ACTIVITY INTRODUCTION

This activity involves watching and analysing a television news programme.

Objectives:

• Understand how news programmes convey information.
• Understand what goes into creating televised journalism.
• Become familiar with the methods of creating and sharing information (professional journalism and its ethics, economic model, etc.).

Activity variations: You may want to show participants two different news programmes and have them compare them. Students can also watch a watch a news report from a TV news programme and one from an ‘infotainment’ outlet, such as BuzzFeed, on the same news topic. They can then compare the two ways of sharing information.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Set up the room: Set up the required viewing equipment.

2. Watch the news programme.

3. Divide students into groups and pass out worksheets: For this activity, teachers need to divide students into two or three groups. The students then answer the questions.

Teachers must prepare the worksheets in advance. They should contain questions about various aspects of the news programme watched in class → SEE ‘APPENDIX’ for a sample WORKSHEET.

4. Students answer the questions as a group: Each group produces one answer to each question, which is presented to the class by a single spokesperson chosen from the group.

5. Presentation to the class: This part will shine a light on the most important elements identified by students.

DOING THIS ACTIVITY ONLINE

1. Teachers provide students with links to the news programmes or videos and worksheets (see ‘Appendix’).
2. Students watch the news programme remotely.
3. Students are divided into groups to answer the questions. Students can do this remotely using sites such as Google Drive or Framapad, which allow them to collaborate on the same document.
4. Answers are presented to the class using a videoconferencing platform, such as Zoom. The teacher sets up an access link and sends it to students.
5. Only the group’s spokespeople can present responses to the class. The spokesperson should be chosen beforehand either by the teacher or by other members of the group.
6. The teacher can use an ‘online Post-It’ website, such as https://note.ly/, as a virtual whiteboard and then leads the discussion.

APPENDIX: WORKSHEET

CREDITS: Opening music: what impression does it give? Is it always the same? What is its purpose? What do the images or symbols used represent? What feelings do the credits seek to evoke? What is the colour scheme?

PRESENTOR AND SET: Do you know the presenter? How is he or she dressed? Are they sitting? Standing? What do they say to introduce the programme? What tone does the presenter use? How is the programme shot, using close-ups or wide angles? What is the presenter looking at?

CONTENT: What topics are announced? In what order (and why, in your opinion)? How are the topics presented (duration, tone, etc.)? What do the images show and for what purpose? What essential information to the presenters give?