Journalism Lesson Plan

Overview:The social networking site MySpace may be the newest tool for law enforcement officers. When an Arkansas bank robber didn’t bother to hide his face very well, Fort Smith police Sgt. Jarrard Copeland set up a profile for him, using photos from a Feb. 22 robbery and the request to “meet more bank tellers.” This isn’t a new concept either – other police departments have used this approach, too.

Suggested time allotment: One week to research this story and to localize. One week to write the news feature.

Objectives

Students will:

1. Read background about MySpace to be sure they really understand how it works, approx. how many members it has, etc. Also read about this particular plot to catch the robber. (See link below)
2. Interview local law enforcement officials, especially if the police have an Internet crimes unit as many do or have ever considered doing something like this to catch a criminal.
3. Contact MySpace to see if they know about this use or others like it and how they feel about it.
4. Write a news feature about how this has worked elsewhere and either how it IS working or the chance it might be used this way in the community. (If that is not possible, students may still have a story. Why won’t the police do this?)

Standards: National Council of Teachers of English and International Reading Association Standards for English Language Arts:

4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.

7. Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and nonprint texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.
8. Students use a variety of technological and informational resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
12. Students use spoken, written and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion and the exchange of information).

Resources and materials:
Web sites with information:
• Read about the Arkansas situation in the Associated Press article on the Yahoo news site and elsewhere: “Police try MySpace to nab bank robber,” but Jon Gambrell, March 2, 2007.
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• Read about another situation like this: “Police Using MySpace to Catch Criminals,” Aug. 7, 2006, on the Web site for Fox Carolina.
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• And another similar set-up is near Boston. “Police Department’s Web site put up on MySpace ran on The Boston Channel. Com/MCVB-TV Sept. 29, 2006..
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•MySpace a statement about privacy that includes a line about disclosures to a “third party” to respond to a subpoena.
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