Sunday’s lesson builds on the workshop’s previous lessons, which have so far included a brief introduction to the world of journalism, as well as research and fact-checking. Through an engaging slideshow and a group activity, students learned the importance of various types of interviews, preparation and research skills, and how to effectively integrate interview responses into their articles by using story arcs.
During the class’ assigned group activity, students reached for the stars. In pairs, they were instructed to pretend to be a role model of their choosing — i.e. a doctor, scientist, sports star — while the other partner interviewed them, after which they swapped roles. Sara Pungar pretended to be a successful veterinarian, while her partner Eva Bradley was a famous biologist who made a life-changing discovery! Providing students with the opportunity to emulate the figures they look up to is important in building their confidence.
The workshop's goal is to instill a basic understanding of news reporting in our young community members
Students will add to this knowledge by participating in two more workshop lessons on story structure and social media. These lessons will provide a basic understanding of writing news articles and how to promote them using social media.
Events such as the recent news ban on Meta platforms in Canada, in tandem with the prevalence of misinformation online, mean it is of the utmost importance that the spirit of journalism is kept alive in younger generations. The workshop's goal is to instill a basic understanding of news reporting in our young community members, such that they will be able to critically engage with information they encounter — online and elsewhere.
Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for the workshop's final outcome: an article on a topic of the student’s choosing, as well as a social media post on our Instagram and Facebook accounts made to promote them.
This article was written by Natalie Jenkins as part of the Local Journalism Initiative.
