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The evolution of mass media in Australia (5 coins)
Like many online resources, the video above focuses on the US. What can you find out about the evolution of mass media in Australia? Post your findings in the 'Mass media history forum' and see if they all add up to the same picture.

Fake news

Disinformation
It's difficult if not impossible to find a truly objective media source. All media outlets have some sort of bias or political leaning, though they differ by degree - some sources actively manipulate the audience, while others seek impartiality. Public claims that misrepresent the truth are sometimes called 'fake news'. This term was popularised in 2016, partly as a result of controversies surrounding the US presidential election. Individuals, political parties, businesses and other organisations spread disinformation for a wide range of different reasons. This is generally a deliberate strategy to shape the way people  think and see the world. The following video explores how mass media can be used for this purpose:

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Raw data
'Data' are pieces of information, in the broadest sense. News reports and advertisements often present data in statistical form. An advertisement for a bar of soap, for example, say it makes you twice as clean as the nearest competitor - but what does that actually mean? This is where raw data come in. 'Raw data' are uninterpreted facts and figures. In this case, soap bar A might kills 2% of germs, compared to soap bar B which only kills 1% of germs. 2% isn't great, but the advertisers have interpreted it so it sounds great - they aren't actually lying when they say it's twice as powerful as the nearest competitor!

Writing fake news (5 coins)

1. Provide the following for each story: URL, date of publication, author name, publication/website name.
2. How do the stories differ?
3. What sources do they cite, if any? (this is corroboration)
4. Which source do you think is the best, and why?

1. Think of a topic you would like to know more about and perform a standard Google search.
2. Run the same search on Google Scholar , which only searches peer-reviewed journals and other reputable publications.
3. Compare the first few results from each search and post your findings on the 'Academic sources forum'. Keep in mind that academic sources can be hard to understand because they are usually written for an expert audience.

Opinion
Virtually everyone has a voice online, and that can cause a lot of confusion. A quick Google search will reveal multiple different perspectives on any given issue, and it can be hard to tell who to trust. The fact is that most of what's published online is just opinion, and it may not be particularly reliable. This is especially relevant for social media (including YouTube), where people regularly publish information without appropriate expertise or reputable sources.

Online research (5 coins)
Choose a big or controversial news story and find a source from each of the following categories:

Freedom of the press

Democracy and the media
Freedom of the press is an extension of the right to free speech, in that it upholds the right to publish and share media without state interference. This freedom is fundamental to a democratic society as it allows all sides of a political debate to be heard, and it can hold those in power to account. The next two videos explain why we should care about freedom of the press:

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State interference
Given the media's role in holding those in power to account, many governments around the world attempt to restrict its operation. The internet is heavily censored in China, for example, and criticism of the government is illegal. While we have more freedom of the press in Australia, the Australian Federal Police were recently criticised for raiding the homes and offices of journalists. Some argue that this is an undemocratic attack on freedom of the press, while others argue that the government is simply upholding the law. Watch the video below for a brief outline of the issue:

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Whistleblowers
The raids discussed above were conducted following the publication of news stories about a possible government surveillance program, and the alleged misconduct of Australians soldiers in Afghanistan. These stories were written with the help of anonymous sources known as 'whistleblowers'. These sources remain anonymous because it's illegal to reveal secret government information, and they don't want to get in trouble.

The public interest (5 coins)
Answer the questions below on the 'Public interest forum', after watching the video above:

1. Do you think the police raids discussed above were justified? Why or why not?
2. Should whistleblowers be protected by law if they reveal something that's in the public interest, or do the government and other large organisations have the right to keep certain things hidden even if they could be a public wrong? Why?

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Assange sought refuge in Europe before spending nearly seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. He was finally arrested in 2019, for extradition to stand trial in the US.

Criminal or hero? (5 coins)

1. Research Julian Assange and WikiLeaks.  Do you think he is a criminal or a hero?
2. Vote in the 'Criminal or hero? choice'.
3. Post your reasoning on the 'WikiLeaks forum'.

Evaluating social media (5 coins)
The video above suggests that social media have a negative impact on people overall.  Are social media a force for good or bad? Indicate your response by voting in the 'Evaluating social media choice'.

Answer the following questions on the 'Evaluating social media forum':

1. Do you agree with the video above? Why or why not? Do social media make people happier or unhappier? Do they connect people or isolate them?
2. The video above argues that social media only shows the best 1% of someone's life, and people compare their normal lives to that false image. What sorts of things do you post on social media? Do you only post the high points, or not? Is it a fair representation of your life overall? How do you decide what to post and what not to post?
3. What techniques does the video use to influence your emotions and opinions?

Local communities

Shared geography
Local communities are defined by a shared geographical area. The next video asks if we choose a local community because its beliefs and values match our own, or if our local community defines our beliefs and values for us.

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Your local community (5 coins)
Think about your local community. What's distinct about it? What sort of place is it? What sorts of people live there? How do they behave, and why might that be? Share your observations on the 'My local community forum'.

Living somewhere else (5 coins)
What would your life be like if you were born somewhere else? If you live in a city, for example, what sort of life might you lead if you were born in an isolated rural town? Write a 'day in the life' story about what it would be like to have been born somewhere else, and then upload it to the 'Living somewhere else submission'.

Human connection

Ubuntu
Communities in developing countries can be quite different to what we're used to. When there's no electricity, there is no internet. When there aren't enough bedrooms, there's no privacy. When you own very little, sharing with your local community is more important. In the next video, Desmond Tutu discusses the importance of community and human connection:

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'I am because we are' (5 coins)
In the video above, Desmond Tutu discusses the African philosophy of 'ubuntu', which means 'I am because we are'. How does ubuntu apply to your life? How are you shaped by other people? Who are the 'we' in your lives? Create a mind map or other visual representation of the way ubuntu applies to your life and share it on the 'Ubuntu forum'.

Changing communities (5 coins)
Explore with a grandparent or another older person how they feel communities have changed during their lifetime, and what communal and social life was like for them when they were your age. How much do their stories differ from your own experience? Write their story as a short biographical anecdote and add it as a new page on the 'Changing communities Wiki'.

Identity and community

Perceptions of identity
Community can be defined by physical location as discussed above, but it can also be defined by other identifiers including religion, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. Minority identities can form different subcultures within the dominant culture, resulting in a different experience for those who belong to them. In the next video, someone discusses what it's like to be Aboriginal.

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Identities (5 coins)
The speaker in the video above discusses how people identified her as Aboriginal even though she didn't really think of herself as representing the Indigenous community. For other people, 'Aboriginal' became a key identity they used to categorise her. In some cases, there may be a disconnect between how we perceive ourselves and how others perceive us.  How do people tend to identify you at first? Would they connect you with any particular community or group of people? Does that affect how they treat you? Do they think of you differently if they really get to know you? Post your thoughts and experiences on the 'My identities forum'.

The dark side of community

Manipulation
Community can sometimes affect people negatively, particularly if they involve an uneven power dynamic, stemming from age, income, status or something else. Some communities have a manipulative leader or group who abuse their power in some way. The next video discusses the psychology of manipulation:

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Leaving a community
If you do find yourself in a manipulative or otherwise harmful community, you might decide to leave. This can be very difficult. In some cases, other members of the community will cut you off. If you want to leave, therefore, you need to be prepared to lose friends and maybe even family. In the next video, someone discusses what it was like to leave her religious community to follow a more secular lifestyle.

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In the next video, some people share what it was like to leave the Amish community:

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Saying goodbye (5 coins)
How would you feel if had to give up your friends and family in order to live the life you want? Would you ever think of leaving your community? If so, what other communities might you seek out? It's not uncommon for people to move to a new area and pursue a new lifestyle, surrounded by new people. Others find great value in their community and want to remain there for a long time. What about you? Share your thoughts on the 'Leaving a community forum'.