The articles
- Jimmy's World (you can also read more background information on the journalist here)
- The Wafer Story
- Have you ever considered that the news you read (or watch or hear) may be factually incorrect or even fabricated? Explain why or why not.
- What is your reaction to the two articles? Were you surprised to find out that professional journalists have fabricated news?
- Journalist Jack Shafer writes “most liars make things up for the simple reason that they don't have the talent or the ability to get the story any other way.” Do you agree with Shafer's assertion? Explain.
- Given what Shafer says, do you think that colleges and universities should make sure graduating journalism students can handle the responsibilities and pressures? Discuss your thoughts in your entry.
- Do you think when issues of ethics arise that a news ombudsman helps? A news ombudsman is a professional journalist whose sole responsibility is to respond to reader complaints and provide an independent critique of the paper's performance. Explain why or why not. You can read the beginning of this article if you require additional information.
- Overall, the journal entry shows much thought and effort.
- There are fewer than three grammatical errors or sentence structure issues in the entry.
- Each question provided for the entry has been effectively addressed.
- The entry was completed on time and includes a creative title.
