A Reflective Look at Past News for Greater Clarity with Retro Report

CNL News Lesson

August 13, 2014 Added by Michael A. Spikes

Lesson Outline

SUMMARY:
 How often does a story dominate the headlines, only to be dropped from the news cycle? How often do journalists tell us of a looming danger or important discovery – only to move quickly to the next new thing? What really happened?How did these events change us? And what are the lingering consequences that may affect our society to this day?

Answering those questions is the mission of Retro Report, an innovative news organization launched in 2013 as a counterweight to today’s 24/7 news cycle. Combining documentary techniques with shoe-leather reporting, Retro Report re-examines news stories of our past with the goal of encouraging the public to think more critically about current events and the media.

In this News Lesson, we speak with Retro Report producers about fresh looks they took at two prominent stories from the past: The 1979 accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant; and the “Superpredators” scare of the 1990’s, when soaring juvenile crime led social scientists to warn the violence would only get worse – but reality proved otherwise.

VIDEO

SCRIPT: link to video script

CONCEPTS REVIEWED

  • Verification - The investigative process by which a reporter gathers, assesses, and weighs evidence in service to the search for truth.
  • Provisional Truth - Changes in our understanding that are the result of new evidence accumulating over time, such as an evolving crime investigation or description of a historic battle. See “scientific truth.”
  • Context - Background or ancillary information that is necessary to understand the scope, impact, magnitude or meaning of new facts reported as news... the circumstances that form the setting for an event or statement...ideas or facts that give greater meaning to a news report so that it can be fully understood and assessed.

 
LESSON GUIDING QUESTIONS

  • After watching our piece of video, and then watching one of the original pieces below from Retro Report, give a summary of the process you believe that the reporter may have followed to learn more about the story
  • Have there been recent cases where the media may have reported the wrong information that then had larger implications upon society, such as the death of the Nuclear Power industry after the 3 Mile Island accident? In those cases, what happened? Have you seen follow up reports that have clarified or corrected the mistakes?
  • Do some digging on one of these stories -- might there be more that could have been discovered that may have been found later?
  • How did the concept of provisional truth work in these occassions?
  • How could watching pieces from Retro Report change the way that you think about breaking news? What process might you take when confronted with a big breaking story?

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: