[文學/英語教學] 新聞英文與媒體識讀課綱/Crack the News: How to Develop Media Literacy?

Course Title: Crack the News: How to Develop Media Literacy?（破解腥文：英文新聞與媒體識讀）

Season: Spring 2022

Instructor: Shelly Shih 石佳玉

Institution: Taipei Media School 台北影視音實驗教育機構

Introduction:

各位同學好，我是這次的授課老師Shelly。

之前開設過反種族主義，生命、創傷、死亡之文學課程回應社會脈動與現狀，而這次的Crack the News: How to Develop Media Literacy也不例外，邀請各位同學一同思考幾個大哉問：

什麼是媒體？什麼是新聞？我們該如何處理新聞資訊與聲量、運用媒體識讀能力檢視資訊脈絡，內化獨立思考與之互動，選擇、消化新聞內容，為自己的「知」負責？

新聞業嘗言：「快，要快也要給我真相！」（“Fast. Fast and more facts!”）。新聞於我們的想像中，不只傳播即時資訊，更是守護真相的「第四權」。但很可惜的，在如今2021的世界，此定位正面臨巨大的挑戰：假新聞、情緒優先而事實最後（人稱「後真相（post-truth）」現象）、資訊爆炸卻思考淺碟。

這堂課專注於三大面向：英文新聞讀法、新聞實務分享，與媒體識讀的公民實踐。我們會運用前兩週熟悉英文新聞讀法，於第三週邀請於新聞所就讀、並同時具備新聞實務經驗的客座講師，並在最後三週訓練同學媒體識讀能力，進而公民實踐。

盧梭曾說：「人，是一根會思考的蘆葦。」人類本而脆弱，卻因獨立思考而強大。我期待透過八週的訓練：同學們重新消化新聞、直視現今的新聞環境，茁壯思考能力，並運用才華、溫柔的扶持這個逐漸傾頹的世界，為社會帶來正面影響。

期待與各位會面。

Classroom Rule: 

Equality and inclusiveness are the two fundamental principles in this classroom.

This is a safe environment for anyone to express their experience, testimony, or/and research on various issues with our weekly reading material. Personal information should be confidential among the participants. Respect everyone’s remarks although intense, constructive discussion is more than welcomed. Step up/step back policy is also important for every individual to have a chance to voice out. 

Reading before the class, giving constructive peer review commentary, and doing your original writing are required.

Syllabus:

Week1: Introduction: Why Does English News Matter?

Assigned Reading: 

The News Manual: A Professional Source for Journalists and Media. Chapter 1: What is News? 

https://www.thenewsmanual.net/Manuals%20Volume%201/volume1_01.htm

Week2: Approach: Features, Structure, and Active Reading

Assigned Reading: 

“News Writing Fundamentals.” George Mason University Writing Center (2014): https://d101vc9winf8ln.cloudfront.net/documents/16121/original/News_Writing_Fundamentals_ATI.pdf?1565039733

Week3: Speech & Panel Discussion 

Speech Topic: 一名「網路線」記者的自白

Guest Speaker: Vivien Shen 沈惟中 (Postgraduate student of College of Communication, NCCU; Graduate of English Department, NTNU)

Abstract:

在數位匯流的時代，報紙、電視等傳統媒體逐漸沒落，原生的網路媒體如雨後春筍般冒出，為新聞業注入新的氣象，但從中也產生不少問題。

本次演講我將分享在網路媒體工作的經驗，向同學介紹「網路線記者」這個新興職業。我會說明網路線記者如何取材、撰寫即時新聞稿，也會解釋編輯是如何審稿、下標並讓稿子上架。盼藉由分享，同學可了解目前新聞界的結構性問題，日後能以批評性的眼光看待新聞。

此外，我也會介紹政大傳播所的課程，供有興趣往新聞、廣告、公關等行業發展的同學參考。

Assigned Reading: 

“The Power of Digital Journalism.” Anita Li. TEDxDistilleryDistrictWomen (2015): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhrZHRqUaT0&ab_channel=TEDxTalks

Distribution: Final Creative Project Guideline 

Please collect the publication of a random topic with at least 10 resources (Please include 5 digital resources at most). 

The Creative Project:

1. Compare and contrast how the point of view is different, how the causality has happened, the reflection on the current news environment, and how we can deal with the trend, reverse the trend, or even create the trend. 

2. Imagine you have the power to rewrite the news and have grasped the idea of media literacy. Please write one based on the information, research, and the perspective you would like to focus and submit the report.

Week4: Good news: Excerpts and Analysis

Assigned Reading: 

1. “Top EU court rules hijab can be banned at work.” Al Jazeera (2021):  https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/15/top-eu-court-rules-hijab-can-be-banned-at-work

2. “Little cheer as high prices dampen Christmas in Nigeria.” Reuters (December 23, 2021): https://www.reuters.com/markets/currencies/little-cheer-high-prices-dampen-christmas-nigeria-2021-12-23/

Week5: Bad news: Fact check, Post-truth, and Media Literary

Assigned Reading: 

“Why verification might be THE most important word you teach your students in 2020”. Frank Baker. SCE TV (2020): ​​https://www.scetv.org/stories/2020/why-verification-might-be-most-important-word-you-teach-your-students-2020

Week6: (Continued) Bad news: Fact check, Post-truth, and Media Literary

Assigned Reading:

“Rumors vs. Reality: Dr. Message and Cofacts Combat Misinformation.” Taiwan Panorama (2020): https://www.taiwan-panorama.com/zh/Articles/Details?Guid=c67ddbe4-5350-4732-ae97-a70bb42535e1&langId=3&CatId=7&postname=Rumors%20vs.%20Reality-Dr.%20Message%20and%20Cofacts%20Combat%20Misinformation

Week7: Office Hour 

Final Submission by Week 7’s Sunday Midnight (23:59) by email

Week8:  Creative Project Presentation

Grading Policy: 

Attendance 20% 

Two excused absences are allowed before the class by email to the instructor or by post on Google Classroom. One unexcused absence or another excused absence deducts 10% of your attendance point. Three unexcused absences leads to an F. 

However, if there's a personal/family emergency, please don’t hesitate to let me know and we can definitely accommodate individualized deadlines and requirements.

Participation 40%

Participation in class is highly appreciated and crucial to build a community with genuine and interactive communication, and prepare yourself as a future opinion leader of your generation for some uphill challenges.

Final project presentation 40% 

Please send a digital copy of your proposal or final production to the instructor's email. Negotiation after the deadline is dismissed. Please submit your work in time to give all parties enough time to work on the administrative task.

Reminder and Warning:

What is the application of things you have learnt from the class to deal with the media environment and the current events? Include at least one text we have studied. The form for this project could be verbal, written, or multimedia. Combination, adaption, or reproduction of the texts we learned are encouraged. Group work on a proposal of a plan is also highly recommended. 

If you are writing an individual paper, please give proper citation if you are using someone else’s idea in the project. 

Any kind of plagiarism is prohibited in this class and leads to an automatic F. Respect and giving credit to the original idea are a must.

Outside Reading:

推薦書單。如果同學有興趣可以自行選讀。

網站/文件：

1. Pew Research Center: https://www.pewresearch.org/

2. 台灣事實查核中心：https://tfc-taiwan.org.tw

3. Scrolling news: The changing face of online news consumption A report for Ofcom（英國媒體監督單位）: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0022/115915/Scrolling-News.pdf

4. 媒體素養教育資源網：https://www.facebook.com/Medialiteracylearn/

5. 媒體好大，我好怕-媒體識讀課程的有效實施：https://mlearn.moe.gov.tw/ActivationRecord/PartData?key=10515

6. Web Writing Guidelines. Editorial Guideline. Global Marketing and Communication. Northwestern University: https://www.northwestern.edu/brand/editorial-guidelines/web-writing-guidelines/index.html

7. Writing for Strategic Communication Industries by Jasmine Roberts. Ohio State: Pressbook Pub: https://ohiostate.pressbooks.pub/stratcommwriting/

8. Active Reading Strategies: Remember and Analyze What You Read. McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning in Princeton University: https://mcgraw.princeton.edu/active-reading-strategies

學術文章：

1. “Knowledge Does Not Protect Against Illusory Truth.”Lisa K. Fazio; Nadia M. Brashier; B. Keith Payne; Elizabeth J. Marsh.  Journal of Experimental Psychology: General (2015): https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/features/xge-0000098.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0VW-Zr0jrv6bhwM77gjM2IQOJPjLHTcGrmX-twlnbO6nIsdVjT95JSCjc

書籍：

1. 媒介文化論：給媒介學習者的15講。

2. 大媒體的金權遊戲：為什麼有權力的人都想要搞媒體？（Big Media Big Money: Cultural Texts and Political Economics）。

3. 我們為何從眾，何時又不？（Copycats and Constrrarians: Why We Follow Others…and When We Don’t）。

4. 拒看新聞的生活藝術（Die Kunst des digitalen Lebens）。

5. 認識媒體：人的延伸（Understanding Media: the Extensions of Man）。

6. 媒體失效的年代（Geeks Bearing Gifts: Imagining New Futures for News）。

7. 假新聞：21世紀公民的思辨課。

8. 新聞不死，只是很喘：媒體數位轉型的中年危機。

9. 無限賽局：翻轉思維框架，突破勝負盲點，贏得你想要的未來（The Infinite Game）。

10. 新聞英文：閱讀與翻譯技巧（Journalitic English: Reading and Translating）。

11. 新聞英文搭配詞：學會collocation，擺脫中式英文。