Here is what teachers are advised to do!

A centre might consider how the online age has influenced the production and consumption of

news. Most newspapers now have an online format. Some magazines only have an online

format. Students might consider whether or not hard copies of news products have a future.

Note: the historical, current and future situation is relevant to this Unit.

Students may then consider the problems and advantages that the online age has produced for

them in this respect. Many have taken advantage of the potential role of citizen journalists for

eye-witness reports and on-the-spot photos and amateur video footage. This in itself has

implications regarding news values and news selection, as well as ethical considerations.

Other problems that the industry has faced are more basic: reduction of revenue from sales of

hard copies and an unwillingness of consumers to subscribe to websites, coupled with

difficulties in persuading advertisers that web-based ads actually work. The Online Age is in its

infancy in this respect.

There is a multitude of texts, and approaches to each topic.

A focus on the ‘now’ will limit understanding of the issues. Students

should be encouraged to consider the historical perspective, and also be able to engage with

the possible future media forms and issues in the given topic.

The most important factors are that students understand the concepts and the issues, that they

are aware of some historical context, and can speculate from an informed position about

possible future developments. If studying the work of established academics in the field will aid

that process, then fine. But do not lead students into the trap of thinking that they will do well by

name-dropping a few of the academic greats in the subject.