Integrating the Daily Newspaper into the College Classroom

Zachary Schrank

doi:10.14434/josotl.v20i2.24386

Abstract

Newspaper readership has declined dramatically over the last few decades. Millennials and students of college age report reading a daily newspaper less frequently than any other generational cohort in America. However, credible newspapers continue to provide in-depth coverage and analysis of key contemporary issues that facilitate civic literacy and a sociological understanding of the world. This case study discusses an exploratory approach to integrating the newspaper into the college classroom as a way of connecting journalism with theoretical knowledge. In an Introductory Sociology course, I provided daily copies of The New York Times to students throughout the duration of a semester. Students worked in assigned groups, regularly read articles in the paper, and searched for stories related to a wide variety of sociological issues. As a final project, students wrote detailed summaries of several articles published throughout the semester and explained how they were connected with key sociological concepts studied in the class. Nearly all students in the course reported that consistent readership over a 12-week period of the semester to be an effective learning activity that expanded their understanding and exposure to core sociological issues.

Highlights

Newspaper readership has declined considerably over the past two decades among younger generational cohorts (Poindexter 1979; Pew Research Center 2016)
I found that assigning a subscription to The New York Times as supplemental reading engaged student interest and experiences in a way that assisted in deeper conceptual understanding of the course material (National Research Council 1999, 10-17)
The New York Times frequently contains stories rich with sociological themes and previous studies have found that students greatly benefit from newspaper readership throughout the semester as a way of promoting active learning (Reinertsen and DaCruz, 1996; Knowlton and Barefoot, 1999; Mysliwiec, Shibley Jr., and Dunbar, 2002)

Summary

Introduction

Newspaper readership has declined considerably over the past two decades among younger generational cohorts (Poindexter 1979; Pew Research Center 2016). I found that assigning a subscription to The New York Times as supplemental reading engaged student interest and experiences in a way that assisted in deeper conceptual understanding of the course material (National Research Council 1999, 10-17). The New York Times frequently contains stories rich with sociological themes and previous studies have found that students greatly benefit from newspaper readership throughout the semester as a way of promoting active learning (Reinertsen and DaCruz, 1996; Knowlton and Barefoot, 1999; Mysliwiec, Shibley Jr., and Dunbar, 2002).

Results

Conclusion