In this lesson, students debate the question “what is news?” and analyze and assess their own personal news sources.

Although students are aware of news as information that influences their perceptions of the world, country and community, they are often unaware of the differences among the various media in their presentation of that information.

The following lesson offers an analytical frameworkteachers, media specialists and parents may use with children andstudents of various ages, to help them understand the process bywhich news is constructed.

This lesson focuses on how to write a newspaper story, and what may influence the information selected. The lesson begins with a review of the “5 Ws,” and how journalists use these elements to craft topical, interesting and relevant news stories.