Murrow Standard Curriculum

Lessons in communication

Building Critical Thinkers Through Media Literacy and Communication

The Murrow Standard is a free collection of classroom-ready lesson plans designed to help students become more thoughtful consumers and creators of media.

Inspired by keynote presentations and expert panels from the annual Murrow Symposium at Washington State University’s Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, each lesson combines real-world insights from leading journalists, communication professionals, industry leaders, and Murrow faculty with engaging classroom discussions and hands-on learning activities.

Whether students are exploring journalism ethics, artificial intelligence, misinformation, social media, storytelling, leadership, sports communication, nonprofit advocacy, or strategic communication, each lesson encourages them to think critically about the messages they consume – and the messages they create.

Designed for educators, each lesson includes one or more of the following:

  • Classroom-ready learning objectives
  • Pre-video warm-up activities
  • Embedded Murrow Symposium presentation videos
  • Discussion questions that promote critical thinking
  • Interactive classroom activities
  • Teacher notes connecting the content to media literacy concepts

Although each lesson can stand alone, together they create a flexible curriculum that helps students develop communication skills, ethical decision-making, digital citizenship, and media literacy across a wide range of contemporary issues.

Explore Lessons by Topic

Rather than following a single sequence, The Murrow Standard is organized into thematic collections, allowing teachers to select lessons that best align with their curriculum, classroom discussions, or current events.

Journalism, Truth & Media Literacy

Explore the essential role journalism plays in an informed society while examining ethics, credibility, misinformation, verification, artificial intelligence, and public trust.

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Digital Media, Social Media & Emerging Technology

Discover how digital platforms, artificial intelligence, influencers, and evolving technologies are transforming communication, journalism, and storytelling.

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Strategic Communication, Branding & Public Relations

Learn how organizations build trust, shape public perception, and communicate strategically through branding, partnerships, storytelling, and audience engagement.

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Leadership, Careers & Professional Growth

Hear from accomplished professionals who share lessons on leadership, resilience, mentorship, networking, career development, and lifelong learning.

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Sports Communication & Storytelling

Explore how communication shapes sports through journalism, marketing, partnerships, branding, fan engagement, and community impact.

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Communication for Public Good

Discover how communication professionals strengthen communities through nonprofit leadership, advocacy, diplomacy, civic engagement, and public service.

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Storytelling, Content Creation & Creative Media

Examine how compelling stories are crafted across journalism, podcasts, television, documentaries, digital media, and entertainment.

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Communication Across Industries

See how communication skills open doors across diverse professions—from law and diplomacy to healthcare, hospitality, agriculture, nonprofits, and technology.

Lesson Topics & Links

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