English · Première, Terminale (B1 to C2), Bac pro

Session 5: The press as counterpoint: viral post versus newspaper article

Recap check
  1. Name three of AFP's checking steps.
  2. What is a reliable source?
  3. What does out of context mean?
Answer key
  1. Reverse search, original upload, live feed, comparison with media.
  2. An identified, competent source that shows its evidence and corrects its mistakes.
  3. A real picture shown with a false date or place.
Question : How does professional journalism handle the same story as a viral post?

Objectives

Today's language goal

To compare a viral post and a press article on the same story, we need the parts of an article (headline, standfirst, byline, correction) and comparatives (more reliable than, less transparent than, as fast as).

Documents

The viral post

The post: the AI picture of Katy Perry at the 2024 Met Gala, shared on X with a caption praising the gown, over 300,000 likes.

Fact-checks : PolitiFact

"Contrary to the images circulating on social media, Katy Perry was not one of them."
NPR, 7 May 2024
The press as counterpoint

The article: NPR, 7 May 2024, by a named journalist. It states the facts, quotes the singer and an expert, and gives readers verification advice. Read NPR · Watch BBC Verify

CriterionViral postPress article
AuthorUnknown or nicknameNamed journalist
DateOften missingDate and time
SourcesNoneExperts, agencies, links
AimGet reactions and sharesInform and explain
MistakesRarely correctedCorrections published

Grammar lesson: comparatives and superlatives

To compare a viral post and a press article on the same story, we need comparatives and superlatives
For the teacher: how to run it (8 to 10 minutes)
  1. Show the comparison grid. Ask: which is faster, a post or an article? Which is more reliable?
  2. Write: short adjectives + -er than / long adjectives more ... than. Then less ... than and as ... as.
  3. Add the superlatives with the most, the least. Students copy.
  4. Quick check, then exercises, then the grid and the ten-line writing.
On the board, to copy

Rule

To compare two things, use a comparative + than. To say something is at the top or the bottom of a group, use a superlative with the.

Form

  • short adjectives: + -er than: faster, cheaper; the + -est: the fastest.
  • long adjectives: more / less + adjective + than: more reliable than; the most reliable.
  • equality: (not) as + adjective + as: A post is not as reliable as an article.
  • irregular: good → better → the best; bad → worse → the worst; far → further.

Use

  • To fill in the comparison grid in full sentences.
  • To nuance: slightly more, much more, far less.
  • Careful: the press is not perfect; compare, do not idealise.

Examples from the lesson

  • A viral post spreads faster than a press article.
  • A press article is more reliable than an anonymous post.
  • A post is less transparent about its sources.
  • The post was not as accurate as NPR's article.

Common mistakes

  • Not more fast than, but faster than
  • Not more reliable that, but more reliable than
  • Not the most fast, but the fastest
  • Not more better, but better

Quick check (2 minutes, hands up or mini whiteboards)Complete with the comparative.

  1. A post is (fast) ______ an article.
  2. An article is (reliable) ______ a post.
  3. A correction is (good) ______ silence.
  4. Anonymous posts are (transparent) ______ named articles. (less)
Show the answers

1. faster than. 2. more reliable than. 3. better than. 4. less transparent than.

Exercises

EntryRecognition. Underline the comparatives and superlatives and say: superiority (+), inferiority (−), equality (=), superlative (S).

  1. A post spreads faster than an article.
  2. The article is more detailed.
  3. An anonymous post is less reliable than a named journalist.
  4. A correction is not as visible as the mistake.
  5. The fastest posts are often the least checked.
  6. NPR's article was better sourced than the post.
Show the answers

1. faster than, +. 2. more detailed, +. 3. less reliable than, −. 4. not as visible as, = (negative). 5. the fastest, the least checked, S. 6. better sourced than, +.

CoreGap-fill. Use the word in brackets in the comparative or superlative form.

  1. A press article is (reliable) than a viral post.
  2. The post had (many) likes than the article had readers.
  3. The byline makes the article (transparent).
  4. This was (bad) mistake of the year.
  5. Fact-checks are (slow) than rumours.
  6. A named journalist is (accountable) than an anonymous account.
  7. The Pope picture was one of (viral) images of 2023.
  8. The correction was (short) than the article.
Show the answers

1. more reliable. 2. more. 3. more transparent. 4. the worst. 5. slower. 6. more accountable. 7. the most viral. 8. shorter.

StretchProduction. Compare the Pope post and the Full Fact article in six sentences: author, date, sources, aim, mistakes, speed.

Show the answers

For example: The Pope post was published by an unknown account, whereas the Full Fact article comes from a known fact-checking organisation. The article is more precise about the date. It is far more transparent about its sources. The post's aim was to get reactions; the article's aim is to inform. The article is more accountable, since mistakes are corrected. But the post spread much faster than the article.

Going further (for students heading to language studies)Advanced. Use double comparatives and nuance. Rewrite and explain.

  1. When a post is more shocking, it is shared more. (The more ..., the more ...)
  2. Articles are a little more reliable. (slightly / far)
  3. Rumours spread faster and faster. (explain the structure)
Show the answers

1. The more shocking a post is, the more it is shared. 2. Articles are slightly more reliable (small difference) / far more reliable (big difference). 3. Comparative + and + comparative shows a progressive increase. These structures are typical of essays and debates.

Words in action

To say it precisely, we need the right words

EntryMatch: headline, standfirst, byline, correction.

  1. the name of the journalist
  2. the title of the article
  3. a public note that fixes a mistake
  4. the short text under the title that sums up the article
Show the answers

1. byline. 2. headline. 3. correction. 4. standfirst.

CoreComplete with: reliable, transparent, accountable, anonymous. A post by an ______ account is not ______. A newspaper is ______: it publishes corrections and is more ______ about its sources.

Show the answers

anonymous, reliable, accountable, transparent.

StretchExplain “the press as counterpoint”.

Show the answers

In music, a counterpoint is a second melody that answers the first. The press answers the viral post with facts, sources and corrections.

Activities

  1. Fill in the comparison grid with a second pair: the Pope picture and the Full Fact article.
  2. Find in the NPR article the headline, the byline, the date and the quotes.
  3. Nuance: the press makes mistakes too; it stands out because it corrects them publicly.
  4. Writing: in ten lines, explain what a newspaper adds that a post does not.

Exercise

Turn this post into the start of a press article: "Katy Perry slayed at the Met!!!" Write a headline and a three-line standfirst.
Answer keyExample. Headline: Katy Perry was not at the Met Gala: viral pictures were AI-generated. Standfirst: Pictures of the singer in a floral gown gathered millions of views on X. She was not at the event and said she had to work. Experts explain how to spot such fakes.

Figures of speech in the documents

Metaphor: the press as counterpoint

Session title: “The press as counterpoint”

In music, a counterpoint is a second melody played against the first, which makes the whole richer. The press is compared to it: against the noisy melody of the viral post, it plays the slower line of facts and sources. This is a metaphor from music.

EntryFrom which art does the word counterpoint come?

Show the answers

Music.

CoreExplain in one sentence why the image fits.

Show the answers

The press does not silence the viral post; it answers it with another line, made of facts and sources.

StretchFind another image for the role of the press (a lighthouse, a filter, a referee) and explain it.

Show the answers

For example: The press is a filter: it lets facts through and stops rumours, although some grains of error still pass.

Gap-fill worksheet

Word bank : byline, standfirst, corrects, sources, date

  1. The journalist's name is the ______.
  2. The short text under the headline is the ______.
  3. A serious newspaper ______ its mistakes.
  4. An article quotes its ______.
  5. An article always shows its ______.
Answer key
  1. byline
  2. standfirst
  3. corrects
  4. sources
  5. date

Expression task

Now say it

Writing: in ten lines, explain what a newspaper adds that a post does not.

EntryFour sentences, each with one comparative.

CoreTen lines with four comparatives, one superlative and the parts of an article.

StretchAdd the nuance that the press makes mistakes too, with “not as ... as” and a correction example.

Tools to use:

Show a model answer

A newspaper adds what a viral post rarely gives: a name, a date and sources. NPR's article was signed by a named journalist, whereas the Katy Perry post came from an account that cared only about likes. The article is more reliable because it quotes the singer and an expert. It is also more transparent: readers can check the links. Of course, the press is not as fast as social media, and it makes mistakes too. However, it is the most accountable source, because it publishes corrections.

Levels

LevelAdjustment
Première (B1)Three criteria only.
Terminale (B1 to B2)Add linking words: whereas, while, on the other hand.
C1/C2 extensionDiscuss the business model of news: subscriptions, advertising, public service.
Bac proLink to trade magazines in your field.

Homework

Find a press article and a post on the same neutral topic (weather, sport, culture). Complete the comparison grid on the gap-fill worksheet.
Answer keyModel answer: all five criteria are filled in for both documents, with at least one exact quote from the article and its date.