1. Divide the class into three groups:
   1. Watch the video without sound
   2. Listen to the soundtrack from the video without visuals
   3. Read the transcripts of the video

2. Ask each group responds to the following questions:
   1. What do you think this clip is about?
   2. Explain the story that this clip is telling. Include a beginning, middle, and end.
   3. How would you describe the pacing of the clip? The mood?
   4. For Group 1: Describe the visuals you see. What is the mood like?
   5. For Groups 2 and 3: What kind of language is used in the clip? How would you describe the tone?
   6. For Group 3 Only: Read the transcript. Identify and cross out all adjectives in the story (One student can do each paragraph). How does this change the meaning of the piece?
3. Meet as a class and have each group give their impressions of the video.
4. Have the whole class (or each student) watch the video with sound.
5. Wrap Up
   1. What differences did you notice when you watched each clip?
   2. Did you notice anything special when you could only read the words?
   3. What things were obscured when you saw images as well as sound?

Teacher's Notes

This video provides a good example for looking at the power of images in the media because, although it has no strong overt bias, there are many subtle cues in both the text in the imagery that suggest some hidden biases. Alone, they are not particularly damaging, but when consumed for hours on end, one can imagine how they might shape one's perception of events.

• Examine the images and text for logical inconsistencies/errors
  Frequently, spoken word journalism will be more loaded with inflammatory rhetoric or logically inconsistent than written journalism. For example, in the first portion of the segment, the speaker says that "all" those who watched were horrified by the celebrations. The speaker also suggests that "anti-Americanism" is building in "all" Islamic countries, connoting that the images we're seeing are from "Anti-Americanism". The celebrating Palestinians clip is particularly controversial because it is not clear that all of these clips actually came from Palestine (or, in fact, were related to this event at all). The text over the images suggests that these images are all of "Anti-American rioting;" this rioting seems to be from wars or other disasters, rather than from reactions to the 11 September disasters. Why are they included here?
• Examine the text for inflammatory language
  Experts in radical Islamic terrorism say masterminds like Ossada bin Laden have cleverly manipulated a real sense of grievance into a willingness by some to become human instruments of mass murder.
  • Why is "radical Islam" in the previous paragraph?
  • Why do they use the term "mastermind" instead of leader and "cleverly manipulated" which implies that the leader (instead of the perpetrators) are responsible?
  • Are the journalists just suggesting that it is leaders "like bin Laden" or bin Laden himself who is manipulating the masses?
• Examine cues of bias through association
  Watch the sequence leading up to the explosion. Ask what narrative is created through this sequence? What pictures are associated with the explosion?
• Examine errors of omission
  Note how the author concludes that with more support from the world the U.S. is going to war. Omitted are views from countries like Indonesia, which may be the largest Islamic country and is decidedly against U.S. bombing Afghanistan. Other views that suggest that war may not be the best solution are also not provided.

Transcript

These pictures of Palestinians celebrating the terrorist attacks on the United States horrified all of those who were watching. Palestinian leaders were quick to point out that these were only isolated incidents by what they called an ignorant few. Chairman Yassir Arafat immediately condemned the attacks.

"We are completely shocked completely shocked. Unbelievable." Later Arafat was seen giving blood, in a symbolic gesture of solidarity with America. Arab allies, the Iranian president and even Libya have strongly condemned what has happened saying that it violates Islamic principles. But on the streets of all these countries anti-Americanism has been building. Moderates are being eclipsed by extremists after almost a year of violence in the Middle East, The Palestinian in (can't tell) in Israel.

"We don't wish for the destruction of the American people." Said this man. "We just want the destruction of Bush and Congress because they support Israel."

Experts in radical Islamic terrorism say masterminds like Ossada bin Laden have cleverly manipulated a real sense of grievance into a willingness by some to become human instruments of mass murder.

Ossada bin Laden has been, in the Muslim world, capitalizing on very sensitive issues that mobilize the whole Arab and Muslim community: The liberation of Jerusalem, American troop presence in Saudi Arabia; of course the fate of the Iraqi people suffering under sanctions. This gathered momentum after the gulf war when bin Laden bitterly complained about US troops in Saudi Arabian troops invited by Saudi Arabian leaders to defend against the Iraqis and yet condemned by bin Laden and extremist Islamic preachers for quote desecrating holy sites.

In addition, Muslims all over the world have been enraged by a decade of continued bombing against Iraqi military installations and crippling sanctions that have ended up hurting the Iraqi people more than their intended target: Saddham Hussein and his regime.

Experts say terrorism cells manage to operate in America's Arab allies such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia as well as Europe and North American.

Fearful of a backlash, mainstream Moslem leaders here in Europe are trying to explain that this war on American civilians is a crime that can never be justified as religious duty.

"The position of Muslim community in the UK, as I'm sure in different parts of the world is I'm sure is very clear. We condemn absolutely and unequivocally the atrocity that has been committed. We believe that the people, the perpetrators of this heinous crime are outside the pale of civilization."

So now British and other world leaders are calling for a global alliance to combat a global network of terrorism. To arrest them cell by cell, shut down their financial support and make it more difficult to forge travel documents. There are no quick fixes they say, just a long, sustained, and difficult campaign.

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