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FREN 3500 Current Events in the French Speaking World: Get Started

The class focusses on the reading and discussion of current events in the French-speaking world.

Evaluating Information

  • Currency

    • When was it published? In what year?

⇒ Since you are dealing with current events, the year of publication is important.

  • Authority 

    • Who is the author? Is the author an expert on the subject?

    • What newspaper published the piece?

      • ​Is it recognized for its quality and objectivity?

      • Does the newspaper tend to be biased?

  • Objectivity

    • What point of view is the author presenting? Is the author partial or impartial?

    • Is it considered an opinion, investigative or analysis piece? 

  • Scope (coverage)

    • What is it about?

    • Is the topic covered partially or in-depth? A long-form journalism article is more likely to cover the topic more comprehensively. 

  • Audience

    • Who is the audience?

      • In the case of newspapers, the audience is usually the public. However, some newspapers and magazines have a target audience. For example, La Croix is a daily newspaper in France that has a Roman Catholic orientation.

Newspapers: Investigative vs Opinion vs Analysis

  • An opinion article expresses the thoughts or opinions of the author. The author may be an expert on the subject or not, but opinion pieces tend to be more partial.
  • An analysis article explores a topic from the point of view of an expert on this topic. The author will probably use data to corroborate information.
  • An investigative article is usually written by journalists who investigate a topic at length.