Level(s): Grade 9 to 12
Overview
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This is the fifth and final lesson in a unit designed to teach students to think critically about the way Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities are portrayed in the press.
"Diversity Audit" is a summative activity that ties together all the information students have learned during this unit about newspapers, and the presence of bias, fact and opinion in the news. In this lesson, students will conduct a "diversity audit" on a local paper – providing a "snapshot" of the way various racial/ethnic groups are portrayed.
Learning Outcomes Students will:
Preparation and Materials
Photocopy student handouts:
Procedure
Class Discussion
The heart of good journalism is providing an objective, independent and balanced perspective. But despite best intentions, members of ethnic and visible minorities aren't always fairly or accurately represented in news media.
In today's class we're going to look at some of the issues surrounding racial representation in the news.
Distribute copies of Ethnic and Visible Minorities in the News to students. (If computers are available, students can read this essay online.)
As you read the essay, answer the following questions:
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According to Charles Ungerleider, how is news reporting similar to story telling?
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Which news stories are most likely to feature immigrants? Which are least likely to do so?
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What is the negative backlash when racial identification is used in stories about crime?
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Why might white Canadians believe news coverage of minorities and minority issues is sufficient?
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What stories are immigrants most interested in? Why do you think these stories are underreported?
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According to this essay, has ethnic and racial diversity within the newspaper industry improved since the 1990s? Explain?
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How does Canada compare to the United States?
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If you were responsible for creating a diverse workforce in the news industry, what suggestions would you make to improve the situation?
Once students have completed these questions, discuss their answers as a class.
Activity
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Using the
Diversity Audit handouts, each group is to count the stories, columns and opinion pieces that appear in their issue of the paper, recording the totals onto the sheets. (Do not count advertorials.)
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Students will then circle all the stories, columns and opinion pieces that talk about, or feature, Aboriginal peoples or visible minorities.
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Using only these articles, students will fill out the remainder of the audit sheet.
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Once this has been completed, select students to compile the audit sheets for all of the groups. On the board, tally the results and determine:
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How many stories appeared in the paper in one week?
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How many of these stories talk about, or feature, Aboriginal peoples/visible minorities?
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How many of these stories were positive/negative/neutral? How many were based on fact? How many were based on an opinion?
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Did these stories fall under one common news category?
Discuss the results with students.
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Which members of Canadian society are under-represented or not represented at all in these stories?
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Who are the spokespeople for the most important issues in the news?
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What is your evaluation of the newspaper's coverage with respect to ethnicity/race?
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What conclusions can you draw from this audit?
Evaluation
Extension Activity
Have students visit and write a review of the Ryerson University School of Journalism's Diversity Watch initiative. (See sidebar for link.) This extensive Web site features current stories in the news about minority groups and racism issues, and provides links to ethnic media outlets and grassroots, affiliate, advocacy and political groups promoting cultural or diversity issues.
