How the Media Connects Oversight to the Public
Media and Oversight Lesson Plan
In this free high school civics lesson, students explore how the media helps inform the public about government activity, especially congressional oversight. Students examine the relationship between the public, the media, and government while considering how news coverage, televised hearings, political cartoons, and investigative journalism shape public understanding, and strengthen government accountability.
Designed for high school civics students, the lesson asks students to begin by brainstorming some of the ways in which investigative journalism, the public, and government transparency interact with one another. Students then move on to a stations activity in which they examine historical and contemporary case studies using primary sources on the Watergate Investigation, Big Tech hearings, Teapot Dome, and whistleblower Jeffrey Wigand. Students summarize each station and complete the lesson using evidence from what they have just seen to answer the inquiry question: “How important is the media in informing the public about government activities?”
This free download includes:
- Lesson plan
- A one-day inquiry lesson that guides students through a stations activity to analyze and interpret different examples of ways that media and journalism inform citizens and impact public opinion.
- Primary and Secondary Sources
- Oversight ecosystem visual analysis
- Audio excerpt of the “Smoking Gun” Watergate tape
- Video of Big Tech CEO testifying to Congress
- Teapot Dome political cartoon
- Excerpt from “The Man Who Knew Too Much”, an article about Jeffrey Wigand, a whistleblower in the investigation of Big Tobacco
- Student Worksheets
- Graphic organizers, written response prompts, political cartoon analysis questions, and space for students to record evidence and observations throughout the inquiry.
- This lesson also includes a Claim-Evidence-Reasoning assessment and an accompanying guidance document for students who are unfamiliar with this format.
- Answer Key
- Teacher support materials that provide guidance for assessing student reasoning and understanding,
In this lesson, students examine historical and contemporary media examples to evaluate the media’s role in informing citizens about government activities and influencing public opinion. Using sources connected to Watergate, Big Tech hearings, Teapot Dome, and the tobacco industry, students investigate how information reaches the public and why transparency matters in a democracy.
As students rotate through inquiry stations, they explore questions such as:
- Why are public hearings and investigative journalism important in a democratic society?
- How does media coverage influence public understanding of government actions?
- What role do whistleblowers and journalists play in exposing wrongdoing?
- Should the media primarily reflect public opinion or shape it?
- How do televised hearings and viral media moments affect civic engagement and accountability?
Throughout the activity, students gather evidence from primary and secondary sources before developing a Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (C-E-R) response to the lesson’s compelling question: “How important is the media in informing the public about government activities?”
Understanding the Relationship between Media and Oversight
Students evaluate the media’s role in informing the public about what happens during Congressional hearings and investigations. Journalists translate complex testimony, evidence, and findings into accessible information that helps citizens understand government activity. By using the oversight ecosystem graphic organizer, students can see visually the ways in which media, the public, and the government are all integral to an informed citizenry.
Students also analyze the importance of access to media coverage, testimony, and facts presented by Congress. Students consider the ways in which different forms of media impact public perception and produce a Claim-Evidence-Reasoning piece of writing or mixed media which highlights the role the media plays in connecting the government and the public. Students see the role of congressional oversight, public opinion, and journalism in supporting a healthy American democracy. Through historical case studies and contemporary examples, students practice media literacy while evaluating sources, analyzing different media types, and constructing evidence-based arguments aligned to Michigan civics learning standards.
Content Standards
This inquiry-based high school civics lesson is aligned with Michigan social studies content standards and supports student understanding of the role of the media in our system of checks and balances.
MI Civics – 3.3.3 Explain the concept of public opinion, factors that shape it, and contrasting views on the role it should and does play in public policy.
MI Civics – 3.3.5 Identify and discuss roles of non-governmental organizations in American civic society.
MI Civics – 3.3.6 Explain functions and possible influence of various news and other media sources in political communication.
MI Civics – 3.3.7 Analyze the credibility and validity of various forms of political communication.
Once you fill out this form, you will be redirected to our download page.
**If you have already filled out the download form, please look in your inbox for an email from LbH.LevinCenter@wayne.edu for a link to the download page.**
Can’t see the form below? Click here to access it.