Does your school still have Channel One News?
Learn how to unplug

Media Literacy

Media literacy – the ability to critically consume and create media – is an essential skill in today’s world. Media literacy education seeks to give kids and adults greater freedom by empowering them to access, analyze, evaluate and produce media.

Media literate youth and adults are better able to understand the complex messages we receive from television, radio, newspapers, magazines, books, billboards, signs, packaging, marketing materials, video games, recorded music, the Internet and other forms of media. They can understand not only the surface content of media messages (the “text”) but also the more important meanings (the “subtext”) hidden beneath the surface. People who are media literate can also create their own media, becoming active participants in our media culture.

New Mexico Media Literacy Project

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt / Channel One advertising PG-13 movie to elementary school students.

February 25, 2015
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt / Channel One advertising PG-13 movie to elementary school students.

              From Jim Metrock:  This movie contest is on Channel One’s website Channelone.com.  This is the site that students in high school to elementary school go to find out more information after seeing the Channel One News show in their classrooms.  Channel One rarely posts the MPAA ratings...
Read More »

Overview of Channel One from the CCFC

February 11, 2015
Overview of Channel One from the CCFC

  Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood – 2012
Read More »

Houghton Mifflin brings shocking footage of deadly airplane crash to children.

February 5, 2015
Houghton Mifflin brings shocking footage of deadly airplane crash to children.

      From the Houghton Mifflin/ Channel One News script: Last up, at least 25 people were killed in a plane crash yesterday, crashing into a bridge in Taiwan’s capital city, Taipei. A car’s dashboard camera captured the moment the plane came careening sideways out of the sky toward traffic; the plane’s wing clipping...
Read More »

Houghton Mifflin’s unwanted curriculum.

January 18, 2015
Houghton Mifflin’s unwanted curriculum.

From Jim Metrock:  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt made a bad decision when they took over Channel One News.HMH evidently thought they could convert Channel One’s old videos and transcripts into a product that schools would not only desire, but would actually buy (with real money).  It hasn’t happened.  It won’t happen.   Houghton Mifflin acquired a...
Read More »

Parkway High snags another honor, wins Wastin’ Time and Tax Dollar$ award

January 12, 2015
Parkway High snags another honor, wins Wastin’ Time and Tax Dollar$ award

  From Jim Metrock:   Our Wastin’ Time & Tax Dollar$ Award is back and Parkway High School in Bossier City, Louisiana is our first winner for 2015.   Congratulation to Dr. Nichole Bourgeois the principal of Parkway High, and her Board of Education members Billie Jo Brotherton,  Brad Bockhaus, Frank Kelly, William Lott,...
Read More »

Q: “Was there a Channel One News story this season that inspired you?”

December 11, 2014
Q: “Was there a Channel One News story this season that inspired you?”

A: “No” From Jim Metrock: Channel One News isn’t inspiring many students.  This post was put up on December 8.  Today is December 11 – three days later. Channel One claims over 100,000 “likes” on Facebook, yet only three people have commented.  I am sure more will comment in the coming days, but I doubt Channel One will attract...
Read More »

Channel One’s Facebook page documents their loss of audience.

November 22, 2014
Channel One’s Facebook page documents their loss of audience.

From Jim Metrock:  This post is from Channel One’s Facebook page.  I viewed their FB page today (November 21,2014) and worked my way back in time.  I wanted to see the highest number of responses any one post received.   Channel One is still claiming “nearly 5 million” in its audience.  So one would think...
Read More »

Monica Burns

October 25, 2014
Monica Burns

  From Jim Metrock:  Ms. Monica Burns quit classroom teaching and is now a saleswoman.  She is writing articles for Channel One’s website.  Ms. Burns is praising Channel One and plugging the controversial Common Core national standards whenever she can. It makes sense that she is gushing about how wonderful Channel One is. After all,...
Read More »

Another horrific image on Channel One News.

October 14, 2014
Another horrific image on Channel One News.

  From Jim Metrock:  On September 29, 2014, and on several other dates, Channel One News ran a commercial for their parent company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.  HMH publishes books aimed at the youth market.  This ad is for a book called How to Catch a Bogle. The commercial is cheaply made.  It must have...
Read More »

“many parents were outraged”

September 17, 2014
“many parents were outraged”

  Should schools be responsible for introducing news to children? http://www.scpr.org/programs/take-two/2014/09/16/39365/should-schools-be-responsible-for-introducing-news/#comments  
Read More »