Books in Headlines series

The debate over the ethics of assisted suicide has raged for the better part of a century. From Dr. Jack Kevorkian's controversial practices to international euthanasia laws, there is nothing easy about the decision to end a life. The articles in this book speak to the legal battles, the historical context, and the personal stories that shed light on the various perspectives and conflicts that go into understanding the current state and future of assisted suicide. Media literacy questions and terms will engage readers and aid them in considering the many facets of this complicated issue.

Several years before the revelations around sexual harassment and misconduct in Hollywood sparked the #metoo movement, colleges and universities across America were reeling from a series of assaults that challenged the way sexual consent had been taught. The articles collected here detail the evolution of the debate, from individual cases that captured national attention to the implementation of California's Affirmative Consent law. Beyond highlighting the legal and administrative responses to these cases, this book features stories of the consequences students have faced in their daily lives as they navigate the debate.

The digital world is omnipresent. The rise of the Internet, smartphones, video games, and dating apps have provided people with more information, entertainment, and communication than ever before. While technology continues to develop at breakneck speed, its results are not always positive. Addiction to the tech world has resulted in serious mental health problems, overuse injuries, privacy challenges, and worry on the part of parents and other adults about its long-term effects. With the aid of media literacy questions and terms, this collection of thought-provoking and educational New York Times articles helps readers take a critical look at the tech phenomenon.

The subject of identity politics has become increasingly prevalent in recent years. In this collection of topical articles, readers will become familiar with a wide range of opinions and news concerning individual and group identities that form around race, sexual orientation, gender, political party affiliation, and more. The political usefulness of certain identities is explored, with a particular focus on the 2016 presidential election and the implications of one identity being politically asserted over another. Media literacy terms and questions will engage readers to consider the topic beyond the text.

Over the past few years, e-cigarettes such as Juul have taken over the market, rising in popularity among smokers and retailers. Originally marketed as a safer alternative to smoking, vaping may actually not be as harmless as first believed. As scientists debate the relative merits of e-cigarettes, policymakers have had to contend with a new reality: the rise in vaping among teenagers. The articles in this book evaluate the increasing prominence and regulation of the vaping industry, and media literacy questions and terms will enlighten readers to how news coverage of the topic has developed.

In October 2018, Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent journalist who was critical of the Saudi Arabian government, was assassinated at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. His was an extreme case of censorship: the act of suppressing people, platforms, and ideas that are contrary to the status quo. Why do governments, publications, and other entities censor information? Is motivation driven only by authoritarian power, or are there sometimes benefits to censorship, as in that of the U.S. press during times of war? In this collection, readers encounter cases of suppression in the arts, scientific studies, and the evolution of censorship in the internet age, particularly in nations such as China, Russia, and Saudi Arabia. Media literacy questions and terms aid readers in analyzing how this complex topic is reported.

Thanks to the twenty-four-hour news cycle, today we can learn of big news developments in no time at all. But what about the smallerand strangerevents that are often overlooked or ignored? This captivating volume offers readers the oddest stories ever to hit the newspapers. A dog on trial for murder? A man who choked to death on the garlic he used to repel vampires? A torrent of frogs raining from the sky? A lady who picked up broadcasting signals through her teeth? The trouser thief? These crazy news stories will convince readers that truth is often stranger than fiction. Sidebars, a glossary, and books and websites in the further reading section are also included.