Does the media create more harm than good?
I can explain if the media helps or harms public opinion and can describe ways to evaluate the effects of the media.
Does the media create more harm than good?
I can explain if the media helps or harms public opinion and can describe ways to evaluate the effects of the media.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- The media can both positively and negatively influence public opinion, depending on how it is used.
- Tools like the EVALUATE acronym help us critically assess arguments for and against various perspectives.
- Carefully reviewing evidence and reasoning on both sides of an issue is essential for forming well-rounded opinions.
- Media plays a vital informing role, but evaluating sources is crucial to identifying and avoiding disinformation.
- Ensuring the media we consume is reliable and accurate helps maximise its benefits while minimising potential harm.
Keywords
Media - forms of communication like radio, television, newspapers, magazines and the internet, that reach or influence people
Evaluate - to judge or determine the significance, worth or quality of someone or something
Common misconception
The media always helps the public learn information.
Sometimes we are given misinformation, disinformation or malinformation. It is important to learn to spot this and realise that some of the media we are presented with is not always designed to help the public learn the true facts.
To help you plan your year 8 citizenship lesson on: Does the media create more harm than good?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 8 citizenship lesson on: Does the media create more harm than good?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 citizenship lessons from the How does the media affect us? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
- Depiction or discussion of peer pressure or bullying
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
many media outlets have teams to verify things before publishing
outlets might favour specific political or social viewpoints
trustworthy media will issue corrections when they are wrong
pressure to publish quickly can lead to spreading false stories
Exit quiz
6 Questions
to identify disinformation, misinformation and malinformation.
in informing and educating the public about important issues.
much the media helps and minimise how much it harms.