Notes the importance of opinion and students' use of opinion in relation to editorials. Discusses three things to keep in mind when teaching students how to choose a topic for an editorial: make it controversial, contextual, and confined. (SC)

Presents two lesson plans to help students understand how news managers exercise judgment, how the media shapes public perception of people, places, and things, and how to recognize the importance of balanced news coverage. Each lesson includes objectives, a scenario, discussion questions, activities, and an evaluation. (LS)

Notes an often-ignored important step in opinion writing: gathering facts and data to use in supporting arguments. Presents specific 50-60 minute classroom activities to help create a unit for students. Includes a lesson plan for three days, tips for writing a good editorial, and an article by Cat Kasko entitled "Forgiveness is a beautiful thing."…

Outlines an approach for teaching journalism students to write editorials by following a five-step sequence: gaining readers' attention, indicating a need for action, leading readers to agree with a proposed action, enabling readers to visualize the proposal successfully enacted, and cementing readers' favorable attitudes into fixed beliefs. (TJ)

Presents a guide to the effective use of surveys and questionnaires by high school journalists. (RL)

Explains the technique "editorial step-asides," which is designed to help students learn the difference between fact and opinion in a teacher's lecture. (FL)

Describes an American journalism history course that is organized around a theme--development of attitudes toward freedom of the press throughout history, with particular emphasis on attitudes of government and society. (HOD)

Presents an exercise in which students interview various groups of citizens--church leaders, school officials, government and business leaders--in order to give students a broader understanding of the definitions of obscenity and community standards. (HTH)

Offers advice on how to conduct an opinion poll for student publications. Evaluates the process of formulating questions for a sample survey. (MS)

Urges the use of claims-based analysis in editorial writing instruction. Explains the use of five hierarchical claim types (factual, definitional, causal, value, and policy) to teach students to analyze and formulate arguments, thus teaching editorial writing by focusing more on the process than on the product. (SR)

Describes a journalism education theory and methods class--journalism and public opinion--that was restructured to include instruction in the lecture format, small group discussions, and group projects. (HOD)