Hello, my name is Ms. Ikomi and I'm a teacher from London.

I'm gonna be taking you through today's lesson.

Let's get started.

Today's lesson is called, Does the media do more harm than good? It is part of the wider unit, How does the media affect us? By the end of today's lesson, you will be able to explain if the media helps or harms public opinion and describe ways to evaluate the effects.

The keywords for today's lesson are, media.

These are forms of communication like radio, television, newspapers, magazines, and the internet.

Anything that reaches or influences people.

Our next keyword is evaluate.

This means to judge or determine the significance, worth, or quality of someone or something.

We're gonna start by thinking about whether the media helps or harms public opinion.

We know that the media plays a powerful role in shaping how we view the world and understanding lots of different important issues.

The media has power.

However, we are going to consider whether or not it is always using that power wisely.

Have a think about what the words help and harm mean to you.

The word help means making things better or easier for someone or something.

It's like giving support, solving a problem, or making a positive difference in a situation.

When you help, you're doing something that benefits others or improves what's going on.

This is the opposite of harm.

If we harm something, it's causing damage, trouble, or hurt to someone or something.

It means making things worse or creating problems instead of solving them.

When you harm something or someone, you're doing the opposite of helping.

We're going to think about whether the media is helping or harming when it comes to public opinion.

Let's check what we've done so far.

Fill in the missing words in the sentence below.

Pause your video and have a go at this now Let's check our answers.

We should have said, the word that means to give support, solve a problem, or make a positive difference in a situation is help.

Harm means to make things worse or create problems instead of solving them.

So how does the media help when it comes to public opinion? The media helps public opinion by keeping people informed about what's happening in the world.

For example, if there's a natural disaster, the media can share information about how to stay safe or how to donate to support those people.

It also highlights the important issues, such as climate change, and this helps people understand the risks and how they can make a difference.

So for example, thinking about the California wildfires or thinking maybe about flooding in the UK.

Without the media, we wouldn't necessarily know about these issues or be able to do anything about them.

Other ways that the media might help public opinion could be through social media.

Social media platforms are a great, great way for showing different viewpoints and connecting people with similar interests.

It can inspire people to share stories about acts of kindness or big achievements that they might have had.

When the media is accurate and fair, it helps to build trust, and that means that people can make informed decisions, for example, about things like an election if we have one coming up.

It can also bring people together and encourage them to take positive actions, maybe making a change within their local community.

Let's do another check.

True or false? The media can help to build trust and help people make informed decisions.

Port a video and choose your answer.

Can you also have a think about why you've chosen your answer? The correct answer is true.

This is because the media can inform and educate us with accurate and reliable information, helping us to make informed decisions and therefore trust the information that's been provided.

Next, we're going to think about how the media might harm public opinion.

The media can harm public opinion if it is spreading false information or if it's only showing one side of a particular story.

We know that the terms misinformation and disinformation refer to things that are being shared that are untrue or shared for the purpose of causing harm.

If these things spread on social media, it can make people believe things that are not true.

For example, a myth about health.

Sometimes the media might also exaggerate problems to increase its audience.

This could cause unnecessary fear or panic about a particular issue.

Other things that might be problematic within the media is that the media can create division by focusing on conflict between certain groups instead of solutions.

During elections, media sources often highlight the disagreements between political parties rather than focusing on some of the things that they might agree on.

Extremely biassed reporting can make people distrust certain groups or make people feel that their voices don't matter.

Newer forms of media, especially social media, can also be harmful because it might contribute to spreading hate, bullying, or misinformation quickly.

This happens faster than other forms of media because of the fact that we can see information that is happening live, or contact people from all over the world that may not necessarily have the correct sources.

When the media doesn't show responsibility, it confuses people and makes it harder to trust what we see or hear.

Let's do a check.

What source of media can spread hate quicker than others? Is it A, print media, B, broadcast media, C, social media, or D, known people? Pause your video and choose the answer now.

The correct answer is C, social media.

Well done if you got that right.

Jun's asking, "What do you think, Alex? Do you think that the media harms or helps public opinion?" Alex says, "I think that there's so much disinformation, misinformation, and malfinormation in the media that it harms public opinion.

When I read or watch something, I don't always know if it's real or not, and sometimes that can give you the wrong idea." Jun is now asking Izzy, "Do you think the same? Do you believe that the media harms public opinion?" Izzy thinks the opposite.

"No, I think it helps public opinion because the news is mostly trustworthy.

It keeps us informed about important events and updates that are crucial for our safety and wellbeing.

Whilst we should be careful about spotting misinformation, the media plays a key role in democracy by holding those in power accountable." Why is the media an important part of democracy? Is it A, it decides who should win elections in the country, B, it replaces the government's role in decision-making, or C, it holds people in power to account for their actions? Pause your video and choose your answer now.

The correct answer was C.

Well done if you've got that right.

Let's put this into practise.

I'd like you to read the following arguments and label them either as arguments for or against the statement.

The media helps public opinion.

Pause your video and label each of the statements for or against.

We will then read through them and check the correct answers.

I asked you to label the statements either as arguments for or against the statement, the media helps public opinion.

Let's check our answers now.

Number one said, it helps to inform society and educate them.

This is an argument for.

Number two says, facts and opinions aren't always clear to the public.

This is an argument against.

Codes of conduct stop poor behaviour.

This is an argument for.

Disinformation, misinformation, and malinformation may be published and believed.

This is against.

It holds people in power to account.

This is for.

People have the opportunity to share their opinions.

This is also for.

Journalists may invade the privacy of individuals.

This is against.

And emotional language can lead us to make snap judgements.

This is also against.

Well done if you got those right.

If you didn't, take a second to correct your answers now.

Next, we're going to think about how we can evaluate the effects of the media.

The term to evaluate means to judge or determine the significance, worth, or quality of something or someone.

We're deciding what is good and what is less good about it and coming to a decision.

When we evaluate the effects of the media, we have to examine both sides of the argument and then make our judgement.

There's a very useful acronym that we can use to remember how to evaluate.

It starts E for evidence.

This means we should check for reliable and credible sources that back up the information that we have.

Then V, validation.

Verify the accuracy of facts and figures that are provided.

A for audience.

Consider who the information is intended for and any potential biases.

Logic.

Assess if the arguments are logical and make sense.

Understanding.

Make sure that you fully understand the material before forming an opinion.

Alternatives.

Look at different perspectives in order to get a balanced view.

Trustworthiness.

Judge whether the source or author is reputable and therefore can be trusted.

And last, E, effectiveness.

Decide if the information achieves its purpose and adds value to what we think.

True or false? In the acronym for evaluate, the A stands for analyse.

Choose your answer and have think about why.

This is false.

This is because, although analysis is a very important part of evaluation, in the acronym we looked at before, the A stands for audience.

It is vital that we consider who the information is intended for and any potential biases before we evaluate its effects and decide whether it's helpful or harmful.

Well done if you got that right.

To determine whether we believe the media causes more help than harm to public opinion, we have to evaluate its effects and decide what our judgement is going to be.

This that we are going to weigh up the evidence and be the judge.

Some arguments for the media helping public opinion could be the fact that it helps to inform society and educate us.

We have codes of conduct to stop poor behaviour.

The media also holds people in power to account.

Some arguments on the other side, that the media harms public opinion, could be the fact that disinformation, misinformation, malinformation might be published and then believed by people.

News outlets decide what to report, so it could be biassed.

And lastly, political affiliations can affect some reports and how they are reported.

Let's have a think of some more arguments.

We might say some more arguments for helping public opinion could be that people have the opportunity to share their opinions.

Good journalists will amend their stories or apologise if required, if they've made a mistake.

Campaigns in the media inspire and can help people to make a difference in other people's lives.

Some more arguments on the other side include the fact that journalists might invade the privacy of individuals during their reporting.

Emotional language can lead us to make snap judgments, and last, facts and opinions aren't always clear to the public, so they might get those two things confused.

Now we've seen lots of arguments both for and against the idea of whether the media is helpful or harmful to the public.

We can now evaluate to think about our own opinion and form a judgement.

I'd like you to have a think about where you would place yourself on this opinion arrow.

Do you think that the media is more helpful or more harmful? Put yourself onto the line and have a think about why you've placed yourself in that position.

Have a go at this now.

Let's do a check.

I'd like you to match the start of the sentence with their endings.

Pause your video and have a go at this now.

Let's check our answers.

The media helps to inform society and educate them.

The media's facts and opinions aren't always clear.

The media holds people in power to account.

Well done if you got those right.

Let's put this into practise.

I'd like you to write three paragraphs to answer the following question.

Does the media help or harm public opinion? Andeep is telling us, "The first paragraph should have arguments for, the second should have arguments against, and then the third should conclude with your own opinion." Try and have a think about some of our keywords and some of the arguments we've seen both for and against this issue.

Pause your video and have a go at this now.

I asked you to write three paragraphs answering the question, does the media help or harm public opinion? Your answer might have included some of the following.

The media plays a vital role in shaping public opinion positively by keeping society informed and educated.

News outlets provide valuable insights into current events, enabling people to understand important issues.

Strict codes of conducts are often in place to ensure ethical reporting, reducing the chances of misleading content.

Additionally, the media holds those in power accountable, exposing corruptions and demanding transparency.

It also gives individuals a platform to share their views, fostering a sense of community and public discourse.

Furthermore, responsible journalists are willing to correct their mistakes or apologise when necessary, showing a commitment to accuracy and trustworthiness.

Let's think about the other side of the argument.

The media can harm public opinion by spreading disinformation, misinformation, and malinformation, which can easily mislead people.

News outlets have the power to choose what they report, which might result in biassed coverage based on political affiliations or hidden agendas.

While some campaigns they inspire could improve lives, journalists sometimes invade people's privacy to get their stories.

The use for emotional language can push people into making rash judgments instead of rational decisions.

Finally, the distinction between facts and opinions is often blurred, leaving the public confused and unable to form well-informed opinions.

In conclusion, even though the media has its problems, it helps public opinion more than it harms it.

It keeps people informed, holds leaders accountable, and lets everyone share their views.

Good journalists work hard to stay honest and correct mistakes when they happen, which builds trust.

Overall, the media's important for helping people understand what's going on and making better decisions about the world around them.

Well done if you included some of that in your answer.

Your conclusion might have looked a bit different.

Today, we have been thinking about whether the media creates more harm than good.

We have learned there are many ways to argue that the media helps or harms public opinion.

We can use the EVALUATE acronym to teach us how to evaluate arguments for and against a statement.

It's important to examine the evidence and arguments on both sides before forming our own opinion about a topical statement.

The media is important for helping people understand the world around them, but we must be careful to evaluate sources so we spot disinformation, misinformation, and malinformation.

This helps us to make sure that the information we're consuming in the media is reliable, accurate, and doing more help than harm.

That's the end of today's lesson.

Thank you for joining me.