This lesson plan is designed to help journalists understand what is required to plan for news events, programmes and products.
It is based on a series of three articles which we recommend trainers/consultants read before adapting this lesson plan for your own purposes. Those articles are:
Learning objective
Students will evaluate the essential components of planning a new media product, including defining the target audience, setting a unique editorial proposition, assessing costs, and calculating potential returns. They will apply these components to create a project plan for a hypothetical news product, demonstrating their understanding of project management principles.
- Student-facing objective: By the end of this lesson, I’ll be able to identify key steps in planning a new media product and use them to draft a project plan for a news product.
- Standards: Student journalists will learn what is involved in planning a new programme, product, or event coverage so that they develop the skills for creating successful news products.
Learning activities
Warm-up
- Begin with a quick “Notice and Wonder” activity.
- Display a simple project timeline for a hypothetical media product launch.
- Ask students:
- “What do you notice about this timeline?”
- “What do you wonder about the steps involved?”
- Give students a few minutes to think and discuss with a partner.
- Then, ask several students to share their observations and questions.
- Record these on the board to highlight key elements of project planning, such as:
- defining tasks
- setting deadlines
- identifying dependencies.
- This primes students for the lesson’s focus on project management principles.
Direct instruction
- Define the target audience:
- Present a case study of a media organisation launching a new podcast.
- Ask students to identify the target audience based on demographic data and media consumption habits.
- Discuss how understanding the audience influences content creation.
- Provide a list of potential audience characteristics and have students match them to content strategies.
- Set a unique editorial proposition:
- Introduce a scenario where a media company wants to differentiate its new online magazine.
- Guide students to brainstorm unique content angles or features that set it apart from competitors.
- Use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast with existing products.
- Discuss how these unique propositions can attract and retain audiences.
- Assess costs and calculate returns:
- Provide a simplified budget for a new media product, including costs for production, marketing, and distribution.
- Have students work in small groups to identify potential revenue streams, such as advertising or subscriptions.
- Use a basic profit equation (revenue – costs = profit) to calculate potential returns.
- Discuss how financial planning impacts project viability and decision-making.
Guided practice
Think, Pair, Share: Guide students through a collaborative exercise to reinforce project management concepts.
- Think:
- Present a hypothetical scenario where a media organisation plans to launch a new digital news platform.
- Ask students to individually list the steps they would take to define the target audience, set a unique editorial proposition, assess costs, and calculate returns.
- Pair:
- Have students pair up to compare their lists.
- Encourage them to discuss differences and similarities, and refine their steps based on their partner’s input.
- Share:
- Invite pairs to share their refined steps with the class.
- Facilitate a discussion to consolidate a comprehensive list of steps, highlighting key components of project management.
- Feedback:
- Provide feedback on the shared steps, emphasising the importance of each component in the planning process.
- Reflection:
- Ask students to reflect on how their understanding of project management has evolved through this exercise.
- Encourage them to consider how they might apply these skills in real-world media projects.
Independent practice
- Project plan creation: Instruct students to individually create a project plan for a hypothetical news product. They should:
- Define the target audience, using demographic and media consumption data.
- Set a unique editorial proposition, identifying what differentiates their product.
- Assess costs, listing potential expenses and resources needed.
- Calculate potential returns, identifying revenue streams and using the profit equation (revenue – costs = profit).
- Peer review: Pair students to exchange their project plans. Each student should review their partner’s plan, providing constructive feedback on clarity, feasibility, and completeness.
- Revise and submit: Allow time for students to revise their plans based on peer feedback. Collect the final project plans for assessment.
Circulate to observe and support students as needed.
Assignment
Ask students these questions:
- What is one key step in planning a new media product that you found most challenging, and why?
- How does understanding the target audience influence the creation of a media product?
- What’s one question you still have from today’s lesson?
Suggested answers:
- Suggested answer to Question 1: Identifying the unique editorial proposition can be challenging because it requires creativity and market analysis.
- Suggested answer to Question 2: Understanding the target audience helps tailor content to meet their needs and preferences, increasing engagement and relevance.
Teacher resources
Differentiation guide
- Advanced learners: Encourage them to explore additional project management methodologies, such as Agile or Scrum, and apply these frameworks to their project plans. Challenge them to identify potential risks and develop contingency plans. Allow them to lead peer review sessions, providing feedback and suggestions for improvement.
- Striving learners: Provide additional scaffolding by breaking down each project management step into smaller, manageable tasks. Use visual aids, such as flowcharts or graphic organisers, to help them understand the sequence of steps. Pair them with peers for collaborative work, ensuring they receive guidance and support. Offer examples and templates to assist in creating their project plans.
- Recommended reading: This lesson plan is based on a series of three articles on Media Helping Media which we recommend trainers/consultants read before adapting this lesson outline for your own purposes.
Notable definitions
- Target audience: The specific group of people a media product is intended for, defined by demographics, interests, and media consumption habits.
- Editorial proposition: The unique content angle or feature that distinguishes a media product from its competitors, designed to attract and retain the target audience.
- Revenue streams: The various sources of income generated by a media product, such as advertising, subscriptions, or sponsorships, which contribute to its financial sustainability.
Required materials
- Computers with internet access
- Projector or screen for displaying timelines and case studies
- Whiteboard and markers
- Venn diagram templates
- Budget worksheets
- Calculators
- Peer review checklists
Lesson summary
- Warm-up
- Direct instruction
- Guided practice
- Independent practice
- Assignment
The free teaching tools at the Khan Academy were used in the production of this lesson plan.
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