New Search

Check the Claim: Is this a real front page?

SKILL: Check the Claim

DIFFICULTY: Challenging

SUBJECT(S): Climate change, Politics/Current Events

Students use a keyword search to learn that this is a real cover page from a tabloid called the New York Post.

Related Lesson

CTRL-F Lesson 3: Check the Claim (sign in required)

Link to Example

NY Post Cover: Blame Canada (Tweet)
New York Post cover page. Headline is "EH!POCALYPSE NOW". Image depicts yellow haze over New York Buildings.

Background 

As of early June 2023 Canada has seen an unprecedented wildfire season with uncontrollable fires in nine provinces and territories, causing the destruction of forests and structures at the sites of the fires and the evacuation of more than 100 000 people from their homes. Toxic smoke from the fires has spread, causing poor air quality in Canadian cities like Toronto and Ottawa and the American East Coast, including Washington DC, Philadelphia and New York.

The New York Post is a daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. Though it was a respected broadsheet at the beginning of its over 200 year history, Rupert Murdoch’s acquisition in 1976 led to the adoption of the tabloid journalism style. Since then, the tabloid has been criticized for sensationalism and blatant advocacy.

Broadsheets are generally considered more reliable than tabloids which are known to publish information that is dramatized, and sometimes unverifiable or false. 



About the Example

A tweet by a user called National Newswatch claims to show a New York Post cover page with the bold headline “EH!POCALYPSE NOW” and statements, “Canuck wildfires plunge NYC into eerie, smoky hell” and, “BLAME CANADA!” 

A keyword search (“blame canada new york post”) brings up coverage by professional news organizations (such as AP News and Toronto Star) reporting that the New York Post did indeed run this cover on the June 8th edition of their daily newspaper. By reading more about the story we learn that the phrase “blame Canada” is a reference to a song written for the satirical television show South Park and perhaps not a serious accusation.

This of course raises the question: is Canada to blame or is climate change? As an optional activity students can use keyword searches to learn more about the wildfires. Additionally, students can compare the New York Post opinion piece to professional news coverage to explore the difference between both formats. 



Activities

  1. Show students the tweet and have them summarize National Newswatch’s claim. Fill in any gaps in their knowledge about the extent of the June 2023 wildfires and how they affected air quality in the Eastern US.
  2. Have students use a keyword search (“blame canada new york post”) and toggle to the “News” tab to check if other sources are reporting this claim.
  3. Have students click into the AP News coverage of the story. Guiding questions:
    • What is the phrase “Blame Canada” a reference to? 
    • Does the added context change your understanding of the statement?


Review and Discuss Key Concepts (optional)

  1. Students might want to learn more about the wildfires that inspired this bold New York Post cover and how much of the blame Canada, however jokingly, deserves. Have them use a keyword search (“canada wildfire smoke” or “canada us wildfire smoke”) to find professional news coverage about the causes of the fires and the American response. Guiding questions:
    • This article from the New York Post that is labeled as an opinion piece. What does this mean about the article? 
    • How does the New York Post piece compare to the Washington Post’s and Vox’s news coverage of the same story?
  2. Have students investigate the New York Post as a source using its Wikipedia entry. Guiding questions:
    • What is the New York Post’s reputation?
    • Is the New York Post currently a tabloid or a broadsheet? 
    • What are the differences between the format and reputation of broadsheets and tabloids?


Related Resources