EXERCISE 1.1. Selection of topic for a news story

Aim

The aim of the exercise is to help participants understand criteria for identifying newsworthiness of a story. The exercise consists of three stages: the first stage involves the selection of topic based on personal experience, the second stage envisages the same but based on the experience of other people, and the third stage involves discussion.

Length

Working form 1: 30 min (class exercise)

Working form 2: Homework 1 day, team work 10 min, presentation 15 min, discussion 10 min.

Method

Individual work, team work, presentation, discussion

Material needed

Printed out working forms, pens, whiteboard, flipchart paper sheets.

Task 1: Distribute printed working form 1 to participants and ask them to select a topic for a news story based on the listed criteria (10 min).

Discussion 1: Ask the participants to present selected topics and justify selection criteria. Write on the whiteboard the criteria which all participants agree on.

Download working form 1

Task 2. Distribute working from 2 to the participants and tell them to fill it out at home and then present the results at a workshop. At the workshop, divide the participants into groups (3-4 groups) and ask them to write out from individually filled in forms those issues which various age groups considered the most important. Each group must present its findings by age groups and compare them with the results of the first polling exercise (personal experience).

Download working form 2

Discussion. After the group presentations, try to answer the following questions:

How does the personal experience affect the identification of newsworthiness of a news story?
Can an issue which you deem pressing be important for representatives of other age groups?
How should media report an issue which is important for everyone?