News reporting resource for pupils

University project with National Education Union Cymru will help combat ‘fake news’

A free new online resource is being launched which aims to equip primary school pupils with the basics of news reporting.

The ‘Making News Toolkit for Schools’ has been created through a collaboration between the National Education Union Cymru and Cardiff University’s Centre for Community Journalism (C4CJ).

The toolkit is a train-the-trainer pack comprising 10 hands-on sessions to help teach the next generation of citizens to examine news and information.

It will help combat the spread of so-called ‘fake news’ as children will grow into adults equipped with the skills to question and verify information they are given.

It also, crucially, teaches all children in Wales that their voice matters and gives them the skills to tell their own stories.

The toolkit is part of NEU Cymru’s Welsh Government-funded Wales Union Learning Fund (WULF) project.

“I’m delighted that we are able to use NEU Cymru’s Annual Conference as the platform to launch the ‘Making News Toolkit for Schools’ online resource,” said David Evans, Wales Secretary for NEU Cymru.

“With the new curriculum on the horizon, it is the perfect time to share this pack with our members and promote the achievements possible via the Welsh Government’s WULF programme.”

The project is part of Cardiff University’s wider key strategy to work with educational partners and all schools in Wales to support teachers to work towards improved educational attainment.

Emma Meese, Cardiff University’s Director of Community Journalism, said: “This project is very close to my heart. We ran a pilot three years ago in two primary schools in Merthyr and I’m overjoyed, that by working with the NEU’s WULF project, we can now roll out this vital resource to all schools across Wales.”

Toolkit co-author, Anna Wynn Roberts, has a background in video journalism and documentary-making for Channel 4 and the BBC, but also trained and worked as a teacher.

NEU Cymru WULF Co-ordinator, Beth Roberts, who initiated the development of the written toolkit, said: “This is a really exciting collaboration between C4CJ and NEU Cymru’s WULF project and we’re also grateful to the teachers who piloted it in their schools.”

The online resource is currently available in English and will be available in Welsh by Christmas 2019.