search.

The database is searchable using a simple multi-word all words / any words interface. Unlike other, similar databases, the Echo newspaper item database displays retrieved items in lists, instead of one item at a time.

Each “grouping” in the retrieved list represents a week’s indexing of that particular topic. The items are identified as news item, comment, or analysis. The author’s name, the page number and the publication are also present. The Echo indexers also add descriptors and explanations if the name of the published item is seen to be ambiguous.

Tracking down the actual items As with all historical indexing, older newspaper items are available only in State Library archives, or, in digital form, in some commercial databases. However, more recently published items (less than a year old) can be often be accessed - in their online versions – from the Echo lists.

Using google to search for items from the Echo lists Modern browsers, such as Internet Explorer and Firefox can be used to actually read the online versions of items in the Echo lists. Sometimes, a simple highlighting and right-clicking of the item’s title / headline will do it … as seen in the above image. However, a simple copy-and-paste into google will usually turn up items less than six months after their hard-copy publication date.

Using google to search for items from the Echo lists When you find the item in the google list (usually at or near the top of that list) all you have to do is click the item … Modern browsers, such as Internet Explorer and Firefox can be used to actually read the online versions of items in the Echo lists. Sometimes, a simple highlighting and right-clicking of the items name will do it … However, a simple copy-and-paste into google will usually turn up items less than six months after their hard-copy publication date.

Using google to search for items from the Echo lists … and you can read it, or even download a version of it to your computer. Modern browsers, such as Internet Explorer and Firefox can be used to actually read the online versions of items in the Echo lists. Sometimes, a simple highlighting and right-clicking of the items name will do it … However, a simple copy-and-paste into google will usually turn up items less than six months after their hard-copy publication date.

The Echo issue outline writers themselves use the Echo newspaper index as a major tool to identify and gather material on contemporary media issues.

… but the index is useful as a stand-alone tool, giving researchers access to what the newspapers were featuring right back to the mid-1990s … … and, of course, as a source of follow-up information on past media issues … what’s happened since the controversy faded from the front pages.

We have to admit to being old-fashioned. Nearly two decades after the Echo presented its first index-and-issue-outline printed publication, we’re proud to say that, while methods of presentation have changed, the basic service has not. Echo is still all about information.

Thank you for watching this presentation. If you wish to trial Echo Online / Contemporary Issues, email us at office@echoeducation.com.au Our base URL is www.echoeducation.com.au