Think journalism's a tough field today? Try being a reporter in the Gilded Age

Library Think journalism's a tough field today? Try being a reporter in the Gilded Age Paired Texts

by Randall S. Sumpter

2016

We've identified these texts as great options for text pairings based on similar themes, literary devices, topic, or writing style. Supplement your lesson with one or more of these options and challenge students to compare and contrast the texts. To assign a paired text, click on the text to go to its page and click the "Assign Text" button there.

On Twitter, Fake News Has Greater Allure Than Truth Does

Maria Temming

In the informational text, "On Twitter, Fake News Has Greater Allure Than Truth Does," Maria Temming discusses a study that shows how false news is shared more often on Twitter than true news.

Pair “On Twitter, Fake News Has Greater Allure Than Truth Does” with “Think journalism’s a tough field today? Try being a reporter in the Gilded Age” to provide students with information about how false news spreads today. Ask students to discuss why people likely share more fake news stories than real news. How do students think this contributes to the cycle of reporters feeding readers with false stories?

8th Grade Informational Text 980L

Anti-Social Networks? We're Just As Cliquey Online

Laura Sydell

In "Anti-Social Networks? We're Just as Cliquey Online," Laura Sydell from NPR's All Things Considered discusses how social networks can reinforce cliques and biases.

Pair “Anti-Social Networks? We’re Just as Cliquey Online” with “Think journalism’s a tough field today? Try being a reporter in the Gilded Age” and ask students to discuss how social media has changed the way we access news. How do students think they can change their social media usage so as not to limit the news they see? How can they determine what is real?

9th Grade Psychology 1160L

Conflicting News Reports on the Fate of the Sinking Titanic

Various Authors

These excerpts from two different newspapers were both written about the Titanic the day it sank, but report very inaccurate information about what happened.

Pair “Conflicting News Reports on the Fate of the Sinking Titanic” with “Think journalism’s a tough field today? Try being a reporter in the Gilded Age” to provide students with an example of conflicting news reports. Ask students to discuss how they could confirm a news story if they were uncertain about its validity. How do both texts show how important it is to confirm news stories that you read?

7th Grade Primary Source Document 1100L

Organized Labor and The Great Upheaval

USHistory.org

In this text, the author discusses the Great Upheaval, a mass protest, which mobilized workers to advocate for their rights and sparked the organized labor movement in America.

Pair “Think Journalism’s a Tough Field today? Try Being a Reporter in The Gilded Age” with “Organized Labor and The Great Upheaval” and ask students to discuss what it was like to be a journalist during the Gilded Age? Based on what you learned about journalism at the turn of the 20th century, how do you think journalists covered the Great Upheaval? How do you think the practice of staging fake news might have affected the coverage of the Great Upheaval?

8th Grade Informational Text 930L

Paired Texts > Think journalism's a tough field today? Try being a reporter in the Gilded Age