Continue reading “NewsBrands hold ‘Pop-Up’ newsrooms for secondary school students at Kinsale event”
Author: PressPass Admin
NewsBrands Ireland launches new series of interactive journalism workshops for schools
NewsBrands Ireland have commenced a new series of free interactive journalism workshops for Transition Year students. The workshops complement their Press Pass School Journalism and News Literacy programme which has been running for the past 12 years.
The first workshop took place in Millstreet Community School, Co. Cork on March 30th and featured Tom Fitzpatrick, Editor of the Irish Examiner, and Lisa Buckley, Communications and Programmes Director with NewsBrands Ireland.
Speaking to an assembled group of over 40 pupils and teachers, Tom brought his real life experience of working as a national newspaper editor to the group and answered questions in a Q&A with pupils on topics such as: How to Pick a Front Page Story; Fact Checking Information; Multi Platform News Publishing; Campaigning Journalism; How to Pitch a News Story; Journalism Ethics and Standards, and Journalism and AI.
The pupils then broke into groups and had a chance to pitch a news story of their choice to the Editor. The pitch had to be newsworthy and include ideas of who to interview and how the story could be presented, e.g. video journalism, photo journalism, feature, news story, or opinion piece. The pitches were then considered by Tom and he provided feedback on whether or not the story could be published.
NewsBrands Ireland’s Press Pass Student Journalism and News Literacy programme gives students the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the news media and how it works by learning to do journalism themselves. Along with encouraging the next generation of journalists, the main goal of the Press Pass TY Programme is to help students make informed judgments about the news they read and share online.
If you are teacher looking to arrange a journalsm workshop in your school, you can send a request to NewsBrands Ireland. For further details, contact lbuckley@newsbrands.ie
The Irish Times publish our 2024 Student Journalist of the Year’s opinion piece on climate change
Pop Up Newsroom in St Mary’s College, Rathmines
Our latest Pop-Up Newsroom took place in St. Mary’s College in Rathmines on March 13th. The workshop was led by Neil Leslie, Editor of the Irish Daily Star and Irish Daily Mirror newspapers and was attended by a class of TY students who are all currently taking part in the Student Journalism and News Literacy programme.
speaking to an assembled group of over 40 pupils and teachers, Neil brought his real life experience of working as a national newspaper editor to the group and answered questions in a Q&A with pupils on topics such as: How to Engage Readers; Fact Checking, Journalism Ethics and Standards, and Journalism and AI.
The pupils then broke into groups and had a chance to pitch a news story of their choice to the Editor. The pitch had to be newsworthy and include ideas of who to interview and how the story could be presented, e.g. video journalism, photo journalism, feature, news story, or opinion piece. The pitches were then considered by Neil and he provided feedback on whether or not the story could be published.
NewsBrands Ireland’s Press Pass Student Journalism and News Literacy programme gives students the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the news media and how it works by learning to do journalism themselves. Along with encouraging the next generation of journalists, the main goal of the Press Pass TY Programme is to help students make informed judgments about the news they read and share online.
If you are teacher looking to arrange a journalism workshop in your school, you can send a request to NewsBrands Ireland.
Pop Up Newsroom in Christian Brothers Cork
NewsBrands Ireland held the latest of their Pop-Up Newsrooms in Christian Brothers Cork on the 29th February 2024.
Speaking to a group of Transition Year students were Jill O’ Sullivan, Assistant Editor, Irish Examiner, and Lisa Buckley, Communications and Programmes Director with NewsBrands Ireland. The interactive session was designed to bring students behind the scenes of the journalism industry, explaining how news is sourced, fact checked, and delivered to audiences across multiple platforms including print newspapers, news websites, podcasts, and video. Jill O’ Sullivan explained the legal process behind the production of responsible journalism and the rules they operate under.
Among the questions and issues explored were the dangers of fake news and disinformation, defamation law, and how to structure an impactful opinion piece.
Speaking about the Press Pass programme, Edward Newsman, English teacher in Christian Brothers, said:
“The Press Pass Transition Year News Literacy and Student Journalism Programme can be linked effectively to Paper One in the Leaving Certificate. The Department of Education and Science LC English Syllabus states that Paper One is specifically aimed at ‘improving students’ composing abilities’. As an English teacher, I believe Press Pass is a very effective programme that helps students explore, develop and improve their writing skills.
“Through the Press Pass Programme one encounters the five language genres – information, narration, persuasion, argument and aesthetics – in articles, features etc. in both print and online versions. Press Pass helps to make the teachings of these language genres a very real and tangible experience. And, for the Press Pass Writing Competition, the variety of entry categories allow students to produce work that mirrors what they will encounter in responding to the Question B and Composing sections of Paper One in the LC.”
If your school would like to hold a Pop-Up Newsroom, please contact Lisa Buckley in NewsBrands Ireland for more details lbuckley@newsbrands.ie
Irish Examiner publish award winning feature by Youghal TY student Dylan O’ Driscoll
Cork student named Student Journalist of the Year for Opinion piece on climate
17 April 2024. The winners of the NewsBrands Ireland Press Pass student journalism competition were announced today at an awards ceremony in the Aviva Stadium with prizes awarded in six categories including News Writing, Features, Opinion, Sports Journalism, Photojournalism, and best School Newspaper.
The event, which was hosted by Matt Cooper, was attended by the award winning school students, their teachers and families, along with leading national news editors and journalists. A panel discussed journalism as a rewarding career path featuring Aaron Rogan, Deputy Editor Business Post, Jennifer O’ Connell, The Irish Times Opinion Editor, and Linda Maher, Deputy Features Editor with DMG Media.
Grace O’ Leary, a TY Student from St. Aloysius College in Carrigtwohill, Cork was presented with the overall prize for her Opinion piece on climate change.
According to Michael Foley, Chairman of the Press Pass Judging Panel:
“The winner clearly understood that journalism should be both accessible and assessable. It was well written and was sourced. But it was also smart. Climate change can be overwhelming. Does the little we can do actually make a difference? Yes, according to the winning piece and in so giving us the good news about climate change she encourages us all to do more, a sort of reverse psychology.”
The other category winners are outlined below and can be read here
Press Pass is a Transition Year student journalism and news literacy programme which has been run by NewsBrands Ireland since 2012. The free programme, which has been completed by 120,000 students, seeks to teach the fundamentals of journalism writing, improve news literacy and critical thinking skills, and encourage students to analyse content and form opinions about important social issues.
Participating schools receive access to free digital news, a Teacher’s Lesson Plan, and a specially created student workbook. NewsBrands has a partnership with the Department of Education’s Oide Teachers Support to provide webinars and podcasts for teachers which included advice and inspiration from renowned journalist and editors.
During the Press Pass module, students are encouraged to engage with newspapers and digital news in the classroom, to analyse the journalism and then to create their own original journalism, the best of which is entered into a national competition. The judging panel comprises of a group of leading newspaper journalists, which is chaired by Michael Foley, Professor Emeritus of Journalism, TU Dublin. The Press Photographers Association of Ireland (PPAI) judged the photojournalism category.
Ann Marie Lenihan, CEO of NewsBrands Ireland, said:
“Congratulations to all our finalists and to the members of the judging panel who took the time to read through the many entries and pick the talented winners. A special thank you also to the passionate teachers who teach the Press Pass programme every year.
Press Pass 2024 Winners
Press Pass Student Journalist of the Year
Grace O’ Leary, St Aloysuis College, Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork
News
1st: Art Thornbury, Villiers School, Limerick
2nd: Cian Ó Gallchobhair, Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne, An Daingean
3rd Keirsha O’ Hare, St. Mary’s Secondary School, Macroom, Co. Cork
School Newspaper
1st – The Ursu-Times, Ursuline Secondary School, Cork
2nd – TY Times 2024, Moville Community College, Co. Donegal
3rd – St. Mary’s Chronicle, St. Mary’s Secondary School, Macroom, Co. Cork
Opinion
1st – Grace O’ Leary, St Aloysuis College, Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork
2nd – Lucy Crean, Coláiste Muire, Ennis, Co. Clare
3rd – Jasmine McWeeney, Mount Sackville, Chapelizod, Dublin
Features
1st: Dylan O’ Driscoll, Pobalscoil na Tríonóide, Youghal, Co. Cork
2nd: Ella Healy, St. Mary’s Secondary School, Macroom, Co. Cork
3rd: Clodagh Creedon, The Institute of Education, Dublin
Photojournalism
1st: Molly Cahill, Coláiste Muire, Ennis, Co, Clare
2nd: John Sheridan, Ennistymon Community School, Co. Clare
3rd: Maria Weroniecka, St. Aloysuis College, Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork
Sports Journalism
1st: Philip Walker, Moville Community College, Co. Donegal
2nd : Ava McSweeney, St Mary’s Secondary School Macroom3rd: Aine de Courcey, Moville Community College, Co. Donegal
Continue reading “Cork student named Student Journalist of the Year for Opinion piece on climate”
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