"If something's going bad and it's being documented, who cares [if people get mad]? As long as the tape is documenting what's going on, it will preserve it, and people will be held accountable."
Nardwuar the Human ServietteJournalism has the power to change history, and sometimes, it serves as a cautionary tale for all of us. As you explore these highs and lows, remember that every great journalist started exactly where you are: curious, observant, and ready to learn. You’ve got this!
Understanding the history of journalism allows us to see that the news is a continuous conversation about what it means to be a community. By looking at how reporters have historically shaped our world, you begin to see that effective communication isn't just about sharing information; it is about using your voice to influence positive change and foster understanding. Evaluating the ethical "highs and lows" of the industry helps you develop a critical eye, ensuring that when you speak or create, you do so with a foundation of integrity and truth. Finally, the ability to present your ideas professionally ensures that your message reaches your audience clearly and makes a lasting impact in a busy digital world.
Journalism isn't just about reporting facts; it's about the impact those facts have on our communities. When researching a major achievement, look for a story that changed Canadian history for the better. You might explore how The Globe and Mail uncovered the Sponsorship Scandal, which led to a massive public inquiry and changed how government money is tracked in Canada. Alternatively, you could look into the "Death by Alcohol" investigation by The Vancouver Sun, which fought for justice for Indigenous women and forced a re-evaluation of how their cases were handled by the legal system. These moments show us that a dedicated reporter can be a powerful force for good.
However, the history of news also includes times when the "truth" was compromised, providing us with important lessons in ethics. For your research into a controversy, you might look at the "Shawinigate" forged document incident, where a major newspaper published information from an anonymous source without verifying it first. You could also examine the debate surrounding the Alan Kurdi photo or the filming of the Abbotsford School Stabbing. These cases ask us to think deeply about whether the public's "right to know" is more important than the privacy and dignity of the people in the story. Understanding these failures helps us become better, more empathetic creators ourselves.
Learning to use AI as a brainstorming partner is a vital skill in modern communication, as it allows you to move past "blank page syndrome" and explore a wider variety of perspectives than you might find on your own. By directing an LLM to find specific examples of Canadian journalism, you aren't just looking for facts; you are practicing how to prompt for nuance and historical significance. This process helps you develop a critical eye, as you must verify the AI's suggestions and decide which stories truly demonstrate the ethical high and lows you want to present in your Canva video.
It can be helpful to use "Recursive Prompting," which just means you don't have to settle for the first answer the AI gives you. If the AI suggests a topic that sounds interesting but vague, you can follow up with: "Tell me more about the 'Sponsorship Scandal.' Who were the key reporters involved, and what specific ethical rules did they follow to ensure their evidence was solid?" This turning-of-the-crank helps you dig deeper into the "How" and "Why" of the story, giving you the specific details you'll need for your "Body" and "Context" sections in the video you will be making.
A Note on Fact-Checking
While LLMs are amazing for brainstorming, they can sometimes "hallucinate" or confidently state things that aren't quite right. Once the AI gives you a topic that sparks your interest, always do a quick search in a library database or a trusted news site like CBC or The Globe and Mail to confirm the details.
This step isn't just about getting the grade; it’s about practicing the most important rule of journalism: always verify your source.
You should be familiar with Inverted Pyramid Format from the OSSLT News Report. When you organize your research into a cohesive story, you are practicing the logical flow required for all types of professional communication. Inverted Pyramid Format puts the most important information first and less important information at the end. This format makes it easily digestible for busy readers who can read the headline, and then decide if they want to keep reading at every stage in the story.
Here's how you can implement it in this assignment:
Lede (The "Hook") Just like in the OSSLT, you want to start with the most important information: the Who, What, Where, When, and Why. In a video, this is your "Lede." We spell it this way to distinguish it from the metal "lead" used in old printing presses! Use a bold headline on the screen in and a compelling opening sentence to tell your viewers exactly which Canadian achievement or controversy you are covering.
Body (The Evidence) This is where you dive into the "How." For your Achievement section, explain the steps the journalists took to uncover the truth. For the Controversy, describe where the process broke down. Use Canva’s "Picture-in-Picture" or "Split Screen" features here to show a photo of the event on one side while you explain the details on the other. This keeps the "evidence" front and center for your audience.
Context (The "So What?") In a standard news report, the less important details go at the bottom. However, for this assignment, this is where you provide your analysis. Explain the lasting impact of the event on Canada. Did it change a law? Did it change how we trust the media? This is your chance to show deep thinking about why these stories still matter today.
Sign-off End your video with a clear summary and a "Sign-off." This is a great place to state your name and your final thought on the ethical lesson learned. It gives your report a polished, professional finish.
To help you build your report effectively, we are going to use Gemini as a high-level research assistant and drafting partner. This process is designed to help you move from a broad idea to a polished script while ensuring you remain the "Editor-in-Chief" who makes all the final ethical and creative decisions.
Find a compelling achievement and a notable controversy that you haven't heard of yet. You could try a prompt something like this:
"I am a Grade 12 student studying Canadian journalism. Act as a media historian and suggest four unique examples of Canadian investigative journalism that changed law or society, and four examples of ethical controversies involving Canadian news outlets. For each, briefly explain why it is a significant 'achievement' or 'pitfall'."
Once Gemini gives you a list, pick the two stories (one achievement, one controversy) that interest you most. Do not trust Gemini's details yet. Take the names or events provided and search for them on trusted Canadian news sites like CBC, The Globe and Mail, or The Toronto Star. Find at least two primary or secondary sources for each event to ensure your report is accurate.
Research-Augmented Generation (RAG)
RAG is when you provide additional details to the LLM to improve the quality of its output.
One of the best ways to improve the quality of LLM output is to require the LLM to do as little as possible. If you can include all the details, the overall structure you want to follow, and the point you want to make, you dramatically reduce the likelihood of hallucinations (since you're providing the facts).
Now, use Google Docs and Gemini to help you structure your ideas into the Inverted Pyramid format we discussed.
"I have researched the [Name of Event]. Here are my notes: [Paste your notes]. Help me draft a 2-minute video script. Start with a strong 'lede' that covers the 5 Ws. Then, organize the body of the script from the most important evidence to the secondary context. Use a professional but engaging tone suitable for a news report."
One of the best uses of AI is to critique your own work, which is why we require you to do it before submitting every assignment in the Pre-Submission Self-Assessment. By having an LLM ask questions about your plans, you can get immediate feedback that would take a teacher hours to produce, and dramatically improve the quality of your work at a much more rapid pace than was previously possible. The PSSA is a gentle approach, but if you want to hold yourself to the highest standard possible, you can ask Gemini to hold you to University standards, or be more blunt about the issues with your work. Here are some ideas to start with, but expand/adapt them to suit your situation:
This step is actually a student's secret weapon. If you keep asking these questions and genuninely try to address the issues until there's nothing left that you agree with, it would be difficult to end up with a bad assignment.
Keep Your Rough Work! It's important to show how you were thinking about the work you are doing, so make sure you put enough of your LLM interactions in your Google Doc to illustrate the way you use Gemini as a tool.
Read your drafted script out loud. AI often writes in a way that sounds slightly "robotic" and is easy to identify once you interact with LLMs more. Change the words to sound like you. If a sentence is too long to say in one breath, break it up. This is your chance to ensure the script flows naturally before you head into Canva to add your visuals and transitions.
When you're ready, record your report and edit it in Canva. Remember that every assignment is an opportunity to try a new video editing technique, as well, so make sure you're ready to discuss that in your Reflection video.
Deliverable:
Record the script you wrote. Feel free to use any costumes or sock puppets, etc. if you need to interview yourself. Aim for a 1-3 minute final video.
To wrap up this project, please record a two-minute reflection video.
How do you feel about this highly-AI-mediated research and writing process? Is it an efficiency booster, or is it rotting your brain? We are all in the test group for this technology, so we should think carefully about how we use it.
What video technique did you try, and how did it go?
Deliverable:
Discuss your thoughts on the use of AI in your writing workflow, and discuss your experiment with a video technique.
Before you submit, please complete the Pre-Submission Self-Assessment.
1-3 minute News Report
2 minute Reflection Video
We are learning to:
Analyze how significant Canadian reporting has influenced law and society
Evaluate ethical breaches and biases in famous Canadian journalistic controversies
Explain how reading, listening, and writing skills intersect to create a professional media text
Identify personal production strategies and tools that lead to effective communication
I can:
Analyze the social impact of one Canadian achievement, such as the Sponsorship Scandal or the "Death by Alcohol" investigation, by explaining the techniques used to communicate the message.
Identify the ethical "lesson learned" from a Canadian controversy and evaluate how perspective or bias influenced the outcome.
Use Canva Video features to organize a report that uses clear structure and professional terminology to reach a specific audience.
Reflect on my production process to identify potential pitfalls in journalism and explain how my choices help me grow as an ethical creator.
| Category | Level 4 | Level 3 | Level 2 | Level 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge/Understanding | Student demonstrates a thorough and nuanced understanding of the social impact and techniques used in Canadian journalism. | Student demonstrates a considerable understanding of the social impact and techniques used in Canadian journalism. | Student demonstrates some understanding of the social impact and techniques used in Canadian journalism. | Student demonstrates limited understanding of the social impact and techniques used in Canadian journalism. |
| Thinking/Inquiring | Student evaluates ethical breaches and biases with high degree of critical insight. | Student evaluates ethical breaches and biases with considerable effectiveness. | Student evaluates ethical breaches and biases with some effectiveness. | Student evaluates ethical breaches and biases with limited effectiveness. |
| Application | Student uses Canva Video features and professional terminology with a high degree of effectiveness for the audience. | Student uses Canva Video features and professional terminology with considerable effectiveness for the audience. | Student uses Canva Video features and professional terminology with some effectiveness. | Student uses Canva Video features and professional terminology with limited effectiveness. |
| Communication | Student reflects on their process and identifies strengths and areas for improvement with a high degree of clarity. | Student reflects on their process and identifies strengths and areas for improvement with considerable clarity. | Student reflects on their process and identifies strengths and areas for improvement with some clarity. | Student reflects on their process and identifies strengths and areas for improvement with limited clarity. |
Student demonstrates a thorough and nuanced understanding of the social impact and techniques used in Canadian journalism.
Student demonstrates a considerable understanding of the social impact and techniques used in Canadian journalism.
Student demonstrates some understanding of the social impact and techniques used in Canadian journalism.
Student demonstrates limited understanding of the social impact and techniques used in Canadian journalism.
Student evaluates ethical breaches and biases with high degree of critical insight.
Student evaluates ethical breaches and biases with considerable effectiveness.
Student evaluates ethical breaches and biases with some effectiveness.
Student evaluates ethical breaches and biases with limited effectiveness.
Student uses Canva Video features and professional terminology with a high degree of effectiveness for the audience.
Student uses Canva Video features and professional terminology with considerable effectiveness for the audience.
Student uses Canva Video features and professional terminology with some effectiveness.
Student uses Canva Video features and professional terminology with limited effectiveness.
Student reflects on their process and identifies strengths and areas for improvement with a high degree of clarity.
Student reflects on their process and identifies strengths and areas for improvement with considerable clarity.
Student reflects on their process and identifies strengths and areas for improvement with some clarity.
Student reflects on their process and identifies strengths and areas for improvement with limited clarity.