Find a current news article (within one week) related to business or technology. Your article can be from a newspaper, the
Internet, or a magazine. You should then use the attached organizer to record information from your article.
2. Using the information from your organizer, write a summary of your current event article.

The summary should include:
• the article headline
• the name of the source of the article
• who the article is about
• what the article is about
• where the events take place and when the events take place
• 2-3 important events or information that help the audience understand what
your article is about
• an explanation of why you chose the article – please do not say you selected it
because it was interesting. Instead address why the information is important,
how you feel about it, what action you think should be taken, or what you
would do to solve the problem. This is very important and should be at
least 3-4 sentences.
3. Neatly complete the Current Events Report form. You may type your final report if
you prefer.
4. Staple your Current Events Report form and article together to be turned in.
5. Be prepared to read your summary to the class and to answer any relevant questions.

PART 1:

Current Events Organizer
(This does not need to be turned in. This is for planning purposes only)
A good newspaper article always includes the 5 W’s. When writing your summary,
be sure to include the following:
• Article Headline: __________________
• Name of your source; newspaper, website, magazine (underlined):
_
• What is the article about?:
_
_
_
_____________
• Where does it take place?:
• When does it take place?: _
• Other important details:
_____________
_
_
_
• Why did you choose this article? (Do not say, “Because it was interesting.”
Instead, address why the information is important, how you feel about it, what
action you think should be taken, or what you would do to solve the problem.)
This is very important and should be at least 3-4 sentences.
_
_
_
___________________

TURN IN PART 2:

Name Date _
Current Events Report
Article Title: _
Source:
Article Date:
News Type: World United States Local Sports
Weather/Technology/Economy/Politics
Summary:

____________________________

Everyone has seen organizations and agencies make a case for their cause on the television, newspaper and radio. We have all heard stories about how a media consultant has helped improve a political candidate's image by cleverly manipulating the press. There are many ways you can use the media to the benefit of your cause. This section introduces you to working with the media.

WHAT ARE THE MEDIA AND MEDIA ADVOCACY?

Media, which is the plural form of 'medium', are the forms of communication – television and radio; newspapers, magazines, and written materials (or "print media"), and, more often now, the Internet – used to spread or transmit information from a source (which can be a person, an organization, a business, an institution, a government agency, a policy maker, or another media outlet) to the general public.

Advocacy means openly supporting a certain viewpoint or group of people. If you are an advocate for a specific cause, you work to persuade local, state, or federal governments or other entities to grant specific rights, make policy changes, provide money, or create new laws for the good of your cause. For example, if you have a child with a disability, you might advocate for the increased availability of medical services for handicapped children in your city.

Media advocacy is the use of any form of media to help promote an organization's or a company's objectives or goals, which come from the group's vision and mission. For example, suppose you’re a media advocate for a non-profit agency working to reduce gang violence in your neighborhood. You would try to present neighborhood issues related to gang violence and the changes you want to make in such a way that you:

Change the way community members look at gang violence. You might want to make it clear who it affects and why, or why kids get involved in gangs in the first place.

Create a reliable, consistent stream of publicity for your agency's issues and activities, including articles and news items about the causes and results of gang violence and about what your agency’s work entails; personal interest stories; success stories; interviews with agency staff and current and former gang members, etc..

Motivate community members and policy makers to get involved. You probably have ideas about what could be done with public funding, or with government policies that addressed gang violence. You might have volunteer opportunities, or want to publicize a city- or state-sponsored initiative that needs public input and support. Or perhaps you’re trying to raise money for your work. The media can help with all of these...if you know how to work with them.

Media advocates, or the people who work to attract publicity for organizations and causes, know that the media can get a public or social policy message across to the largest audience possible in the least amount of time.

As a media advocate, you can use the media to:

.

Explanation: