Lesson 4 - Role of the Editor

Materials:

  • Copies of daily newspapers, one edition can be shared by three students.
  • Clippings from newspapers. Include a banner (the newspaper’s title), contents list, comics, weather maps, help columns and editorials along with news stories.
  • Large envelopes
  • Glue sticks, scissors, poster board

Preparation:

This lesson takes some work, but you can save time by using a photocopier. 
Cut out a variety of news stories, feature articles, sports stories, photographs, advertisements, comics, banners, even the advice columns. You must have enough cut out so that a group of students can choose articles and advertisements for the front page of a newspaper. Use a photocopier to duplicate the stories, but try to vary the contents of each envelope so that it is unlikely that two front pages will look the same.

Assignment

  1. Pick up a copy of the newspaper, and look for an interesting or unusual story.
     
  2. Share your ideas on what’s interesting and what’s newsworthy. On Editboard each person answers the following question: 

    What makes information newsworthy?
     
  3. Organize yourself into groups of two or three.
     
  4. Distribute envelopes containing the clippings, as well as glue sticks, scissors and poster board.
     
  5. You are now the editor who chooses stories for the front page of their newspaper. 
     
  6. Chose the articles and photographs and glue the clippings on to a poster board so that the stories form the design of a front page. 

    Some clippings may have to be cut to fit. Before cutting, read the story over carefully. You should identify the most important information in the story. Less important information and detail can be cut out. In a news story the facts are arranged in an Inverted Pyramid style. The information at the bottom of the story contains details that are not crucial to the story. 



As a reminder of what a front page looks like, see examples of real front pages linked here. If you have time, visit a news stand where international papers are sold and display front pages from other cities. 
 

  1. You have 2 days on the front page design.
     
  2. Be prepared for one person in your group to explain the decisions their group had to make on what stories and photographs deserved the front page. 
     
  3. The front pages will be collect and checked for understanding of key concepts of What is “Hard” News.

Assessment:

Group marks can be assigned based on knowledge of what a news story is.

Neatness will count.