4. News Writing

Over the years we have delivered thousands of sessions to young writers and we use the same principles for this session every time, regardless of age and writing experience. Ensuring the writers understand just what makes news and why we consider a story ‘news’ are the key elements.

The news comes in various forms and this module will provide suggestions for anyone who might struggle with a report. It will also offer a full insight into what actually goes into a news report. Once your writers grasp these key areas, they will be on their way to creating engaging content for your publication.

Key Objectives:

1. To understand what makes news.
2. To recognise how we access news.
3. To identify the key elements of a news report.
4. To pitch and plan a news report.
5. To write a news report.

Resources included in this module:

1. Checklist – info covered in the module and resources available.
2. Guidelines – all you need to know about News Writing and how to encourage your writers to write a report for your publication.
3. Suggested lesson plans and a blank template to create your own.
4. Worksheets – these cover understanding the news, writing the news and various aspects of news reporting such as the 5 W’s and quotes etc.
5. A planning template – to encourage your writers to write their own news report, suitable for your publication.
6. Facilitator Monitoring Form – an opportunity to capture the engagement, achievements etc of your writers.