Girraween High School
Stage Five English
Presentations of Truth unit
Focus Stage 5 Outcomes
A student:
1
responds to and composes increasingly sophisticated and sustained texts for
understanding, interpretation, critical analysis and pleasure
3
selects, uses, describes and explains how different technologies affect and
shape meaning
4
selects and uses and describes language forms and features, and structures of
texts appropriate to different purposes, audiences and contexts, and explains
their effects on meaning
5
transfers understanding of language concepts into new and different contexts
6
experiments with different ways of imaginatively and interpretively transforming
experiences, information and ideas into texts
7
thinks critically and interpretively using information, ideas and increasingly
complex arguments to respond to and compose texts in a range of contexts
9
demonstrates understanding of the ways texts reflect personal and public worlds
10
Questions, challenges and evaluates cultural assumptions in texts and their
effects on meaning
Out
comes
3
9
Teaching and learning focus
Resources
1. Introduction
General discussion about:
 What is the role of a journalist?
 entertainment
 sensitivities
 censorship.
Questions and issues raised in ‘Sacked for…’:
 What impact does this image have on the
reader? (initially, only the image is displayed to
the class)
 Could this image have any wide spread
impact?
 Power of an image: discussion about SMH
article, ‘When a picture…’
 Why was the journalist sacked?
 Was it warranted?

SMH: ‘Sacked for
photo Americans
were not meant to
see’, 23 April
2004
http://www.smh.co
m.au/articles/2004
/04/22/108261626
8111.html
English Stage 5
October 2005
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NSW Department of Education and Training
Curriculum K-12 Directorate
http://www.curriculumsupport.nsw.edu.au/english
Out
Teaching and learning focus
Resources
comes
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What is the role/duties of a journalist?
What are the sensitivities towards families and
friends of deceased soldiers?
Censorship: who has the right to decide what
the public views?
Can and should situations alter censorship
rules?

If cartoon can be accessed:

 Changing role of the journalist as situations and
global climate change
 Reactive journalism
 Censorship? Rational or emotive? Does it
matter?
4
9
SMH: ‘When a
picture packs a
punch’, 10 June
2004
http://www.smh.co
m.au/articles/2004
/06/09/108674977
4796.html
Cartoon by Jenny
Coopes ‘The first
casualty of war is
truth’
2. Ethics in Journalism
Students read the AJA Code of Ethics and discuss the
following issues:
 What are the ethics in this code?
 How do ethics in journalism apply?
 Why is there an official guideline?
 How important is it?
 What is the language of the code?
 Are there loopholes?
 What are the censorship issues?

Australian
Journalist
Association (AJA)
Code of Ethics
http://www.australi
annews.com.au/cod
ethics.htm
‘The PG-Rated War’:
 What is the role of audience in determining the
presentation of information?
 List the external pressures on journalists
beyond the code of ethics.
 When/if ever is it acceptable to ‘bend’ the code
of ethics?

Time Magazine:
‘The PG-Rated
War’ by J Klein, 7
April 2003
‘The Trouble with Sitting on the Story’ and extract
from The Insider
 What do these texts say about the difficulties
faced in reporting ‘the truth’?
 What price should you pay for the truth?
 Is part of the truth better than nothing at all?
 Cultural sensitivities involved in gathering ‘the

Time Magazine
‘The Trouble with
Sitting on the
Story’ by J
Poniewozik,
28/4/2003
English Stage 5
October 2005
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Curriculum K-12 Directorate
http://www.curriculumsupport.nsw.edu.au/english
Out
Teaching and learning focus
Resources
comes
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3
9
10

The Insider, dir
Michael Mann,
1999, rated M
3. Presentation of the news

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9
truth’
Do you ignore social and cultural beliefs in the
pursuit of truth?
Is the journalist’s own cultural bias
unavoidable?
What does the AJA Code of Ethics say about
cultural bias?
 Cutting Edge:
How is television news presented?
Operation
How does presentation form, style and
Saddam,
meaning affect meaning?
America’s
List the differences and similarities of
Propaganda
commercial versus government owned
Battle (Part I),
channels in their news production.
SBS, 29 July 2003
What are the impact or results of budgets in the
production of news?
Refer back to
 Time Magazine
How is local, national and global news
presented?
‘The Trouble with
List the targeted audience of various television
Sitting on the
news bulletins.
Story’ by J
Comment on reliability and bias in news.
Poniewozik,
Is the news a reflection of a nation’s position?
28/4/2003
What different cultural perspectives are obvious
 The Insider, dir
in the presentation of television news?
How is material selected (footage, length, etc)?
Michael Mann,
List the general editing techniques.
1999, rated M,
extract
4. Personalities behind the news
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How can the personality of a journalist have an
impact on the presentation of information?
Should it?
How does the AJA Code of Ethics address
this?
What are the pressures on a journalist?
What outside factors are involved in the
presentation of information to the public?
What is the role of the host in television news?
What is the importance of status in reporting
the news?
Refer back to
 Time Magazine
‘The Trouble with
Sitting on the
Story’ by J
Poniewozik,
28/4/2003

Shattered Glass,
dir Billy Ray,
2003, rated M,
extract
English Stage 5
October 2005
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Curriculum K-12 Directorate
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Out
Teaching and learning focus
Resources
comes

Comment on how different channels appeal to
their targeted audience?

Role play task:
 Choose different styles of presentation of the
same news item and have class members
identify purpose, targeted audience and
context, etc
3
5
9
5. Truth in television news
General questions for the following texts:
 What are the major differences between print
and television news?
 Comment on the impact of language choice
and usage in presentation of the ‘truth’ in the
news
 Is there an entertainment factor evident?
 What are the differences between
‘entertainment’ and ‘info-tainment’ (purposes,
language choices, audience, style?
 What are the different sources of media (local,
national, global), and their effects on the
presentation of information and the truth?
 Whose version of the ‘truth’ is it?
Targeting Media:
 What is the role of television news in informing
society?
 What is its purpose?
 List the structure and language features of
news items.
Media Watch and Cutting Edge:
 Comment on the audience appeal.
 List examples of emotive language.
 What editing techniques have been used and
what effect do they have on the meaning?
Frontline, (ABC
TV), R Sitch:
‘Playing the Ego
Card’ episode,
1994
http://www.workin
gdog.com/frontline
Note: The Frontline
episodes in this unit
are prescribed HSC
2004-2007 Advanced
English text.
 Targeting Media:
Television and
Film, A Lopez,
2000
Worksheets:
o Structure of
the news
o Conflict on the
news
o Facts versus
opinion

Media Watch,
ABC TV,
http://www.abc.net
.au/mediawatch/
(Littlemore, Video
Education
Australia)

Cutting Edge:
Operation
Saddam,
America’s
Propaganda
Battle (Part 1),
SBS, 29 July 2003
English Stage 5
October 2005
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Curriculum K-12 Directorate
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Out
Teaching and learning focus
Resources
6. Selection of news items and footage

comes
3
5
6
7
General discussion on:
 targeted audience of news on different
channels
 impact of ratings
 differing styles of presentation
 personalities in the news
 elements of television news (setting, structure
etc.)
 priorities and agendas
 sort of footage: type of shots, length, etc used
and effects in the positioning of the viewer.
Targeting Media and pre-taped news:
 elements of television news
 styles of presentation
 role of the audience
 role of the ratings
 agendas.
Targeting Media
worksheet
o Selection on the
news

Pre-taped news
programs from
same night:
(Channels 7, 10
and ABC)

Bowling for
Columbine, dir
Michael Moore,
2002, rated M
(extracts)

Frontline: ‘Add
Sex and Stir’
episode
Bowling for Columbine
 editing
 footage
 entertainment factor.
Frontline:
 role of a perceived public interest
 news as a reflection of the general public
 ratings
 editing
 the ‘creation’ of news stories.
Presenting ‘the facts’ in news presentations – role
play task:
In groups of no more than 3 you will be allocated a
news program from either SBS or Channel 10.
 Your group is to reproduce the ‘style’ of your
given news bulletin and present it as a reenactment.
 You may select your own news items, including
sport and weather if you believe these are
appropriate for your re-enactment.
English Stage 5
October 2005
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NSW Department of Education and Training
Curriculum K-12 Directorate
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Out
Teaching and learning focus
Resources
comes
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Your presentation should clearly identify
elements apparent in your allocated news
bulletin.
Your presentation must be 5-6 minutes in
length and will be filmed in class.
Props and other special effects should be
included, as appropriate.
Alternate/additional task:
Groups choose the same 2-3 news items and using
different styles of presentation suitable for
 commercial news bulletins
 ABC news bulletins
 SBS news bulletins
 different sets and news desks.
These may be filmed if camera is available.
Class and groups comment on how the presentation
affects the information conveyed.
3
4
9
7. Interviews
Students watch different types and make notes on:
 the elements of an interview
 role of the interviewer
 role of the interviewee
 strategies of interviewing
 agendas
 styles
 purpose
 getting the ‘expert’ in for an interview
 editing
 power of the news station
 choice of interviewee
 personal background of interviewer.
Additional activities:
Compare and contrast the interview styles of news
items with
 current affairs programs
 other interview programs: Enough Rope,
Parkinson, etc

A Fine Line, E
Fanning, SBS TV,
2004: episodes 13

Questions from A
Fine Line study
guide on
MetroMagazine
website:
http://www.metro
magazine.com.au/
metro/frm.htm?hig
hlight=2

Reflect on
Frontline: ‘Add
Sex and Stir’
episode
English Stage 5
October 2005
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Curriculum K-12 Directorate
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Out
Teaching and learning focus
Resources
comes

entertainment shows: Rove Live, David
Letterman, Kerri-Anne Kennerley, Bert Newton,
morning TV programs (local and overseas),
etc.

Frontline: ‘The
Siege’ episode
Look at other media tie-ups with either or both
interviewer and interviewee.
How does print media (especially newspapers and
magazines) ownership impact on the selection of
guests and topics discussed?
1
8. What do we want from the media?
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What we would change?
How difficult is it to present ‘the truth’?
The ideal journalist, style and medium of news
presentation.
What has been learnt from their own
productions and the ‘behind the scenes’
information supplied by A Fine Line?
Conclusions:
 What would we change regarding the
presentation of news?
 How difficult is it to present the truth?
 What is the ‘ideal’ journalist?
 What is the ‘ideal’ style and medium of news
presentation? Is it the same for all audiences?
Additional activities
Compare and contrast news bulletins and items:
 same channel, different times of the day: early
morning, mid morning, afternoon, evening, late
 different channels at the same/similar time
 news on cable/pay TV: local, global, different
languages
 Sunday morning programs – commercial &
ABC.
English Stage 5
October 2005
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NSW Department of Education and Training
Curriculum K-12 Directorate
http://www.curriculumsupport.nsw.edu.au/english
Girraween High School
Stage Five English
Presentations of Truth unit
Assessment task
Part A: (5 marks) table format
You are required to select one week-night and watch three telecasts of nightly news
(from the same night – you must clearly state your chosen date). One telecast must be
either ABC or SBS.
You are required to list all the items of news as they appear in the telecast and take note
of the time each item takes. The list should comprise a two-column table where each
item is described/summarised (no more than 75 words) with time allocated to that item in
the second column.
Part B: (15 marks) essay format
You are required to evaluate, compare and contrast the different styles of news
presentation and the different content in each of the telecasts. Write this in the form of
an essay. You may like to consider the following in your response:
Structure
 range of items covered
 means of presentation (the set)
 target audience
 image of the presenters (personalities)
 language used to present items.
You must include an evaluation dealing with which telecast you think is most effective in
its presentation of the nightly news.
Word limit: 1250 - 1500 words
English Stage 5
October 2005
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NSW Department of Education and Training
Curriculum K-12 Directorate
http://www.curriculumsupport.nsw.edu.au/english
Stage 5 Outcomes assessed:
A student:
1
responds to and composes increasingly sophisticated and sustained texts for
understanding, interpretation, critical analysis and pleasure
3
selects, uses, describes and explains how different technologies affect and shape
meaning
4
selects and uses and describes language forms and features, and structures of
texts appropriate to different purposes, audiences and contexts, and explains
their effects on meaning
6
experiments with different ways of imaginatively and interpretively transforming
experiences, information and ideas into texts
7
thinks critically and interpretively using information, ideas and increasingly
complex arguments to respond to and compose texts in a range of contexts
9
demonstrates understanding of the ways texts reflect personal and public worlds
Marking criteria
Students will be assessed on how well they:
Part A


compile and record information in a table format with accuracy
write in a concise manner capturing the essence of the focus piece.
Part B



evaluate, compare and contrast new telecasts in an essay format
write in a sustained manner showing critical analysis and individual thought
demonstrate an understanding of the elements of news telecasts and how they
are used to present information to society.
English Stage 5
October 2005
Page 9 of 11
NSW Department of Education and Training
Curriculum K-12 Directorate
http://www.curriculumsupport.nsw.edu.au/english
Annotations of mentioned resources
1. The Sydney Morning Herald: ‘Sacked for photo Americans were not meant to see’,
23 April 2004
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/04/22/1082616268111.html
This article has a powerful image of the American flag drapped over coffins being
loaded into a plane bound for the US. The article examines the US censorship laws.
2. The Sydney Morning Herald: ‘When a picture packs a punch’, 10 June 2004
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/06/09/1086749774796.html
3. Cartoon by Jenny Coopes ‘The first casualty of war is truth’
The phrase alone would work well, as this text may be difficult to locate.
4. Australian Journalist Association (AJA) Code of Ethics http://www.australiannews.com.au/codethics.htm
5. Time Magazine: ‘The PG-Rated War’ by J Klein, 7 April 2003
6. Time Magazine ‘The Trouble with Sitting on the Story’ by J Poniewozik, 28/4/2003
7. The Insider, dir Michael Mann, 1999, rated M
The opening sequence of this film is excellent when dealing with the lengths that
journalists go to and the difficulties they face when attempting to get the elusive and
exclusive interview. The opening sequence of approximately 8 minutes focuses on
the need for cultural sensitivities when interviewing outside the realm of western
understanding. The film as a whole is an excellent example of the pressures faced
by journalists and their sources in a bid to tell the truth.
8. Cutting Edge series: Operation Saddam, America’s Propaganda Battle (Part I) SBS,
29 July 2003
This documentary series has dealt with many facets of the media. However, this
episode is the most suitable for this unit. It deals with the American media’s
presentation of the war in Iraq. The focus is on the orchestrated features of the war
coverage presented by the media. It also looks at the style of presentation and the
need for ‘info-tainment’. The ‘football game style’ of presentation of the Iraq invasion
is particularly interesting.
9. Shattered Glass, dir Billy Ray, 2003, rated M
The true story of a young journalist, Stephen Glass, who fell from grace when it was
found he had fabricated over half of his articles, this film is an excellent example of
the external pressures placed on a journalist, not only to get the facts, but also to
entertain an audience. Having achieved initial success with earlier stories, the
journalist is pushed to creating his own in a bid to maintain his status as a successful
and flamboyant journalist.
English Stage 5
October 2005
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NSW Department of Education and Training
Curriculum K-12 Directorate
http://www.curriculumsupport.nsw.edu.au/english
10. Frontline, (ABC TV), R Sitch, 1994 http://www.workingdog.com/frontline
Episodes: ‘Playing the Ego Card’; ‘Add Sex and Stir’; ‘The Siege’
These episodes examine the role of the status of the journalist when presenting
information and effectively satirises the personalities behind the presentation of
information to the public; the editing techniques and in general the power that
networks have in presenting a version of a story, as well as examining perceived
public expectations regarding the presentation of gender in sport; the role of the
interviewer and the interviewee and the agendas behind the presentation of
information.
Note: these episodes are from the prescribed HSC 2004-2007 Advanced English
Frontline text in Module C Representation and Text, Elective 1 Telling the Truth
11. Targeting Media: Television and Film, A Lopez et al, 2000
 Structure of the news
 Conflict on the news
 Facts versus opinion
 Selection on the news
This is a great resource giving details of the structure, purpose and audience of
television news. There is also information on current affairs, sitcoms and dramas on
television.
12. Media Watch, ABC TV, http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/ (Littlemore, Video
Education Australia)
This series is excellent when examining the media, all mediums. Series one (hosted
by Stuart Littlemore) is particularly effective at comparing print and television.
13. Bowling for Columbine, dir Michael Moore, 2002, rated M
This documentary is a very interesting presentation of contemporary American
culture and its media. Extracts dealing with the selection of footage for the television
series, COPS is particularly pertinent. It also deals with perceived public
expectations and the role of entertainment in the presentation of information.
14. A Fine Line, Ellen Fanning, SBS TV, 2004
This series is excellent for all elements of the media. Episodes 1-3 are particularly
relevant as they examine the role of the journalist’s personality in the presentation of
information. Episode 1 is particularly informative about the elements of an interview.
15. A Fine Line study guide on MetroMagazine website:
http://www.metromagazine.com.au/metro/frm.htm?highlight=2
English Stage 5
October 2005
Page 11 of 11
NSW Department of Education and Training
Curriculum K-12 Directorate
http://www.curriculumsupport.nsw.edu.au/english