Learning objective

Students will evaluate and apply effective planning strategies for election coverage, focusing on adapting a comprehensive checklist in order to ensure that no element is missed. They will also analyse the roles and responsibilities within an election coverage team to ensure thorough reporting.

• Student-facing objective: By the end of this lesson, I’ll be able to use a checklist to plan election coverage and understand the different roles needed for balanced reporting.
• Standards: Students will learn how best to plan election coverage.

Learning activities

Warm-up

Begin with a brief discussion on the importance of planning in journalism. Ask students to share any experiences or knowledge they have about planning events or projects. Then, introduce an imaginary scenario such as planning a local council election where they live.

• Prompt: “Imagine you’re planning a local council election in your home town, what details do you need to consider? Think about dates, rules, candidates, parties, your budget, and what the audience needs to know.”
• Activity: In pairs, students brainstorm a list of considerations for the local election. After a few minutes, ask pairs to share their ideas with the class.
• Transition: Highlight how these considerations relate to planning coverage for an actual election, setting the stage for the lesson’s focus on detailed planning and roles.

Direct instruction

Introduce the Election Planning Checklist: Present the election planning checklist (see ‘Planning tips for effective election coverage‘ if you need to refresh your memory). Explain that the checklist is designed to be a comprehensive tool for organising election coverage. Explain each section briefly, emphasising its importance in ensuring thorough and fair reporting. Use real-world examples, such as a recent election, to illustrate how each checklist item might be applied.

Analyse roles and responsibilities: Discuss the various roles within an election coverage team. Highlight the importance of collaboration across departments. Use a case study of a media organisation to show how different roles contribute to effective coverage. Encourage students to think about how they would assign roles based on skills and expertise.

Adaptation to local realities: Explain the necessity of adapting the checklist to local contexts. Provide a scenario where students must adjust the checklist for a hypothetical local election with limited resources. Guide them through identifying which elements are most critical and how they might creatively address constraints.

Guided practice

Think, Pair, Share: Facilitate a collaborative activity to deepen understanding of election coverage planning.

Think: Ask students to individually review the election planning checklist. Instruct them to select one item they find most critical for effective election coverage and think about why it is essential.

• Pair: Have students pair up to discuss their chosen checklist item. Encourage them to explain their reasoning and listen to their partner’s perspective.
• Share: Invite pairs to share their insights with the class. Facilitate a discussion on the diversity of opinions and the importance of each checklist item.
• Connect: Guide students to connect their discussions to real-world scenarios. Ask them to consider how their chosen item might be adapted to a local election context.
• Reflect: Conclude with a reflection on how collaboration and diverse perspectives enhance planning. Encourage students to consider how they might apply these insights in future projects.

Independent practice

Exercise: Assign students to individually create a detailed plan for election coverage using the checklist. They should focus on adapting it to a hypothetical local election scenario with limited resources.

Task: Instruct students to prioritise the checklist items, explaining their choices and how they would address potential constraints.

Observation: Circulate to provide guidance and answer questions as students work on their plans.

Assignment

Ask students to answer these questions:

1. Which checklist item do you think is most challenging to adapt to local realities, and why?
2. How can collaboration among different roles enhance election coverage planning?
3. What’s one question you still have from today’s lesson?

Here are some suggested answers:

• Suggested answer to Question 1: Adapting the budget item can be challenging due to varying financial constraints and resource availability.
• Suggested answer to Question 2: Collaboration ensures diverse perspectives and expertise, leading to more comprehensive and balanced coverage.

Teacher resources

Differentiation guide

• Advanced learners: Encourage them to explore additional roles and responsibilities within election coverage teams, such as data analysis or investigative reporting. Suggest they research how different media outlets handle election coverage globally and present their findings to the class.
• Striving learners: Provide simplified versions of the election planning checklist. Pair them with peers for collaborative activities to ensure understanding. Offer additional examples and scenarios to help them grasp the concepts. Use visual aids to illustrate the roles and responsibilities within an election coverage team.
• Background reading: This lesson plan is based on the article ‘Planning tips for effective election coverage‘ which we recommend you read before adapting this lesson for your own purposes.

Notable definitions

• Electoral commission: A body responsible for overseeing the conduct of elections, including the management of electoral rolls and the enforcement of election laws.
• Poll watching: The act of observing the conduct of an election to ensure fairness and transparency, often carried out by representatives of political parties or independent organisations.
• Media monitoring group: A collective of non-partisan individuals tasked with overseeing media coverage during an election to protect press freedom and investigate any incidents of harassment or bias.

Required materials

• Election planning checklist: Copies for each student.
• Case study materials: Example of a media organisation’s election coverage plan.
• Scenario cards: Hypothetical local election scenarios for adaptation exercises.
• Reflection sheets: For students to record insights and reflections.
• Writing materials: Pens, paper, or digital devices for note-taking and planning.
• Visual aids: Charts or slides illustrating roles and responsibilities in election coverage.
• Discussion prompts: Prepared questions for pair and class discussions.

Lesson summary

• Warm-up
• Direct instruction
• Guided practice
• Independent practice
• Assignment

The free teaching tools at the Khan Academy were used in the production of this lesson plan.

Related article

Planning effective election coverage

The post Lesson: Election coverage first appeared on Media Helping Media.

In this scenario a naive reporter’s early success with a government minister leads to an ethical dilemma when a ‘favour’ is demanded in return.

A young journalist is appointed as a parliamentary reporter for a public service broadcaster in a Western democracy.

He is assigned to cover a specific region of the country. His job is to get to know his area’s MPs (members of parliament) and to cover their activities.

Keen to make an impression, he draws up a list of all the politicians on his new patch. His region has several constituencies where the sitting MP is a senior government minister.

A national story breaks. The minister in charge of the department concerned is on the reporter’s list. The journalist makes contact.

The minister, a Secretary of State in the department at the centre of the story, invites the reporter round to his private rooms in the parliament building. He has, so far, been refusing to be interviewed on the topic.

They have a chat, the reporter explains that he has taken over the patch and that he wanted to get to know all his MPs.

The minister seems friendly. He offers the reporter a cup of tea. They appear to get on well. The MP’s assistant is hovering in the background.

Towards the end of the chat the reporter asks the politician whether he would agree to a short recorded interview on the developing story. He says yes.

An audio clip from the interview makes national news. After it is broadcast, the reporter’s boss praises him for his work; it’s a good start in the new job.

Three months later the minister’s assistant calls to tell the reporter that the minister has a story for him. The reporter is excited. It sounds like he could be in line for another scoop.

He’s invited to visit the MP’s office again. When he turns up he’s handed a piece of paper. He reads what seems like nothing more than a public relations plug for the minister; the reporter fails to see the story.

He questions whether there is anything newsworthy to report. The minister seems surprised, and replies that he had done him a favour with a quote three months earlier and now it’s his turn to return the favour and report what the minister wants.

The reporter had no idea that the minister would want to call in a favour after giving a quote.

The minister’s assistant talks to the reporter as he leaves and suggests that it might not be as easy for her to arrange a meeting in the future if the reporter fails to cover the story the minister wants publicised.

What should the reporter do?

a) Do the story the way the minister wants. The reporter will be covering the region for some time, and he does not want to fall out with one of the most senior politicians on his patch – doing so could mean that he will miss out on quotes in the future when he might need them.

b) Ignore the request, knowing that he is under no obligation to cover the story. He might have been naive in the way he approached the first meeting with the minister, but he didn’t do any deals to get the first interview.

The suggested approach

Political interviewing should never be a matter of returning assumed favours.

Journalists should never do deals to get information or interviews. There will always be a price to pay if they do.

In this case the journalist reported the matter to his line manager who also failed to see the news story in the issue the minister wanted to publicise. And, even if he had, it would have been wrong for the story to be covered on the understanding that it was because a favour was being returned.

Interestingly, deciding not to cover what was a PR stunt didn’t disadvantage the reporter when it came to requesting future interviews. The politician was clearly trying to exploit the situation.

Summing up

A young parliamentary reporter, eager to impress, secures a crucial interview with a senior minister by establishing rapport. However, months later, the minister attempts to leverage this initial interview into a reciprocal favour, demanding positive coverage of a non-newsworthy public relations (PR) piece, implicitly threatening future access if the reporter refuses. The reporter, realising the minister’s attempt to manipulate him, consults his manager. They decide to reject the request, upholding journalistic integrity and demonstrating that ethical reporting doesn’t preclude future access.

Analysis

• The setup: A young, ambitious journalist gains early success by securing a crucial interview with a senior government minister. This success stems from the journalist’s proactive approach and the minister’s willingness to engage.
• The ethical trap: The minister later attempts to leverage this initial interaction, demanding favourable coverage of a non-newsworthy PR piece as a “returned favour.” This creates an ethical dilemma for the journalist, who feels pressured to comply to maintain access and avoid jeopardising his career.
• The core issue: The scenario highlights the potential for political figures to exploit the naivety and ambition of journalists, attempting to blur the lines between professional interaction and quid pro quo arrangements.
• The resolution: The suggested approach rightly emphasises journalistic integrity. The reporter should refuse to comply with the minister’s demand, and the line manager should support this decision. The outcome demonstrates that ethical journalism doesn’t necessarily lead to professional disadvantage.

1. Understanding the power dynamics:
   • This scenario reveals the subtle power dynamics at play between politicians and journalists. Ministers often control access to information, creating a potential for manipulation.
   • It underscores the importance of journalists maintaining independence and avoiding situations that could compromise their objectivity.
2. The importance of clear boundaries:
   • The reporter’s initial friendly approach, while well-intentioned, may have contributed to the minister’s perception of a reciprocal relationship.
   • Journalists must establish clear professional boundaries from the outset, ensuring that interactions are based on mutual respect and the pursuit of accurate information, not personal favours.
3. The value of editorial support:
   • The line manager’s support is crucial in reinforcing ethical standards and protecting journalists from undue pressure.
   • Strong editorial leadership is essential for maintaining journalistic integrity and ensuring that news coverage is not influenced by political agendas.
4. Long-term vs. short-term gains:
   • The temptation to comply with the minister’s request might offer short-term benefits, such as continued access.
   • However, compromising journalistic ethics can damage credibility and lead to long-term professional consequences.
   • The long term benefit of keeping ones integrity is far greater than the short term gain of a story.
5. Recognising manipulation:
   • The ministers assistant using language that implies a loss of access, is a form of manipulation. Recognising this is a key skill for a journalist.
6. Building a robust network:
   • While this minister was trying to manipulate the reporter, by maintaining a professional and ethical stance, the reporter has shown that they can not be manipulated. This builds a reputation of integrity, and in the long run will help the reporter build a robust network of reliable sources.

Key takeaway:

This scenario serves as a cautionary tale for aspiring journalists, emphasising the importance of ethical awareness, professional boundaries, and editorial support. It highlights the need to prioritise journalistic integrity over short-term gains and to recognise and resist attempts at manipulation.

Related training modules

How to interview politicians

Journalists and politicians

Integrity and journalism

The post Returning favours – scenario first appeared on Media Helping Media.