Civil Liberties in the News

38717Post an original message providing an analysis of a current event reported in the news media.

Select a news story (not an editorial or opinion piece) in which information about a current event relevant to civil liberties – the protection of individuals’ freedom – is reported.

Tip for success: Apply what we’ve learned about acquiring reliable information to ensure the information is factual and accurate.

Acknowledge the source of your information by including the following:

Title of the news story.
Source of the news story.
Date of publication.
Name of the author or presenter (if available).

Link to the source, if an online source. If you accessed the news article from a paper newspaper, provide the page number. If you watched a news story from a broadcast news source on television, provide the station and date it originally aired.

Summarize the facts of the story in your own words. Do not cut/paste from the article. Do not try to explain every detail. The key is to identify and relate the main idea or point of the story and the factual elements that support it. [about 1-2 paragraphs of 3-5 sentences each]

Explain how the story illustrates a specific concept related to civil liberties within the U.S. The concept may be from the presentations, the textbook, or other supplemental materials provided in the module. State the connection explicitly to make it clear that you understand the concept and how it applies to the current “real world” situation being reported. [1-2 paragraphs of 3-5 sentences each]