When Teens Create the News: Examining the Impact of PBS/NewsHour Student Reporting Labs
Renee Hobbs, University of Rhode Island
Abstract
The PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs program (www.studentre-portinglabs.com) connects middle and high school students to local PBS stations and broadcast news professionals in their communities to report on critical issues from a youth perspective. Through a project-based, ac-tive learning model, students learn how to synthesise information and investigate important topics, while building media literacy, communica-tion and problem-solving skills necessary for the knowledge economy of the 21st century. The program involves more than 50 schools and com-munity centers across the country and each site has adapted the pro-gram to meet the particular educational needs of its students, faculty and community. The intended goals of the PBS NewsHour Student Report-ing Labs program are to help students gain a better understanding of what constitutes news; evaluate the credibility of the information they receive via news content; strengthen their appreciation for the norms of professional journalism; and build skills and confidence as communica-tors through learning how to produce news content in a collaborative real-world environment where what they create may be viewed by an au-thentic large audience and publication becomes the ultimate assessment. Findings from pre-post quantitative research conducted with nearly 500 high school students who participated in the program reveal the devel-opment of media production skills that involved gathering and synthe-sising information, using digital media and technology to communicate ideas in the format of a broadcast news package, and engaging in cycles of revision and feedback to polish their work. This study found significant increases in collaboration and teamwork competencies, including intel-lectual curiosity, the ability to give and receive feedback, and confidence in self-expression and advocacy. Keywords: journalism, media, media literacy, education, high school, secondary educa-tion, public broadcasting, news, partnership, program, evaluation