1. Writing a News Story Fact or Opinion?
Week 3, Day 4

2. Essential Questions How can a news story be trusted?
How does understanding the news process help people become more critical consumers of the news? Why is this important?
Are news stories “slanted”?

3. Fact or Opinion?
All news stories present facts, but many times, the facts presented are really opinions.
This is often different from deliberately slanting a story, but it also could be used to slant a story if done intentionally.

4. Are the following statements facts or opinion?
1. There are over six billion people living on our planet.
2. Babe Ruth was the greatest baseball player ever.
3. Being a journalist is the best job because you get to travel.
4. A reporter’s major responsibility is to accurately report news.
5. The United States has more freedoms than most countries.
6. “Howard County students,” stated Dr. Cousin, “score the best in Maryland”.
7. It was revealed that 55% of responders liked Coke better than Pepsi.
There are over six billion people living on our planet.
Babe Ruth was the greatest baseball player ever.
Being a journalist is the best job because you get to travel.
A reporter’s major responsibility is to accurately report news.
The United States has more freedoms than most countries.
“Howard County students,” stated Dr. Cousin, “test the best in Maryland”
It was revealed that 55% of responders liked Coke better than Pepsi.
WRITERS MUST WRITE WITH ACCURACY.
opinion
opinion
opinion
opinion
opinion
opinion
opinion

5. What can you determine about facts and opinions?
Can be substantiated by reliable sources with direct knowledge of a situation.
Can involve numbers, figures, and percentages.
Can usually be documented in official reports or accounts about the situation.
OPINIONS
Often rely on a personal reaction to a situation.
Are usually informed with some facts, but then move beyond facts into how a particular group is impacted by a situation.
Because opinion relies on emotion, the language of opinion may not be as tightly controlled as the language associated with facts.

6. Information Expectations
When reading a news story, do we expect to find facts or opinions?
Why do we expect facts in a news story?
What about facts and opinions in a blog or Twitter?
Why?

7. The Niagara Falls Article
“Niagara Falls” story Preview
(Do not read the article yet).
What is this story about?
Who wrote it?
Where did it take place?
When was the story released?
What predictions can you make about the article?
Now, read the article, silently.
Distribute copies of the “Niagara Falls” story Review the article without reading news story. Ask What is this story about? (headline and caption) Who wrote it? (AP) Where did it take place? (picture and headline) When was the story released? (dateline) What predictions can you make about the article? (answers will vary – Why he jumped. Who saw it? Has anyone else done it? etc.)

8. Direct students to independently read the article, and give them time to do so. When students are ready, distribute “Putting the Consumer’s Questions to Work” sheets. Read the directions with the students (Note that students are only responding to the Niagara Falls article and not two sources), and, again working independently, ask students to re-read the article and complete the sheet. [Suggested for a Close Reading Activity]
Now that you have read the article, answer the questions on the handout.
DIRECTIONS: Even though the worksheet instructions say that you will use TWO sources, for this activity, we will only use ONE source, the Niagara Falls article.

9. You have 10 minutes to complete this activity.
Let’s review the answers:
Were there any insights as to fact and source?
Were there any opinions presented? If so, where?
Were there any insights as to fact and source? Were there any opinions presented? If so, where? (“deliberately jumped,” “That’s another stroke of luck.” “believed to be in his 30s or 40s” “The man, whose name…but was expected to survive.”)

10. Discussion Questions:
Is a fact a fact without a source?
Does a source always present a fact?
Are newspapers required to always follow ethical guidelines to be considered a “good” newspaper?
Sources are important to a story, but many times interviewers fail to get the important information or might not have asked an important question that was later needed to complete the story.
What might journalists do? What should they do?