Selling the News
Module 2, Activity 3.7 - Advertising and Audience Appeal
Teacher Page
(student page for this lesson)

Introduction:

News Broadcasting is a business like anything else. News programs must consider how best they can sell themselves and appeal to their target audience. In this lesson, students will learn the way in which the news sells itself or is sold, by comparing two television news broadcasts, coming to a consensus regarding the best way to report the news, and creating an ad to air during a news broadcast.

Resources:

- internet access or previously taped news broadcasts
- access to video cameras
- CTV/CBC comparison chart (.doc) or (.rtf)

Activities:

Task One - The Lure of Language
News programs are looking to recruit viewers in the same way as any other television show. They must find a way to interest their viewers and keep them tuned in. However, there is much debate over the way in which news broadcasts can and should report the news to capture viewer attention.

To begin, have students compare a broadcast by a publicly funded station such as CBC and a privately funded station such as CTV.

Before the students watch the newscasts, review the concept of loaded language and handout the CTV/CBC comparison chart.

Watch the lead to each program first and have students note the following in their chart:
1. Headlines
2. Loaded Language

Before watching the rest of the newscast, discuss the observations the students made.

1. What examples of loaded language did they write down? Was there one lead that had more than another?
2. What other differences did they notice between the two leads?
3. Which lead did they find more interesting?
4. Which lead would be more likely to interest them in watching the news? Why?

Have students watch 15-30 minutes of the newscasts from CBC and CTV. While they are watching, students should be making notes in their charts.

You can either tape two newscasts or you can go to the web sites and view the most recent broadcast by either station.
CBC NewsWorld
CTV News (under Web Extras)

Once students have watched both broadcasts and filled in their charts, discuss the information they have collected through guiding questions:

• Which broadcast featured more international and national hard news?
• Which broadcast aired more feature stories/soft news?
• Which broadcast had more commercials?
• What were these commercials for?
• Which broadcast did they find more interesting and why?

You must use this discussion and the comparison the students just completed to help students come to a number of conclusions. They must begin to see the difference between airing news simply for news' sake and airing news for entertainment's sake.

Task Two - The Argument for Advertising
Once students have had the chance to observe the differences between the two broadcasts, it is necessary for them to determine why these differences exist.

Students will take part in a structured controversy.

To conduct a structured controversy, split the students into groups of 4. Within each of the those groups, students must split into two groups of two.

Each pair will:
1. Choose one side of each of the questions listed above
2. Plan their position on each issue

The group of four will:
1. Take turns presenting their positions on the issues.
2. Debate the issues.
3. Come to a consensus regarding each issue.

Once the groups have all had the chance to debate the two central questions, have a brief discussion as a class. Discuss the decisions that each group came to regarding public broadcasting vs. private broadcasting and the idea of newsworthiness. This discussion will allow you to see that students understand the two sides of each issue.

Discuss the difficulties surrounding reaching consensus, specifically the need for compromise. Ensure that students understand that advertising and appealing to an audience are often a necessary parts of the news, but that they have the power to change the tone of a newscast.

Task Three - The Sale of the News
In partners, students must now create an advertisement that would air during the news. They must consider their audience and choose a product that would be suitable for their intended audience.

This will require students to think about who watches the news and what they might be looking to purchase. You may want to give students an idea of a product that might not be appropriate and one that might interest this particular target audience.

Not likely to sell to this audience - skateboarding gear

Likely to sell to this audience - financial investment services

After students have chosen a product they must create and film an ad using one of the advertising techniques they are familiar with from previous lessons.

Students will have the chance to be more creative with this ad in the next lesson. For now, their purpose is to consider target audience and review advertising techniques