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Year 10

Why is media freedom necessary in a democracy?

I can explain what free press is and the role it plays in democracy.

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New
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Year 10

Why is media freedom necessary in a democracy?

I can explain what free press is and the role it plays in democracy.

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Share activities with pupils
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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The media plays a key role in any democracy.
  2. The media can be controlled to protect others, allow integrity and fairness.
  3. The media can be controlled through censorship, regulation and laws.
  4. Media freedom allows scrutiny of government and holds them to account.

Keywords

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

  • Press freedom - the ability of the press to give information and express opinions

  • Censorship - the control of information or ideas within a society

Common misconception

The media should always be neutral.

Media freedom does not require journalists to be entirely neutral. It allows for a range of perspectives, such as investigative journalism and opinion pieces, as long as they are reported accurately.


To help you plan your year 10 citizenship lesson on: Why is media freedom necessary in a democracy?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

To get pupils thinking, they can consider what their lives might be like if media was fully restricted.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
A democracy is a system of government in which citizens in regular, fair elections.
Correct Answer: vote, participate
Q2.
There are two main voting systems, first-past-the-post is one, what is the other one?
Correct Answer: Proportional representation , proportional , PR
Q3.
Match the word to its definition.
Correct Answer:constituency,the specific geographical area that is represented by each MP
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the specific geographical area that is represented by each MP

Correct Answer:general election,when the citizens of a country vote to elect a new government
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when the citizens of a country vote to elect a new government

Correct Answer:election,the voting process to select a person for a public position
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the voting process to select a person for a public position

Q4.
Some people believe individual votes don’t matter, so there’s no point in voting. Which answer shows that individual votes matter?
every vote counts equally, regardless of the seat
Correct answer: in marginal seats, the outcome can be decided by just a few votes
only votes in large cities matter in elections
Q5.
An independent candidate is ...
Correct answer: one that does not belong to a political party.
someone who represents multiple political parties.
a member of a political party but runs without official party support.
a government official running for re-election.
Q6.
Which of the following are key features of a democracy?
Correct answer: free and fair elections
no elections and the leader makes all decisions
government controls the media
Correct answer: the media operates independently from government

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What does press freedom help to promote?
inequality
limited choice
Correct answer: citizens to ask questions
censorship
Q2.
Order the countries from most to least press freedom according to the 2024 World Press Freedom Index.
1 - Norway
2 - United Kingdom
3 - China
Q3.
is the control of information or ideas in a society.
Correct Answer: Censorship
Q4.
In a democracy, the media should inform the public by making sure when they report news it is …
Correct Answer: accurate, truthful, correct, true, factual
Q5.
Media freedom plays a crucial role in ... the government and ensuring it holds them accountable for their actions.
Correct Answer: scrutinising, checking, investigating, examining
Q6.
Which of the following statements best reflects the concept of media freedom?
the media should be completely neutral in their reporting
Correct answer: the media should have a variety of perspectives, as long as they are accurate
the media should only report the facts and avoid any form of analysis or opinion