Section 1 — The News
Session 2 of 16
Thursday, June 4, 2026
The language of power
Words are never neutral. Every news story makes choices — which words to use, which images to evoke, which emotion to trigger. In this session we examine how language is used to frame reality: to make some things seem natural, others dangerous, some people trustworthy, others suspect. The vocabulary of journalism is the vocabulary of power.
Vocabulary for this session
framingnarrativerhetoricspinbiasagendapropagandaloaded languageneutralconnotation
Grammar focus
Grammar focus: Connotation vs denotation — "freedom fighters" vs "terrorists", "migrants" vs "refugees", "regime" vs "government". Words can refer to the same thing but carry opposite emotional weight. In news, word choice is never accidental.
Come prepared to discuss
"Can a news story ever be truly neutral? Is neutrality even desirable?"
Before this session
Prepare: Find two headlines about the same event from two different news outlets. Bring them to class. What language differences do you notice?
Task-Based Activity
The Language Audit. Give students a short news article (same article for everyone). They highlight: (1) words with strong positive connotations, (2) words with strong negative connotations, (3) words that seem deliberately neutral. Then compare findings. Were there disagreements? Why? Debrief: Every "neutral" word is a choice. What is the cost of choosing it?
Career-Oriented Take — How to Frame It
In business, the language you use to describe a situation shapes how others respond to it. "We have a problem" vs "we have a challenge" vs "we have an opportunity" — same situation, different frames. The skill of deliberate language choice is one of the most valuable in any profession.
Big Picture — Global Context
Propaganda is not just what authoritarian governments do. Every media organization, including the most respected, operates within a set of assumptions about what is normal, what is dangerous, and who gets to be quoted. Recognizing this is not cynicism — it is literacy.
Current Events Take
Ask students: In your country, what word is used to describe [a current controversial group or event]? Is there a different word used in other countries? Why? This exercise makes the abstract concept of framing immediately real and personal.
Homework (assign after session)
Find a news story about a conflict or controversial topic. Rewrite the first paragraph using entirely different word choices — same facts, different framing. What changed? What does this tell you about the original?