Lesson video

Hello everyone, my name is Ms. Wyatt, and I'm so happy that you could join us here for today's lesson.

Today's lesson explores the question of, "What is the role of the media in a democracy?" And it comes from the unit "How does the media affect us?" By the end of today's lesson, you will be able to explain why the media is important in a democracy and how the media informs and educates us.

We have some keywords that will be used throughout our lesson today, and they are media and democracy.

Media are forms of communication like radio, television, newspapers, magazines, and the internet, that reach or influence people.

And democracy is a system of government in which citizens vote in regular, fair elections for representatives who then make laws and decisions on their behalf.

So these words might be new to you today, but please don't worry, as I am here to guide you.

Our lesson is broken up into three parts today.

The first part of the lesson, we're going to be looking at, what is democracy? The second part of the lesson, we will explore, why is the media important for democracy? And then finally, we will look at, how does the media inform and educate us? So when you're ready, let's begin the lesson.

The United Kingdom, or the UK, is a democracy.

So it's split into two parts, demo and cracy.

So demo comes from the Greek word demos, which means the people.

Cracy comes from the Greek word kratia, which means power or to rule.

So it's thought to mean the rule of the people.

In a democracy, the country's leaders are elected by the citizens to work on their behalf in free and fair elections.

A democratic country means we get the opportunity to vote for our government.

This gives people the right to have a say on how the country is run.

Elections are held regularly in the UK.

We have a general election at least every five years, so one needs to happen at least every five years.

All adults that are entitled to can vote, and this is known as universal suffrage, and suffrage means the right to vote.

So let's check our understanding so far.

A system where citizens vote to elect representatives who make laws and decisions is called a.

Is it a monarchy, is it media, or is it a democracy? Pause the video and have a think about this question.

Okay, hopefully we all remembered that a system where citizens vote to elect representatives who make laws and decisions is called a democracy.

Well done if you got that correct.

If we live in a country where we practise democracy as a method of governance, it is known as living in a democratic society.

Some countries do not practise democracy and their citizens cannot vote or have a say in how their country is governed.

The other systems of governance include a monarchy, so where a monarch is the head of state and supreme ruler, so a king or a queen.

A dictatorship, which means to rule by one person with supreme authority, so they're in charge of everything, it's just one person.

Or an oligarchy, where a country is governed by a few people, so a country is organised by just a small lot of people.

So what happens in a democracy? There are key characteristics of a democracy, and these include regular and fair elections, freedom to stand in elections, free and secret ballot, political parties, freedom of assembly, rights for minorities, equal rights for women, and free media.

So let's have a look at some of these key characteristics of a democracy.

So for instance, one of the key characteristics is regular and fair elections.

So if you remember, I've just spoken about how elections should be at least every five years and they should be fair.

You should have freedom to stand in elections if you would like to.

There is a free and a secret ballot, so it's made anonymously.

Jun says, "Is the UK a democracy, Sofia?" Sofia says, "Yes, it is, Jun.

The UK shows it's a democracy because it has regular and fair elections where everyone can vote and people are free to stand as candidates.

Political parties represent different views and there are equal rights for women and minorities.

The UK also has a free media that can report on issues without being controlled by the government." So the UK is a democracy.

True or false? Equal rights is an important part of democracy.

Is that true or is it false? Hopefully we all remembered that it is true.

It's true because rights for minorities and rights for women are specific parts of a democratic society.

In a democracy, everyone has equal rights, no matter what background, race, or gender we are.

Well done if you got that right.

What I would like us to do now is to have a go at writing one paragraph about what it means to live in a democracy.

So we should include the rule of people, so what does the word democracy mean and what does it mean, rule of the people? Universal suffrage and equal rights.

So try and include those things within our paragraph on democracy.

When you're ready, pause the video and have a go at writing a paragraph on democracy, have fun.

Okay, well done, everyone.

It's time for answers now.

So we should have written one paragraph about what it means to live in a democracy, and some of our answers might be the same as ours and there might be different ones as well, which is great because we're all different.

So your answer might have included, "Living in a democracy means that the people get to have a say in how their country is run.

Democracy is a system of government in which citizens vote in regular, fair elections for representatives who then make laws and decisions on their behalf.

The word democracy means rule of the people.

Democracy involves universal suffrage, meaning that all eligible adults can vote in free elections.

Living in democracy also means that everyone has equal rights, so no one is treated unfairly, no matter what background, race, or gender they are." So great effort with this task.

Well done, everyone.

We have now looked at what is democracy and we are under the second part of our lesson, which is, why is the media important for democracy? The media is important for democracy because it helps keep people informed about what news is happening locally, nationally and globally, so it's a key part to living in a democratic society.

The media acts as a checking function, holding leaders accountable for their actions and making sure that they follow the rules.

By sharing different opinions and ideas, the media encourages public debate.

The media helps people make informed decisions, especially when voting.

Campaign information from political parties is always distributed, which means given out, by the different sources of the media available.

For example, television, radio, and social media.

So the media can come in different forms, like we said at the start when we looked at our keyword, and it can be types of TV, magazine, radio, social media, et cetera, okay? Now, campaign information from political parties should always be distributed by the different types of media.

So you might choose to see about campaign information from political parties on your social media apps, or you might choose to listen to the radio to hear the latest thing of what's going on.

So let's have a go at completing the sentence with the missing word.

So, the media helps people make informed decisions, especially when blank.

So Lucas has given us a little hint here and he says, "I'll be doing this when I'm 18 years old." So at what point when you turn 18 do you need to make informed decisions about something? Can you think? So pause the video and have a go at completing this sentence.

Okay, it's time for the answer now.

So hopefully we said the media helps people make informed decisions, especially when voting.

Well done if you got that correct.

The media also gives a voice to everyone, including those who might not usually be heard, which supports the idea of equal rights in a democracy.

Without free and fair media, it would be hard for citizens to know the truth and participate fully in their democracy, because how would ordinary people like myself go about their day without knowing things from the media about what is going on with political parties and campaigning and things to do with democracy? How would we know? So the media has three major roles in a democracy.

To set the agenda, to inform and educate, and to hold people to account.

So Izzy says, "What's an agenda, Aisha?" Aisha says, "An agenda is a list of important topics or issues that people focus on or talk about.

They might be important or interesting locally, nationally, or to the whole global community.

The media set the agenda by choosing which stories to report on and how much attention to give them, influencing what people see as important." Okay, so an agenda is a list of important topics or issues that people focus on to talk about, so the media set the agenda by choosing stories to report on.

The media's role in setting the agenda is vital to democracy.

The media decides which issues are reported on.

These decisions are usually based on news values such as impact, timeliness, and conflict.

Certain issues may only be covered briefly in the media, whilst other stories gain attention for longer.

So you might have noticed on your news channel, or if you listen to the radio or you're using your social media or you're reading the newspapers, there are certain things that are reported on and other things don't necessarily get as much coverage or as much time in the media.

Some news outlets openly support a political party, which influences what they publish, and these links are sometimes called affiliations.

So, true or false? The word affiliation means having a close link or connection.

Think about what we've just read.

Pause the video and think if this is true or false.

Okay, well done, everyone.

Hopefully we said it is true.

It's true because some news outlets have affiliations which means they have a close link or connection with a political party, so they will be more likely to report on what is going on with that political party.

Let's check our understanding here.

Which of these is not one of the three main roles that the media has in a democracy? Is it A, setting the agenda; B, inform and educate; C, affiliation and views; or D, holding to account? So which of these is not one of the three main roles that the media has in a democracy? Pause the video and make your decision.

Okay, it's time for answers.

So, the one that is not one of the three main roles that the media has in a democracy is affiliations and views.

Well done if you got that correct.

Setting the agenda, informing and educating, and holding to account are the three main roles that the media has in a democracy.

For this task, I would like us to draw a mind map outlining why the media is important to democracy.

So can you give me some points about the media's importance to democracy in the form of a mind map? When you're ready, pause the video and have a go at this task, enjoy.

Okay, good job, everyone.

Your answers might have included some of ours, and you might have also said some other things that we have not included here.

So, media's important to democracy.

Well, it sets the agenda.

It helps keep people informed and educated about what is happening everywhere.

It gives everyone a voice, which upholds equal rights.

It holds leaders accountable for their actions.

It encourages public debate, and it helps us know the truth.

For example, when it's voting, when we come to vote, when you reach the age of 18, it helps you know the truth.

So well done if you got some of our answers, because this is the importance of the media in democracy.

We are now onto the final part of our lesson, which is going to look at, how does the media inform and educate us? So when we're ready, let's go.

The biggest role for the media is to provide the public with information which is explained clearly enough for people to understand, so they've got to try and almost give to us the information from whatever is going on locally, nationally, globally, and explain it clearly enough for everyone to understand.

Educating the public enables them to make responsible, informed decisions.

For example, before a general election, the media helps to explain to the public what each party wants to do if they win power.

The media gives politicians the opportunity to share their policies.

So, the media gives the politicians and the candidates standing for election the chance to be able to say, "Well, this is what I will do if you vote for me." This is an important job and can influence who people vote for, which also demonstrates how important the media is in a democracy.

So what does the media give politicians the opportunity to share in a democracy before a general election? Is it A, contracts; B, policies; or C, MPs? Pause the video and have a good think about this question.

Okay, hopefully we said that the media gives politicians the opportunity to share their policies.

Jacob says, "This helps citizens make an informed decision on which political party to vote for," because we know then that if we vote for this person or party, that this will hopefully be done.

The media's informing role also includes providing opportunities for different views to be discussed and debated.

There are programmes on many sources of media that interview people and ask for the public to give their point of view.

For example, "Question Time" on the BBC enables the public to ask questions to politicians who can then give their views on important issues going on in society.

So you may have watched this programme before or you might've seen little clips of it maybe on social media, but it does give the public a chance to ask questions to politicians.

The media also have a responsibility to inform us on important issues or campaigns.

For example, in 2008, a tabloid newspaper campaign to try to lower the number of plastic bags used at shops to reduce the impact on the environment.

The journalists asked readers to send letters to the Prime Minister and highlighted how nearby countries had successfully adopted the idea.

So we can see in that picture there is a sea turtle swimming with the rubbish polluting the environment.

It's not very nice look at, is it? So this is a way or an example of how a tabloid newspaper has campaigned in the past, so they have a responsibility to inform us on important issues or campaigns around the world.

The government introduced a 5p levy, or a charge, on single-use plastic bags in 2015, and the use of these bags had reduced by 86% by 2018.

In 2021, this levy increased to 10p in England and Scotland and 25p in Northern Ireland.

The original media campaign was successful because it made people aware of the issue and gave people the chance to make a difference to the environment.

So I remember when this charge came into place and it was like, "Okay, it's fine, we've just got to remember to take our shopping bags from home to the shop now." So rather than us getting there and buying these plastic bags, which isn't great for the environment, we just bought some big ones, some big sturdy ones, and used them instead.

This was also a great campaign to show how the media can take an important role in democracy by not just educating us, but also by helping us take action.

So let's fill in the missing words here, and there's quite a few to fill in.

So in 2015, the government put a levy on blank blank.

The blank had run an environmental blank to reduce plastic waste in 2008, which helped educate the public on the issue.

So we have four blanks to fill out and these are our missing words.

So pause the video and have a think and have a go at answering our blanks in our sentences.

Okay, it's time for answers now.

So, in 2015, the government put a levy on plastic bags.

The media had run an environmental campaign to reduce plastic waste in 2008, which helped educate the public on the issue.

So we had plastic bags, media, and campaign that we needed to fill out.

Well done if you got them right.

The media provides updates on important events, government policies, scientific discoveries, and cultural trends.

For example, on the 6th of May, 2023, the BBC broadcast the coronation of King Charles III on TV, and the coronation was watched by 20.

4 million people.

The broadcasting of such events helps people to remain aware, and there's a picture of the coronation of King Charles III.

The media also offers expert opinions and analysis, encouraging critical thinking and deeper understanding of issues.

By keeping us informed, the media empowers us to participate actively in society and democracy.

Through TV, newspapers, online articles, and social media, the media explains complex topics in ways that are easier to understand.

So, the media encourages us to participate blank in democracy.

Does it encourage us to participate passively, reluctantly, indirectly, or actively? Pause the video and make your choice from those four options.

Okay, so, the media encourages us to participate actively in democracy.

Well done if you got that right.

Aisha says, "The media empowers us to become active citizens and make a difference to our communities." So it encourages to actually get involved and have a go at participating actively in democracy.

For this task, we have been asked to write one paragraph explaining to the Oak National Academy pupils how the media informs and educates us.

We would like it if you could use specific examples in your answer.

So we need to think about everything that we have learned just now, and we need to write one paragraph to explain to the Oak National Academy pupils how the media informs and educates us.

Try and use specific examples in your answer.

So pause the video and have a go at this task.

Okay, well done, everyone.

Great efforts.

So we should have written a paragraph now explaining to the Oak National Academy pupils how the media informs and educates us.

So our answer might have included some of the following.

"The media's role is to give us information and to encourage us to participate actively in a democracy.

Before a general election, the media give politicians the opportunity to share their policies with the country.

The media gives us the chance to debate and discuss subjects on TV programmes like BBC's 'Question Time.

' It informs us about important issues and runs campaigns, like the plastic bag levy campaign run by a newspaper in 2008.

The media also educates us by informing us about new discoveries, important events like King Charles III's coronation, and government policies.

Finally, the media gives us expert opinions and makes sure we understand important issues in our democracy." So well done if you managed to include specific examples such as the plastic bag charge or King Charles' coronation or government policies, excellent job.

Okay, we have come to the end of our lesson on "What is the role of the media in a democracy?" now, and I would like to summarise our lesson into a few points for us.

So the democracy means the rule of the people and enables citizens to vote in free and fair elections.

The media's role in democracy includes three main responsibilities.

To set the agenda, to inform and educate, and to hold people to account.

The media encourages public debate, gives everyone a voice and helps us know the truth.

For example, during democratic elections.

Informing and educating is an important role of the media in a democracy.

The media tells us about important events and runs campaigns about important issues.

The media encourages us to participate actively in democracy and educates us about what's happening in the world.

I have really enjoyed learning about the role of the media in democracy today, and I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have.

I'd like to thank you for getting involved and for your efforts in our tasks today.

I hope to see you in the next one, bye-bye.