Details
This course will start on May 19, 2015.
About this course
With social media and a 24/7 news cycle, how do we — as news consumers — make sense of what we hear and read? At a time when we are flooded with an abundance of information and disinformation, it is essential for each one of us to become a more discerning news consumer.
This six-week course will help you identify reliable information in news reports and become better informed about the world we live. We will discuss journalism from the viewpoint of the news audience.
Together, we will examine the following topics:
- What makes news? The blurred lines between news, promotion and entertainment.
- Why does news matter? Social sharing and the dynamics of the news cycles.
- Who provides information? How to evaluate sources in news reports.
- Where is the evidence? The process of verification.
- When should we act? Recognizing our own biases.
- How do we know what we know? Becoming an active news audience.
If you are interested in becoming a more discerning news consumer, please join us and sign up today.
Outline
- Distinguish news from opinion; media bias from audience bias; assertion from verification
- Apply critical thinking skills to examine the validity of information
- Contextualize the knowledge gained from news report
- Respond quickly to daily news events and make an informed decision
Speaker/s
Dr. Masato Kajimoto is an Assistant Professor at the Journalism and Media Studies Centre at the University of Hong Kong. Masato specializes in news literacy education, multimedia storytelling, and social media in journalism. Before beginning a career in
teaching and research, he worked as an online reporter and a web producer for CNN International. Masato designed HKU04x Making Sense of News believing that each one of us needs a little guidance in examining the validity of information before quickly responding
to daily news reports.
Anne Kruger is an Assistant Lecturer at the Journalism and Media Studies Centre at the University of Hong Kong. Anne was a daily Business News Presenter and World News fill-in Anchor at CNN International, and flagship news Anchor and Senior Reporter at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. At ABC TV Anne was also Anchor and National Correspondent for iconic documentary programs. Anne teaches news literacy courses at HKU with an emphasis on applying theory to current affairs.
Related Courses
