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Challenge | 1-2 hours

2025-26 SRL SHORTS


SRL Shorts

LessonPlan_14 SRL Social Media Guide_1_Small.png

Shorts are brief, creative videos made by student journalists that focus on personal stories, opinions, or creative takes on a topic, usually in 1 to 2 minutes, for publishing on social media. They’re often fun, personal, or reflective.

SRL SHORTS do not require pitches; you will submit these via our submission form.

BACK TO SCHOOL

DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 14, 2025

What are you most excited about this year? Grab your mic, camera, or phone and show us how you’re kicking off the school year.

Ideas to get you started:

  • What is something your school does that you’re excited about this year?
  • What’s the most unique class offered at your school?
  • What are you involved in? Feature your school's clubs, athletics, or arts!
  • What makes your school unique? What would be surprising to other students across the country?
  • Interview students about how they feel about being back at school.

CELEBRATING HISPANIC HERITAGE

ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS THROUGH OCTOBER 2025 AND ON A ROLLING BASIS

How are you celebrating the culture, stories, and contributions of the Hispanic community in your school or community?

LOCAL ELECTIONS

DEADLINE NOVEMBER 4, 2025

With the 2025 elections coming up this November, what issues are important to your community, and how are young people getting involved?

Ideas to get you started:

  • How are young people in your community making their voices heard this election season?
  • What are things your peers are doing to mobilize, and what are issues that are important to youth in your community?
  • Are you volunteering this election cycle? Take us with you and share your experience.

HOLIDAYS

DEADLINE DECEMBER 12, 2025

What traditions, celebrations, or moments make this season special in your community?

Ideas to get you started:

  • What are you celebrating? How do you gather in your community?
  • Are there any fun festivals or events that you’d like to share with us?

NEW YEAR

DEADLINE JANUARY 9, 2026

New Year, New Me! As 2026 begins, what are your goals, intentions, or stories you want to tell this year?

Ideas to get you started:

  • What are your hopes for next year?
  • What stories are you telling at this moment and why?
  • What’s something you’d want to cover in the next year?

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS THROUGH FEBRUARY 2026 AND ON A ROLLING BASIS

Black History Month is a time to honor the past, celebrate the present, and imagine the future. How is your school or community uplifting Black voices and stories?

Prompts to get you started:

Making Black History

Beyond school: learning Black history on my own

DIFFERENT TYPES OF LOVE

DEADLINE FEBRUARY 14, 2026

Valentine’s Day isn’t just about romance — it’s about all kinds of love! From friendship to self-love to family bonds, how do you see love showing up in your life and community?

Ideas to get you started:

  • Tell us about your best friend! Why do you love them?
  • What movies/music/TV do you love?
  • Are there any on-screen couples you love? What about them do you find compelling?
  • Best rom-com of all time and why?
  • How do you show love to your local community?
  • How do you practice self-love, care, and compassion?

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH

ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS THROUGH MARCH 2026 AND ON A ROLLING BASIS

March is Women’s History Month — a time to recognize the impact, resilience, and achievements of women past and present. Who inspires you, and what stories of women in your community deserve to be told?

EARTH MONTH

DEADLINE APRIL 12, 2026

What are young people in your community doing to fight climate change or care for the planet? Show us your green stories!

AAPI HERITAGE MONTH

ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS THROUGH MAY 2026 AND ON A ROLLING BASIS

Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month by shining a light on the rich cultures, stories, and contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. How is your school or community honoring AAPI voices?

LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL

DEADLINE JUNE 7, 2026

What’s next for you after high school — college, career, or creative dreams? Share your hopes, plans, or reflections as you take the next step.

Journalism

Journalism is the activity of gathering, assessing, creating, and presenting news and information.

Source: American Press institute

Media

Media refers to all electronic or digital means and print or artistic visuals used to transmit messages.

Source: NAMLE

Media consumption

The act of consuming any form of media including anything that is text or visual. It can be books, television, papers, flyers, advertisements, newspapers, information on the Internet, etc.

Diversity

The condition of having or being composed of differing elements. Especially in the context of the inclusion of people of different races, cultures, etc. in a group or organization

Source: Merriam Webster

Inclusion

The act or practice of including and accommodating people who have historically been excluded (as because of their race, gender, sexuality, or ability)

Source: Merriam Webster

Human Interest

People are interested in other people. Everyone has something to celebrate and something to complain about. We like unusual stories of people who accomplish amazing feats or handle a life crisis because we can identify with them.

Story Angle

In news, it’s a story’s point or theme. It's the lens through which the producer or writer filters the information they have gathered and focuses it to make it meaningful to viewers or readers.

Source: ThoughCo.

Audience

The people who read, watch and consume news. Often, journalists think about audience and newsworthiness in similar ways. How will the news story serve their local or national audience? Who am I writing the story for and why?

Story

An account of past or current events. In journalism, stories are presented with a combination of people, facts, and typically includes a beginning, middle and end.

Video profile

The story of one person, has voiceover (VO), b-roll, pictures, nats (natural sound), interviews of family members or peers of that one person.

Explainer video

Narration and/or voiceover (VO) with a host, commentary, research, personal experiences, explanations, infographics, nats (natural sound), music, entertainment.

Voiceover

Narration done by a broadcast reporter, usually reading from a script. The reporter's voice is recorded over a sequence of video clips that tell a story.

Source: Berkeley Advanced Media Institute

Hook

An attempt to grab the reader or viewer’s attention with interesting information that will keep them reading or watching.

Curiosity

A desire to learn and know about something or anything.

B-roll

The supplemental footage used to visually support your A-ROLL.

Search: broll.

Participation and Deliberation

Civics teaches the principles—such as adherence to the social contract, consent of the governed, limited government, legitimate authority, federalism, and separation of powers—that are meant to guide official institutions such as legislatures, courts, and government agencies. (NCSS D2.Civ.7.9-12 - D2.Civ.10.9-12)

Digital Citizenship

Students recognize the responsibilities and opportunities for positively contributing to their digital communities. (ISTE)

Demonstrate technical support related to media production (e.g., broadcast, video, web, mobile).

  • CCTC AR-AV 3.1: Demonstrate how to repair and service transmitting and receiving systems.
  • CCTC AR-AV 3.2: Employ knowledge of wireless and wired transmission systems.
  • CCTC AR-AV 3.3: Demonstrate installation of cabling for audio/video productions.
  • CCTC AR-AV 3.4: Demonstrate the installation of a wireless audio/video system.
  • CCTC AR-AV 3.5: Demonstrate how to troubleshoot audio/video system operations.
  • CCTC AR-AV 4.1: Apply knowledge of the critical elements in designing a production to activities in the pre-production stage.
  • CCTC AR-AV 4.2: Identify the basic functions and resources for editing an audio/video production.
  • CCTC AR-AV 4.3: Apply computer-based development in video production and editing, with an emphasis on digital technology.

Perspectives

Historical understanding requires recognizing this multiplicity of points of view in the past, which makes it important to seek out a range of sources on any historical question rather than simply use those that are easiest to find. It also requires recognizing that perspectives change over time, so that historical understanding requires developing a sense of empathy with people in the past whose perspectives might be very different from those of today. (NCSS D2.His.4.9-12 - D2.His.8.9-12)

Describe the diversity and variety of functions within the Journalism & Broadcasting Career Pathway.

  • CCTC AR-JB 1.1: Summarize the roles of journalism and broadcasting in society today using knowledge and history of journalism and broadcasting.
  • CCTC AR-JB 1.2: Distinguish between different forms of media and their specific applications.
  • CCTC AR-JB 1.3: Explain the value of having a broad general knowledge base and how awareness of cultural, regional, and diversity issues adds to a journalism and broadcasting career.
  • CCTC AR-JB 1.4: Analyze the business and economic factors that influence programming, content, and distribution.
  • CCTC AR-JB 1.5: Demonstrate professional conduct that follows a professional code of ethics.

Speaking and Listening - Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.4: Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.5: Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.6: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
Topics

Journalism

Representation

Video Production

Media Literacy

Education

Digital Literacy/Citizenship

Identity

Mental Health

Social Media

Active Prompts

Levels

Beginner

Materials

Mic

Camera or Mobile Phone

Mobile Phone

Estimated Time

1-2 hours