What is Newsworthy?

Explain to students that every day, journalists around the world are challenged with identifying what is newsworthy and what isn’t. While journalists strive to be fair and accurate, their life experiences shape the decisions they make.

Reporters and editors use certain guidelines to determine whether or not information is worth being shared. Since the advent of the Internet and smartphones, journalists also use social media to see what news people are engaging with.

How do journalists make their stories newsworthy?

Virtual Option: Use Zoom, Google Meet, or other video conferencing platforms to complete the activity

STEP 1: Divide the class into groups of 3-4 students. Set a 5-minute limit to each group discussion and then ask students to share out to the whole class.

• Ask students: Where do you discover news?
• What’s the last story you were talking about with friends and family? Where did you find information about the story?

STEP 2: Determine if there is a common story that students mentioned

• Explain that Google Trends is one way to see what a lot of people online are talking about and sharing. Have students explore Google Trends and search for a specific topic or term from the common story to see how much it’s been searched by people online.
• Next, have students point out things they notice - is that story highly searched across the United States or just a specific region? Are there other similar trending stories?
• Ask students: why do they think that story is trending? What makes the story relevant and newsworthy?

STEP 3: Pass out the Newsworthiness Chart

• Have students read through each definition from the chart and discuss how each section makes a story newsworthy.
• Now shift to how journalists find their stories. Explain that the role of a journalist is to be out and about in the community, going to events, listening to people, and meeting them. Journalists get to know people connected to a story they are interested in (these people are commonly referred to as “sources”). If that person does not want to help, journalists might ask if they know someone else who might be good to talk to.
• Ask students: If you were a journalist searching for a newsworthy story about your school, what would you do. Suggest going to a sporting event, a school board meeting, a rally, etc.
• Ask students: What is a local news source? Share 2-4 local news websites - traditional news outlets and others (such as Patch, Facebook group, local NPR station, etc). Explain that like finding newsworthy stories about your school, local news provides information that is relevant to the community they serve and report in and their interests.

Virtual Option: Use this Padlet template to complete the worksheet in a more interactive way. Be sure to click the remake icon to make a copy of our template. If you are using Padlet for the first time, you can create a free account here: https://padlet.com.

STEP 1: Divide into pairs to complete this worksheet.

STEP 2: Instruct each group of students to identify their local news organizations. Are they aware of them? Then, instruct students to find two news stories they find interesting: one local and one national. This could be from a local news site, a social media platform, or a national news site like PBS NewsHour, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Google News, or Apple News. They will use this story to complete the worksheet.

STEP 3: Bringing the class back together, select students to share their news story and report their findings on what makes this story newsworthy.

BONUS: Ask students to identify the basic elements of information gathering to determine if the news story has them all: WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY

If your students are working towards producing a story or news package, have them refine their story idea and pitch sheet using the worksheet to check that their story is Newsworthy.

Ask students to reflect on the characteristics that make a story newsworthy. Why do they think journalists use those specific characteristics? What are some others? How do you understand news differently after this activity?

OTHER: What is the difference between a reporter who works for a local news organization, versus a journalist who works at a national news organization?

Self-reflection is important. Distribute copies of the What is Newsworthy Exit Ticket.