21st Century Learning and Teaching

At least when I was in grade school, we learned the very basics of how the Third Reich came to power in the early 1930s. Paramilitary gangs terrorizing the opposition, the incompetence and opportunism of German conservatives, the Reichstag Fire. And we learned about the critical importance of propaganda, the deliberate misinforming of the public in order to sway opinions en masse and achieve popular support (or at least the appearance of it).

While Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels purged Jewish and leftist artists and writers, he built a massive media infrastructure that played, writes PBS, “probably the most important role in creating an atmosphere in Germany that made it possible for the Nazis to commit terrible atrocities against Jews, homosexuals, and other minorities.”

Learn more / En savoir plus / Mehr erfahren:

http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching/?tag=demagogue

The time has come for the media to review their current practices and demand utmost integrity from themselves and their people. I long for a day when the news media awaken to their conscience and accept responsibility as gatekeepers of the truth. It’s time for them to understand the vital role they play and to ensure that every member lives according to the highest standards of honor and integrity. The late Edward R. Murrow, one of journalism’s great figures, said, “To be credible we must be truthful.” The media have a moral duty and an obligation to live by that principle. Truth is not an option. It’s a necessity!

Learn more / En savoir plus / Mehr erfahren:

http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching?tag=Critical-Thinking

http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching/?q=ethics