Training part 2

Over the last few weeks we have looked at TV and newspapers. We have compared how different channels show news stories and then checked to see how newspapers tell the same stories. We looked at some of the things in people's lives, how we could make a story out of what we found out, and perhaps very importantly how we could get a journalist to show an interest.

We had a giggle when looking at newspapers, we asked people to turn the page and say what caught their eye first. Poor Peter and Rob had the Sun in front of them and we all knew what was coming! Still it was a very interesting exercise, try it sometime: turn the page and note what catches your eye. This helped to illustrate why journalists and advertisers like to get their stories on pages 1, 3, 5 or 7. The eye will naturally scan the right side of a paper as the pages are turned. This is why key stories, photos or ads are usually found here...unless of course you have the Sun in front of you.

We wanted to see what it was like to be journalists or an editor. Everyone was given a subject to research, using old papers. Rosie was voted editor and Peter was chosen as the picture editor. The aim was to put together our own paper, within a deadline, using cuttings from the old papers. Everyone got stuck in, we all felt the pressures that editors must feel, so maybe we might cut them a bit of slack next time we have a story for the local press.