Judy Woodruff Discusses the Election and Media Literacy with EXTRA

Election and Media Literacy with EXTRA

On October 28, PBS NewsHour EXTRA was joined by NewsHour anchor Judy Woodruff and executive director of the National Association of Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) Michelle Lipkin to discuss media literacy and the upcoming election, among other topics. Read the summary, watch the video and answer the following discussion questions. To watch the full discussion on media literacy, the launch of Journalism in Action (EXTRA’s interactive resource on the history of journalism) and more, click here.

As we move through Election Day to the aftermath, including a possible transfer of power, students may be curious about how this election season is similar or different from past elections, including ways it was covered by the media.

• For students and teachers interested in the ways journalists have covered elections in the past, check out EXTRA’s new interactive resource on the history of journalism in the US, journalisminaction.org.
• Students might especially be interested in the material covering the contested election of 1800.
• With some experts expecting a possibly messy, contentious post-Election Day landscape, students may want to learn more about past contested elections in US history.

Election and Media Literacy Discussion Questions:

Focus question: How does this presidential election differ from past elections that you remember?

• Do you think this election will be remembered as an especially unusual one? Why or why not?

Media literacy: What do you think are special challenges of covering this election season?

• What do you think is the most important story of the election season?

Dig Deeper: Interested in more lessons from past presidential election cycles? Check out this lesson on five memorable presidential contests. You may also want to visit our Kahoot page for games and quizzes on the election today.

Republished with permission from PBS NewsHour Extra.