Debate about media ownership: We prefer publicly owned media to privately owned media companies

This lesson plan is about organizing a classroom debate. We are not — this is crucial — organizing a discussion. A debate differs from a discussion because it is structured and has clear rules:

• The debate topic is worded as a proposition that some speakers will support and some will oppose. There is no working towards a compromise; one team wins, and the other loses;
• In this version of formal debate (adjusted for classroom use), we have two participating teams (proposition and opposition);
• Debaters cannot choose which side they represent in a debate - the sides (proposition and opposition) are assigned randomly with a coin flip:
• The rules clearly specify who speaks when and for how long.

For a classroom debate, we propose the following format:

• Each team has three speakers, who will each hold a 4-minute speech;
• During the main speeches (but only after the first 30 seconds and before the last 30 seconds of the speech), the opposing team can stand up and offer a question. Every speaker must accept and answer one question from the opposing team. Alternatively, you can have a 1-2 minute time slot for questions after each speech – we recommend this option if you want to engage more students and if your students are new to public speaking and might be intimidated by interruptions;
• The students who are not delivering speeches act as debate adjudicators.

First speakers (on both sides) should set up the debate and provide the initial arguments. Setting the debate means establishing the main definitions and clearing up what the debate is about (for more information, see the lesson plan “Motion analysis”). Second speakers should be bringing in final arguments, responding to the opposing team’s arguments, and rebuilding their first speaker’s arguments. Third speakers should analyze all arguments, respond to their opponents, and rebuild their own argumentation. In other words, they should provide an overview of what happened in the debate and why their team won.

The rest of the class should serve as debate adjudicators. They should be taking notes and weighing proposition and opposition arguments. Instruct them to be objective and to evaluate only the speeches they’ve heard, putting aside their personal opinions and/or arguments and examples they would have used as debaters.

If you want to engage the students more actively, you can always adapt the proposed format to fit more students - have 6 students per team, and have each of them deliver a 2-minute speech. A separate pair of students per team can also be used for asking and answering questions. If you are curious about more classroom debate formats, we recommend you read the chapter “Debate in Classroom” in the Melita Methodological Guide.

After you form the teams, they should have time to prepare. Students who are not debating should also participate in preparing arguments.

Students can use textbooks and the internet while researching for their arguments. If your students are still struggling, we recommend you pause their group work and do a quick brainstorm as a class, making a note of all the reasons to propose and oppose the motion.

To the extent possible, the students should try to build arguments independently. If they are struggling, use any of the arguments listed below to give them an idea of what an argument for or against this motion could look like.

Proposition

Definitions:

Public media: Public media is media owned and operated by the government. They can be funded through government grants, charitable donations, and other forms of public funding.

Privately owned media: Private media refers to any media outlets or organizations that are owned and operated by private individuals, businesses, or corporations rather than by the government. Private media organizations typically rely on revenue from advertising, subscriptions, and other forms of financial support to fund their operations. They may also have a profit motive, meaning they focus on generating income for their owners or shareholders.

1st argument: Public media is a more reliable and trustworthy source of information than private media.

Explanation:

Because public media is not beholden to advertisers or any specific interests, it is free to report on issues objectively and without bias. Because their financing is not dependent on the whims of advertisers, they can provide a more objective assessment of the state of being and can report more truthfully.

Example:

For instance, a public media outlet like the BBC may report on a controversial political issue without fear of losing advertising revenue, whereas a privately-owned media outlet may avoid covering the issue or slant its coverage to please advertisers or maintain a certain image.

Impact:

Accessing unbiased and accurate information is crucial for a well-informed democracy, and public media provides this service to the public.

2nd argument: Public media serves the needs and interests of the entire community rather than just a select few.

Explanation:

Because it is funded through sources such as government grants and charitable donations rather than through advertising, public media can focus on producing content that serves the public good and addresses the community's diverse interests.

Private media, on the other hand, is primarily motivated by profit and may prioritize content that will attract the most advertisers or generate the most revenue rather than content that is informative or beneficial to the public.

For example, a public media outlet may produce a documentary on a local environmental issue affecting the entire community, while a private media outlet may opt to air more sensational or commercially successful programming.

Impact:

By serving the needs and interests of the entire community, public media helps to foster more informed and engaged citizens.

Opposition

1st argument: Private media is able to operate more efficiently and effectively than public media due to the profit motive.

Explanation:

Because private media is driven by the desire to generate profits, it has a strong incentive to cut costs and operate efficiently in order to maximize revenue. This can lead to private media outlets being able to produce content more quickly and at a lower cost than public media outlets, which may be constrained by bureaucracy and limited funding.

Example:

For instance, a privately-owned news organization may be able to invest in new technology or utilize freelance reporters in order to produce breaking news stories more quickly and at a lower cost than a publicly-funded news organization.

Impact:

The ability to quickly and efficiently produce and disseminate high-quality content is essential, particularly in an increasingly fast-paced media landscape.

2nd argument: Private media has more diversity and competition, leading to a greater variety of viewpoints and perspectives being represented.

Explanation:

Because there are many different privately owned media outlets, each with its own business model and target audience, there is a greater diversity of viewpoints and perspectives represented in the media landscape. In contrast, public media may have a more limited range of viewpoints due to being funded by the government or a single organization. If a country only has one, state-run media company, this can even lead to danger.

Example:

For example, a country with a mix of both private and public media may have a range of news outlets representing different political ideologies, whereas a country with only public media may have a more homogenous media landscape.

Impact:

The ability to access a diverse range of viewpoints and perspectives can be important for a well-informed and open society.

The debate takes place; some students debate, the others take notes and adjudicate.

1. Who do you think won the debate and why?
2. What would you do differently?
3. Did your opinion on the topic change after watching the debate?