Close Reading
The video begins with the icon for close reading, which shows a magnifying glass positioned over a piece of paper. This icon zooms out and then reappears as a watermark in the bottom corner of the screen, where it remains for the rest of the video. The narrator states that close reading is the second step of information sorting.
The scene then shifts to an image of someone peering closely at a phone using a magnifying glass. The narrator explains that close reading is when you look closely at sources you already know are worth your attention.
Next, an empty rectangle appears, which transforms into a newspaper front page. The newspaper features lorem ipsum text filling part of the bottom third, and a pullout quote box, also with lorem ipsum text, occupying the rest of the bottom third. In the middle third of the page, there is a picture of a comet, and the headline reads “COMET!”. The narrator says that when you’re close reading, you should study how media makers combine images, sound, word choice, and editing to get a certain reaction, and that these are the medium’s rules of notice.
The screen then displays two newspapers side by side. The first newspaper is the same one from the previous shot, with the “COMET!” headline. The second newspaper has a completely different main story and headline, which could be the “We win” story mentioned later in the source. This second newspaper also has a small picture and story about the comet in the bottom right corner. The narrator asks what these combinations make you notice first and what information is easy to miss. Following this, a third newspaper appears with a picture of a blazing comet that looks scarier than in the previous example, and a headline that reads “COMET CLOSE CALL!”. The narrator then poses the question: “Do they use those tactics to make you feel a certain way?”.
The scene changes to an encyclopedia entry for the “shy House Hippo”. The narrator explains that if a source uses these tactics, it doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t trustworthy, and similarly, you shouldn’t trust something just because it’s boring or serious. The next image is a diagram showing the Earth and a comet, with an arrow indicating the comet’s path passing by the Earth. The narrator advises that it does mean you should focus on the facts instead of how it makes you feel. Following this, the text “Breaking News Crowd Cheers!” appears on screen.
An icon for companion reading fades in, and the narrator says to pay extra attention if your companion reading told you that the source has a strong point of view. The scene then shows bleacher seats full of fans at a stadium. The narrator says to look at how things are framed, explaining that where the camera is positioned can make the stadium look full. The perspective then zooms out to show the camera and cameraperson from behind. From this wider view, it becomes clear that only the bleacher directly in front of the camera is full, while the others have just a few people in them. The narrator concludes that this framing can also make the stadium look empty. The text “Yay Fans!” appears on screen, followed by “Where is everyone?”.
Next, two Tik Tok-style videos appear side by side. The video on the left features a smiling person talking to the camera, with a caption that reads “POWER BACK IN HALF OF HOMES!”. The person in the video on the right is in shadow, possibly holding a candle, and looks sad. This video’s caption reads “HALF OF HOMES STILL WITHOUT POWER!”. The narrator explains that the same story can be framed as good or bad news, depending on your point of view. The scene then shows three newspapers side by side, all appearing to be different editions of the same newspaper with the same masthead. The headlines read “WE WIN!”, “WE WIN!”, and “CUTE DOG!”. The narrator points out that you can also look at what isn’t included, suggesting that a sportscast that only reports your team’s winning games wouldn’t be giving you the whole picture.
The first two newspapers disappear, and the “Cute dog” paper moves to the left of the screen. Another newspaper appears, with a different masthead, and its headline reads “THEY LOSE!”. The narrator asks how you can find out what wasn’t included, suggesting that you should check how other sources cover the subject and see if they give the same details.
The next visual shows a stereotypical reporter in a trench coat talking to a stereotypical scientist in a lab coat. On the other side of the screen, there is a person with moose antlers sitting sadly by themselves. The narrator asks: “Did a reporter writing a story about a new treatment talk to people who have the disease, or just the scientists who perfected the treatment?”. The narrator then advises to think about who might be involved or affected, and see if they’re included. Finally, the text “Close Reading” appears, followed by the “Companion Reading” icon, as the companion reading and close reading icons fade in one after the other. The narrator concludes by saying, “Remember, don’t bother to use close reading until you’re sure it’s worth your attention – either because you already know it’s reliable or because you’ve used companion reading to be sure”.