Companion Reading
The video starts with the icon for companion reading, which features three overlapping newspapers stacked on top of each other. This icon zooms out and then reappears as a watermark in the bottom corner of the screen, where it stays for the rest of this segment. The narrator explains that companion reading is the first step of information sorting.
The scene then changes to show a student sitting at a desk. On the desk, there is a computer, a book, and a phone. The student looks confused, and there might even be a question mark appearing over their head. The narrator says that companion reading “is about finding and recognizing sources that are worth your attention”.
Next, icons for various “companion texts” appear on the screen. These include icons representing a search engine (like Google), an online encyclopedia (like Wikipedia), a newspaper, and a person who could be a parent or a teacher. The narrator explains that to find trustworthy sources, you can “use companion texts – sources you know you can rely on. This could be a search engine, an online encyclopedia, or a trusted news site. It could even be someone you trust in real life, like a teacher or parent”. The scene briefly cuts to a person speaking, and a word balloon appears over them, along with a big green check mark, visually reinforcing the idea of a reliable source.
The video then shows a newspaper titled “GAZETTE”. The alternate narration suggests that “Companion texts can often help you learn if what you’re looking at is trustworthy,”. Following this, a Google-like search bar appears with the name of the newspaper in it. Below the search bar, there are search results that look like gibberish or placeholder text (lorem ipsum). A green check mark appears next to these search results, indicating that the search engine recognizes the source. The narrator explains that “You can use a search engine to see if they have the source knows about the topic, if they have a process for getting things right, and if they have strong reasons to give you accurate information”.
The next visual is of a Wikipedia-like online encyclopedia. The title of the encyclopedia page is the same as the newspaper, “GAZETTE”. Green check marks appear next to each of the sections within the encyclopedia entry, suggesting that the different parts of the source indicate reliability. The narrator states that “An online encyclopedia will tell you the same things, usually in more detail”. The scene then changes to show a person wearing a lab coat with a diploma hanging on the wall behind them, illustrating the idea of expertise. The alternate narration advises that “If the source is sharing something like science or medicine, check to see if they’re an expert or a group with authority on the topic, like a public health agency”.
The video then shows a patient and a doctor sitting in a doctor’s office. A word balloon appears over the patient’s head containing a cartoon heart, and another word balloon appears over the doctor’s head with a cartoon tooth. The narrator cautions that “Being an expert in one area doesn’t make them an expert in everything. Make sure they know what they’re talking about”. Next, a picture appears showing a “House Hippo Trend”, depicting a cartoon house hippo peering out from behind a pet’s food bowl. A red X appears over the image, and the hippo looks sad, likely because the house hippo is a fictional creature. The narrator points out that “Some companion texts, like fact-checking sites, specialize in helping you sort facts from fake”.
The screen then displays a museum website titled “ALL ABOUT HIPPOS”. The narrator suggests that “Other companion texts may be ones you already know and trust, like an official website”. Following this, the text “April Fools prank goes viral” appears alongside an image of a serious-looking newspaper titled “the TRIBUNE”. The narrator implies that a newspaper you recognize as reliable can be a good companion text. The scene then shows a young person taking the newspaper from the previous screen and putting it into a computer screen, symbolizing building a collection of trusted sources. The narrator explains that “You can start your own library of companion texts on different topics”.
Next, we see an over-the-shoulder view of a person looking at their phone. On the screen is a transit authority app displaying “AUTOBUS 7” and some bus arrival times, such as 8:33, 8:42, and 8:51. The person then looks up as the bus comes into view, confirming the information on the app. The narrator explains that “If you’re trying to answer a simple question, like when the bus is coming or whether a news story really happened, you might use companion reading to find a good source and stop there”.
Finally, the video returns to the image of the newspaper “GAZETTE”. A person’s hand holds up a magnifying glass and leans in to examine the newspaper closely. The narrator concludes this section by saying, “But if it’s more complicated, go to the next step – close reading – to make sure you’re getting the whole story”.