Homeschool Guide: These lesson plans are a guide for parents. Content may contain errors — always cross-reference with official exam board specifications.

newspapers & journalism

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4 detailed 50-minute lessons with teaching scripts, worked examples, parent guides, and assessment criteria.

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Lesson Overview

Total Lessons: 4
Tier: Foundation and Higher
Duration: 50 minutes per lesson (200 minutes total)
Exam Boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA

Learning Objectives

Prerequisites

Materials & Equipment

Lesson 1: Introduction: newspapers & journalism

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Recall

Write down everything you already know about newspapers & journalism. Then check against the key terms: key terms from newspapers & journalism. Use a mini-whiteboard or paper.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Parent/Teacher Guide:
Before lesson: Read the script below. Pre-teach key vocab: key terms from newspapers & journalism.
If stuck: Re-read the revision notes (link above), then break the content into smaller steps.
Extension: See the Stretch & Challenge ideas in Lesson 4.
Teaching Script (35 mins):
Mins 0-5 - Hook: "Today: newspapers & journalism. By the end you will be able to answer exam questions on it unaided. It connects to the rest of Media Studies because the ideas here recur across the spec."
Mins 5-20 - Direct Instruction: Work through the core ideas below one at a time; after each, ask your student to explain it back in their own words.
Mins 20-30 - Guided Practice: Model the worked example together, then let your student attempt the first practice question with guidance.
Mins 30-35 - Independent Practice: 2-3 practice questions from Lesson 3 below, with immediate feedback.
First Look

Start with the revision notes summary, then attempt: explain the key ideas of newspapers & journalism

Plenary (5 minutes)

Check Out

Your student states one thing they learned and one question they still have about newspapers & journalism.

Lesson 2: Core Concepts: newspapers & journalism

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Review Previous Lesson

Quick recap: write 3 key points from Lesson 1 on newspapers & journalism. Check them against the notes below.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Key Fact: Newspapers are a key media form for informing, influencing, and reflecting public opinion. They combine written, visual, and layout codes to communicate news and comment.
Key Fact: Tabloid vs broadsheet: tabloids (The Sun, Daily Mirror) use sensational stories, large headlines, and simple language for a mass audience. Broadsheets (The Times, Guardian) use in-depth reporting, complex language, and serious analysis for an educated audience.
Key Fact: News values (Galtung and Ruge): the criteria editors use to select stories — immediacy, proximity, conflict, drama, celebrity, negativity, surprise, and size/threshold.
Key Fact: Newspaper conventions: headline, byline, lead paragraph (who, what, where, when, why), body text, photographs with captions, and page layout (above the fold).
Key Fact: Headlines use linguistic devices: puns, alliteration, emotive language, and active verbs to grab attention and communicate the angle. Tabloid headlines are larger and more sensational.
Key Fact: News construction: all news is selected and constructed — no newspaper reports everything. The choice of stories, angle, language, and images all reflect the publication's values and target audience.

Practice (10 minutes)

Q: explain the key ideas of newspapers & journalism

Answer:

Plenary (5 minutes)

Explain Back

Your student teaches the key points back to you without looking. Fill any gaps immediately.

Lesson 3: Application: newspapers & journalism

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Recall

Recall the key terms: key terms from newspapers & journalism. Define each in one sentence.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Parent/Teacher Guide: Let your student attempt each question alone first, then compare with the model answer. Award method marks for correct working even if the final answer is wrong.

Work through the practice questions on the revision notes page for this topic.

Plenary (5 minutes)

Error Review

Review any questions answered incorrectly. Identify whether the error was knowledge, method, or reading the question.

Lesson 4: Exam Practice: newspapers & journalism

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Command Words

Review what these command words require: state (one point), describe (say what happens), explain (say why), compare (both sides), evaluate (judgement).

Main Content (35 minutes)

Extended Answer

Extended question: Full-Mark Response Analyse how one of your newspaper CSPs constructs its representation of a social group. [12 marks] <div class="

Newspapers construct representations through the selection and presentation of stories, images, and language, always reflecting the publication's values and target audience. The choice of stories about a particular group reveals the newspaper's editorial stance. Tabloid newspapers often construct certain social groups through negative stereotypes — selecting stories that confirm existing prejudices and omitting positive coverage. The selection of which stories to feature is guided by Galtung and Ruge's news values, but also by the publication's political alignment and audience expectations. Headlines are a key site of representation construction. The use of emotive language, loaded adjectives, and active verbs frames how the group is perceived. Tabloid headlines often use simplistic, binary representations (us vs them) that reinforce stereotypes, while broadsheet headlines may use more nuanced language. Photographic representation is equally important. The choice of image — a mugshot versus a professional portrait, an unflattering versus a neutral expression — constructs meaning. Anchorage through captions fixes the preferred reading of the image. The mode of address also construct

Exam Tips: Always identify whether a newspaper CSP is tabloid or broadsheet and its political stance | Use specific headline examples to analyse language and bias | Discuss the regulatory context (IPSO, Leveson) when relevant
Common Errors: ✗ Newspapers are objective and unbiased. ✓ All newspapers select and construct news according to their values, target audience, and political stance. No newspaper is truly objective — the choice of stories, angle, language, and images always involves mediation. ✗ Print newspapers will disappear completely. ✓ Print circulation has declined but newspapers still exist. Some titles have growing print sales (e.g. the i newspaper), and older demographics still buy print. The future is likely a mix of print and digital rather than pure digital. ✗ IPSO is a government regulator. ✓ IPSO is a self-regulatory body set up by the newspaper industry, not a government regulator. This has been criticised as
Stretch & Challenge (Grade 8-9):
  • Synoptic links: explain how newspapers & journalism connects to another Media Studies topic you have studied
  • Real-world: research one real-world use or example of newspapers & journalism
  • Critical: "What are the limitations of the models used in newspapers & journalism?"

Plenary (5 minutes)

Assessment Criteria
  • Got it: Confident explanation + correct worked examples
  • Getting there: Main points OK, needs support with detail
  • Not yet: Confused on key concepts - re-run Lesson 2

Homework & Consolidation

Recommended Resources

🎓 Smart Lesson (Guided)