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PBS News Hour Student Reporting Labs

A hands-on media production curriculum for developing news literacy skills with high school students.

Student Reporting Labs connect students with a network of public broadcasting mentors, an innovative journalism curriculum and an online collaborative space to develop digital media, critical thinking and communication skills while producing original news reports for PBS NewsHour Extra.

Click here to access the COMPLETE Student Reporting Labs Curriculum

The PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs supports teachers and young people to report on important issues in their community, creating impactful video reports for the national NewsHour Extra audience. Along with technical instruction on the use of cameras and editing equipment, this program also includes a meaningful focus on understanding the role of journalism in society and developing broader communication skills, including listening, asking questions, public speaking, and finding, analyzing and evaluating the quality of information.  

This curriculum was developed in a partnership with PBS News Hour and the Media Education Lab of Temple University as well as media professionals and high school teachers.  The curriculum consists of three flexible units with a total of 9 lesson plans aimed at strengthening digital and news literacy competencies.

These flexible lessons can be used in the context of courses in English, social studies, or video production classes and include critical thinking, analysis and production activities. Each lesson is designed for a 50-minute class with engaging high-interest activities to nurture a sense of purpose and accomplishment.

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