There is a difference in what and how topics are covered on liberal (e.g., MSNBC) versus conservative (FOX News) television news outlets. Have students watch, take notes, and compare these news reports for a specific period of time. Also, have the students come up with brief summaries of their findings to report in class.

Should the government regulate what is broadcast on television or should regulation be the responsibility of each individual consumer? For example, should the government state that nudity is inappropriate during prime time and therefore restrict it or should individuals say to themselves “If I don’t like what’s on, or I don’t think my children should be watching something, it is my responsibility to turn off the television?”

Is the media truly doing its job when important stories go unexamined, unreported or are marginalized? For example, before the start of the Iraq War, the Bush administration was seldom questioned about their intelligence and abilities to prove Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. Discuss how such omissions can affect a society such as the United States.

Ask the students to discuss how their lives would change if the internet disappeared today. What would they miss the most? Why? Ask students to consider how life is different for people living on the other side of the digital divide?