Media Literacy

PAIRED TEXTS: “Are These Stories True? (Nope.),” pages 9-13

_ May 2017
®

THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE

Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: __________________

Guided Research Task:

Fact-Check a Text
Directions: In the article below, fact-check the highlighted text—in other words, make sure that it is accurate and
credible. (Hint: Some of it is not!) The boxes along the sides of the article will help you. Write your conclusions on a
separate sheet of paper. Note that the words in bold can be found in Scope’s “Glossary of News Terms.”

Are Junk-Food Commercials

Making Us Unhealthy?
TV commercials bombard us with
images of junk food. No wonder we’re
all stuffing our faces!

This weekend, when you’re lounging

on the couch watching the CW or ESPN,
count the number of times you see a
commercial for an unhealthy food. Super
sugary breakfast cereal? That’s one. Cheesy
stuffed-crust pizza? That’s two. Greasy
1. There is a
problem with this fast-food burgers, candy bars . . . soon
quote that affects you’ll lose count.
its credibility. Most of these ads are for foods
What is the loaded with sugar and fat. Maybe these
problem? How commercials don’t bother you, but they
does this problem 2. Does the
do bother health experts. “Junk food article state who
affect the quotes’
commercials are really the worst. They are conducted this
credibility?
very damaging to young people,” says one study?
expert. In fact, many experts say that junk- 3. Think about
food ads should be banned from TV shows the answer to
that young people watch. Question 2. How
Why? All of those tantalizing does this affect
commercials are designed to get you to eat the credibility of
the information in
the food advertised. And guess what? They
the article?
work. Studies show that young people
4. According to the
who watch a lot of TV are more likely to
article, five people
eat junk food than those who do not. In
participated in
one study, five young people aged 9 to 11 this study. Do you
watched a total of 10 ads for unhealthy think this study
snack food. Afterwards, the young people was large enough
were 80 percent more likely to choose to to produce reliable
eat unhealthy snacks. data?

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 Media Literacy
PAIRED TEXTS: “Are These Stories True? (Nope.),” pages 9-13
_ May 2017

Here’s a link to the An Even Greater Danger

study: “Food for Just how many food ads are young
Thought.” people watching? According to a study
5. Does “Are Junk- by the Kaiser Family Foundation, kids
Food Commercials aged 13 to 17 see an average of 17 foods
Making Us ads per day, while kids aged 8 to 12 see an
Unhealthy?” average of 21 food ads per day—and the
accurately report
vast majority of those ads are for unhealthy
the results of the
foods.
study?
Some steps have been taken to reduce
6. Does the Kaiser
the large number of ads—at least those
Family Foundation
seem like a credible aimed at younger kids. In 2007, 11 big
source? (Hint: Scroll food companies, including McDonald’s,
to the last page of Campbell Soup, and PepsiCo, agreed to
“Food for Thought” stop advertising products that don’t meet 7. This information
for information certain nutritional guidelines to kids under comes from a New
about the Kaiser York Times article.
the age of 12. General Mills promised to
Family Foundation. Was it reported
stop advertising sugary cereals in places
You can also google correctly in this
the foundation.) where children might see the ads.
article? If not,
But nothing has been done about the what mistakes were
junk-food ads viewed by older kids and made?
teens.

The Occasional French Fry

High-calorie foods filled with salt, sugar,
and fat are definitely not good for you.
8. Can you confirm
On the other hand, many factors besides that these factors
diet—like physical activity, stress level, do affect health?
social activity, and genetics—contribute to Tell where you
a person’s health. The occasional french looked and what
fry probably isn’t going to hurt you, as long you found out.
as it’s just that—occasional.
Commercials for unhealthy food may
even offer a chance to learn important
lessons: Take responsibility for what you
eat and question the information in ads.
After all, just because commercials try
to persuade you to eat unhealthy food,
doesn’t mean they have to succeed.

9. You discovered some fact-checking errors in this article. Does that mean the big idea of the article is
incorrect? How can the article be improved to make it more credible?

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