II. 2. Investigation, Comparison and Reflection: Bullying in Schools

This section looks at how investigative and awareness-raising reporting and stories are made. In addition, it offers exercises on the use of various sources (online research, video, reporting) towards gaining a fuller understanding, and more complete information, of particular issues. In short, it aims is to provide example of how we can become better informed, by also pointing to ethical issues in media.

Mapping Exercise: Critical reading

For this exercise you will engage in the critical reading of information and the interpretation provided in two articles focused on bullying in schools.

Bullying in schools is a problem that worries many parents, school administrators, and teachers. Most of all it endangers the physical and emotional wellbeing of those bullied, but also raises concern of causes, i.e. the physical and emotional well being of bullies themselves.

The media have also been engaged in pointing to the problem and raising awareness about the many aspects of bullying, including physical and psychological violence, mental heath, educational performance, institutional responses, etc.

For this exercise you can split into two groups, but two people can also conduct the exercise. One person/group reads Article 1 and the other Article 2.

Article 1

http://www.kosovotwopointzero.com/article/1445/ngacmimi-ne-shkollat-kosovare-dhe-pergjegjesia-jone

Article 2

http://www.telegrafi.com/dhuna-ne-shkolla-alarm-per-institucionet-shkollore/

Once you have read the article answer each of the questions below. Write down your answers.

• What is bullying?
• Who is the bully?
• Who is bullied?
• What is the story about? What is it saying?
• Who is “speaking” in the story”?
• Are the sources reliable? Why?
• What information is new to you?
• What else would you like to know?
• What does it make you think?
• What does it make you feel?
• Did the story change the way you think about bullying?

Once you have written your answers the two groups/persons conduct a comparison. Go through each questions/answer and discuss ways in which the articles are the same or different.

For the end, discuss what you have learned from the exercise. Perhaps, you can write a blog about the exercise and your learning experience. See Section XX on how to write critically.

 

Mapping Exercise: Critical viewing

Watch Behind the Lines (link) an Innovations Lab Kosovo (?) production on bullying.

Here we can add a brief synopsis on the video.

 

Following the same steps outlined for the exercise about compare the articles and the video. Answer the same questions:

 

• What is bullying?
• Who is the bully?
• Who is bullied?
• What is the story about? What is it saying?
• Who is “speaking” in the story”?
• Are the sources reliable? Why?
• What information is new to you?
• What else would you like to know?
• What does it make you think?
• What does it make you feel?
• Did the story change the way you think about bullying?

Conduct comparison:

• What forms and types of media are used by the two sources (the article and the video), e.g. the article is from both a printed and online e media outlet, it uses social media, but relies on traditional media production
• How is the right to receiving and imparting information, bias and independence, part of the information provided and the format in which it is provided (e.g. the role of informing the public and raising awareness, creating sharable content, commenting by the audience, availability in social media)
• The role of traditional media and new media in informing and raising awareness  – how are these different or the same, while referring to the article and video
• What is gained by looking at multiple sources? Do we gain a better understanding? Who benefits? How? Who is speaking?
• Are new media changing the relationship between media and audiences? Discuss through examples.

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