By Anne Logman, Dutch Language & Literature teacher
The unit began with an analysis of the NOS Journaal, the Dutch television news program. Students were challenged to discern what qualifies as news and why. They pondered the question, "When do events become newsworthy? Is it only when they are out of the ordinary or when there is a disaster?" These thought-provoking questions led to discussions about the role of perception in determining what makes headlines. For example: Why did an earthquake in Morocco become news but a drought in Sudan did not?
Het zijn net mensen
One of the highlights of the unit was reading an article on objectivity in journalism and a chapter from Het zijn net mensen by Dutch journalist Joris Luijendijk. In his book, Luijendijk provides insight into how the media portrayed the Palestinian-Israeli conflict during his time as a Middle East correspondent. Students gained a deeper understanding of the complexities and challenges that journalists face in presenting a balanced view of events.
We finished the unit by re-watching the news, looking for elements we might have missed during their initial viewing.
What our students thought of this unit
Several students shared their reflections on the unit:
One student remarked: "Everything you read is partly subjective and never completely honest. This makes me think more carefully before I believe something. If there is something extreme in the news, I think first. Could this really be the case? I now also think better about general things, such as people's opinions. How exaggerated are things some people say or do. Ultimately, this is an important unit to think better about the future."
Another student admitted: "One thing I didn't know is how easy it was for people to believe false information when they watch the news. It was an interesting unit, and I learned a lot of things, including how not to believe everything, and also what news actually is."
A third student shared, "From this, I have learned that what we often see in the media or on the news is not always authentic, and that it is often not the whole story. Very often there is a certain type of news that the media wants to show, and therefore this creates less reliable sources in the world as people (fixers) can make up or dramatise things for money."
This unit has equipped students with critical thinking skills that will serve them well in navigating the complex world of news and media. With a newfound awareness of the nuances of reporting, they are better prepared to evaluate the information they encounter and form well-informed opinions.