Beyond Fact-Checking: A Teaching Guide to the Power of News Frames

Traditional fact-checking is insufficient to detect more subtle forms of news slant. Frame-checking alerts students to recognize-and, if necessary, resist-how news frames influence the interpretation of facts and the formation of judgments about topics presented in the news. Like a pair of "x-ray" glasses, frame-checking helps students see the hidden structure of a news story, thus promoting the use of their critical thinking skills to analyze opposing viewpoints and identify subtle forms of news slant. The authors use the term frame-checking to refer to the critical analysis of the narrative strategies used by news outlets to present news stories. In six in-depth lessons, which explore both visual and discursive news frames, Beyond Fact-Checking empowers readers to critically examine, question, and actively engage with the media in deeper, more meaningful ways.

Authors Shealeigh Voitl and Andy Lee Roth are co-editors of Project Censored's annual book series, State of the Free Press. Roth was also co-author of The Media and Me: A Guide to Critical Media Literacy for Young People. Visit projectcensored.org for more critical media literacy resources and @projectcensored on all social platforms, including Instagram, for infographics and exclusive interviews from The Project Censored Show.