This lesson plan is designed to teach students how to find and assess important news angles for a breaking news story.
It’s based on the article ‘Story development‘ which we recommend trainers read before adapting this lesson outline for your own purposes.
Introduction
The focus of this day-long lesson is on story development: identifying, analysing, and pursuing multiple, interconnected news angles to ensure comprehensive, impactful, and ethical reporting. By the end of this training, participants will be able to find and assess different angles of a breaking news story in order to help the audience understand its importance to their lives.
Timetable
09:00-09:30: Getting started: The foundation of a breaking story
- Aims: Activate prior knowledge of basic journalistic questions and introduce the lesson’s key objective.
- Activities:
- Warm-up: Trainer displays a recent headline about a natural disaster (e.g., a flood).
- Individual task: Trainees jot down answers to: What happened? Why is it important? Who is affected?
- Pair and share: Trainees share their responses with a partner.
- Group discussion: Select a few trainees to share their thoughts with the class, activating their understanding of the six basic journalistic questions.
09:30-10:30: Direct instruction: Building a news story
- Aims: Introduce the concept of story development and the process of verification.
- Activities:
- Presentation and instruction: Trainer explains the story development model using the flooding in Vietnam as a case study. Emphasise that the basic questions (What, Why, When, How, Where, Who) form the foundation of the main story and headline.
- Verification workshop: Discuss how to expand the story by piecing together facts, check those facts and verifying them with at least two independent sources.
- Data session: Introduce the role of data (fact file, maps, profiles) in supporting evidence. Demonstrate how to verify data reliability by consulting diverse, credible sources such as officials, NGOs, and academics.
10:30-10:45: Break
10:45-11:45 : Exploring consequences and ethical angles
- Aims: Guide trainees in identifying new angles based on impact, consequences, and accountability.
- Activities:
- Trainer-led discussion: Guide trainees in identifying new story angles by examining the impact and consequences of the initial event. Discuss potential angles such as the economic impact, infrastructure damage, and community effects.
- Ethics focus: Encourage trainees to think critically about accountability and future prevention plans. Use the flooding scenario to explore the ethical obligation to cover all significant views and potential failures.
- Case study analysis: Briefly analyse a historical news event where a journalist successfully uncovered a less obvious, but highly significant, secondary angle.
11:45-13:00: Guided practice: Angle analysis
- Aims: Practise identifying and analysing news angles in a structured, collaborative environment.
- Activities:
- Identification: Trainer presents a brief news article about a recent flooding event. Trainees individually identify at least five potential news angles beyond the main story (considering impact, responsibility, and future prevention).
- Compare: Trainees pair up to discuss and compare their ideas, refining their angles by considering missing information or overlooked perspectives.
- Discuss: Facilitate a class discussion. As pairs share, the trainer writes the angles on the board, organising them into categories (e.g., impact, accountability, future plans).
- Reflect: Conclude by asking trainees to reflect on how identifying multiple angles enhances the depth and quality of news reporting and serves the audience better.
13:00-14:00: Lunch
14:00-15:30: Independent practice: Research and initial brief writing
- Aims: Apply knowledge independently to a new story, using credible sources and verification techniques.
- Activities:
- Research and analyse: Trainees independently research a new, recent news story about a natural disaster.
- Angle identification: Instruct trainees to identify at least three different angles related to the story, focusing on impact, responsibility, and future prevention.
- Write a brief: Trainees write a brief summary (approx. 100 words) for each of the three identified angles. The summary must explain the angle’s significance and how it contributes to a comprehensive public debate. Remind them to consider language and style for clear, accessible reporting.
- Differentiation: Striving learners receive a structured graphic organiser for categorisation; Advanced learners are encouraged to explore additional complex angles like climate change implications or international aid dynamics.
15:30-15:45: Break
15:45-16:45: Peer review, revision, and reflection
- Aims: Refine analysis through constructive criticism and consolidate learning.
- Activities:
- Peer review: Pair trainees to exchange their briefs. Instruct them to provide constructive feedback on clarity, depth, the relevance of the angles, and the credibility of the sources used. They should also suggest any overlooked angles.
- Revise and submit: Allow trainees 15-20 minutes to revise their briefs based on peer feedback, ensuring their work demonstrates a clear understanding of news story development.
- Assignment (oral reflection): Trainer leads a final discussion based on the reflection questions.
16:45-17:00: Conclusion and next steps
- Aims: Summarise the key learning points and set a focus for future professional development.
- Activities:
- Lesson summary: A quick-fire round of key terms and concepts.
- Key takeaway: Trainer highlights that identifying multiple angles is not just about quantity, but about delivering the most comprehensive, truthful, and accessible story for the audience.
- Commitment: Trainees are asked to state one specific story development technique they will apply to their next news report.
Assignment
Please complete the following reflection exercise. Trainees may write their answers or prepare them for an oral feedback session.
- What is one new angle you identified in today’s lesson that you hadn’t considered before? (Suggested answer: An angle related to the long-term economic impact of the event on the wider region.)
- How does exploring multiple angles change your understanding of a news story?
(Suggested answer: It provides a more comprehensive view and highlights interconnected issues, making the reporting more valuable to the public debate.) - What is one question you still have from today’s lesson?
Conclusion
This lesson has demonstrated that high-quality journalism moves beyond the immediate facts of an event to explore its full consequences and complexities. By actively searching for and verifying multiple news angles – from economic impact to long-term accountability – journalists enhance public understanding and contribute meaningfully to debate. The most critical takeaway is this: Never settle for the main headline. Always assume there are three or more essential angles your audience needs to understand the story’s true significance.
