Macaulay honors students in Prof. Sissel McCarthy’s news literacy class took a deep dive on how to find both primary and secondary sources for their final research paper with media studies librarian Tony Doyle.

Media studies librarian Tony Doyle takes Macaulay honors students on tour of research resources for their News Literacy course. Students will be writing about how they use their news literacy skills to find and evaluate news stories about a top issue of the day, like Medicare for all or arming teachers in schools.

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Prof. McCarthy’s Macaulay honors students in News Literacy in a Digital Age learned about fact checking last week from ProPublica‘s deputy managing editor Eric Umansky. Umansky was a founding member of ProPublica back in 2008 and has overseen two Pulitzer Prize winning projects at the online nonprofit newsroom. With 75 reporters dedicated to investigative journalism, Umansky says ProPublica reports on abuses of power and betrayals of public trust and stays with a story as long as it takes to hold people and institutions accountable. He told students the most important question journalists need to ask their source is, “How do you know that?” The other principles the guide his work at ProPublica include: no-one sourced stories, no surprise journalism (i.e. give people a chance to respond before publication), a non-response is not a denial and only write what you know.

Prof. Sissel McCarthy’s MEDPL 283 News Video Reporting students enjoyed a behind the scenes tour at News12 in the Bronx on Sept. 17 thanks to multimedia reporter Emily Lorsch. Lorsch, who studied journalism with Prof. McCarthy at Emory University, guided students through the newsroom, introducing them to producers, reporters, editors, and the assignment desk. She also gave students a crash course on how to read and operate a teleprompter at the same time while News12 meterologist Mike Rizzo, a.k.a Meteor Mike showed them how to use a green screen like a pro. News12 Networks is the largest 24-hour local television network in the country with news, traffic and weather channels serving the Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, New Jersey, Connecticut, Westchester, Hudson Valley. Read More