Day 1: Foundations of Newswriting (8 Hours)

Opening program: Welcome and Course Overview

• Introductions: Participants and Trainer
• Course Objectives and Expectations
• Overview of the Two-Day Agenda
• Brief Icebreaker Activity

Session 1: Understanding News Values 

• What is News?
  
  • Definitions and purpose of news
  • The role of news in society (informing, educating, watchdog)
  • Discussion: What makes something “news”?
• The Elements of Newsworthiness
  
  • Detailed exploration of: Impact/Consequence, Timeliness/Currency, Proximity, Prominence, Conflict, Unusualness/Novelty, Human Interest
  • Examples for each news value

Session 2: News Gathering 

• The Reporter’s Mindset
  
  • Curiosity, skepticism, persistence, accuracy
  • Basic tools: notebook, recording device, critical thinking
• Observation and Fact-Finding
  
  • Developing keen observation skills
  • Initial research and background checks
  • The importance of verification and cross-referencing information
• Interviewing Techniques
  
  • Preparation: Researching the topic and interviewee
  • Types of questions: open-ended, closed-ended, probing, follow-up
  • Active listening and effective note-taking
  • Handling difficult situations (e.g., reluctant sources, evasive answers)
  • Ethical considerations in interviewing (on-the-record, off-the-record, on background)

Session 3: Finding the Right Peg 

• Understanding the “Peg”
  
  • Definition: The central idea, angle, or news hook of a story
  • Why a strong peg is crucial for focus, clarity, and reader engagement
  • Distilling complex information into a compelling core message
• Developing Story Angles (45 min)
  
  • Brainstorming different perspectives on the same event or issue
  • Identifying the most significant, impactful, or unique aspect.
  • Considering the target audience and their interests
  • Techniques for finding fresh angles (e.g., human impact, unexpected consequences, local relevance)

Session 4: News Sources 

• Types of Sources
  
  • Primary Sources: Eyewitnesses, official documents, direct interviews, raw data
  • Secondary Sources: Reports, analyses, academic papers, news articles (from other outlets)
  • Tertiary Sources: Encyclopedias, summaries (use with caution for verification)
  • Discussion: Advantages and disadvantages of each type.
• Identifying and Cultivating Reliable Sources
  
  • Official sources (government, police, institutions, spokespersons)
  • Expert sources (academics, professionals, researchers).
  • Community sources (activists, leaders, residents).
  • Developing trust and rapport
  • Protecting confidential sources
• Verifying and Corroborating Information
  
  • The importance of multiple sources
  • Red flags for unreliable information
  • Basic fact-checking principles

Day 2: Crafting the News Story & Critiquing (8 Hours)

Opening Program: Day 1 Recap and Q&A

• Brief review of key concepts from Day 1
• Open forum for questions

Session 5: Types of News 

• Hard News vs. Soft News
  
  • Hard News: Definition, characteristics (timely, factual, significant), examples (crime, politics, disasters)
  • Soft News (Feature News): Definition, characteristics (less time-sensitive, human-interest driven, narrative), examples (profiles, trend pieces, historical features)
  • Discussion: When to use each type
• Common News Story Formats
  
  • Spot News: Reporting on events as they happen
  • Follow-up Stories: Continuing coverage of a developing event
  • Updates/Briefs: Concise summaries of minor news items
  • News Releases/Press Releases: Understanding their purpose and how to extract news from them
• Beyond Text: The Role of Visuals
  
  • How photos, videos, and infographics enhance news stories
  • Basic considerations for visual storytelling

Session 6: News Writing 

• The Inverted Pyramid Structure
  
  • Concept: Most important information first, followed by supporting details in descending order of importance
  • Rationale: Reader attention, ease of editing, immediate information delivery
  • Visual representation and breakdown
• The Lead
  
  • The 5 W’s and 1 H: Who, What, When, Where, Why, How – and their hierarchy in the lede
  • Crafting compelling and concise leads (single sentence, maximum two)
  • Types of leads: Summary, Quote (use with caution), Question (generally avoid for hard news)
  • Common lead writing mistakes to avoid (e.g., burying the lede, too long, too vague)
• Body Paragraphs and Attribution
  
  • Elaborating on the 5 W’s and 1 H
  • Providing context, background, and supporting details
  • Effective integration of quotes and proper attribution
  • Using transitions for flow and coherence
• The Tail (Ending)
  
  • Less crucial information, future developments, contact details, or a final relevant quote
• Principles of News Writing Style
  
  • Clarity, conciseness, accuracy, objectivity
  • Active voice, strong verbs, precise language
  • Avoiding jargon, clichés, and opinion

Session 7: Workshop and Critiquing Session

• Part 1: News Story Writing Workshop
  
  • Scenario Introduction: Trainer provides a detailed scenario with raw facts, quotes, and background information (e.g., a local event, a community issue, a minor incident)
  • Individual Writing Time: Participants are given a set time to write a news story based on the provided scenario, applying all the principles learned (news values, peg, inverted pyramid, lead writing, source attribution)
  • Trainer provides guidance and answers individual questions during this time
• Part 2: Critiquing Session
  
  • Peer Review: Participants exchange their written news stories (anonymously or in small groups, as preferred)
  • Guided Critique: Using a provided checklist (e.g., clarity of lede, presence of 5 W’s, inverted pyramid structure, accuracy, grammar, flow, strong peg, headline effectiveness), participants provide constructive feedback to their peers
  • Group Discussion and Trainer Feedback: Selected stories (or excerpts) are discussed as a whole group, with the trainer providing expert critique, highlighting strengths, and suggesting areas for improvement
  • Emphasis on learning from examples

Closing program: Course Wrap-up, Q&A, and Certificates

• Key takeaways from the course
• Final Q&A session
• Distribution of certificates of completion
• Course evaluation