Pudsey Bear has been the charity's logo since 1986
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Schools all over the UK are raising money for Children in Need, the BBC charity which supports thousands of people aged 18 and under. In the days surrounding Friday 20 November 2009, students are wearing their pyjamas to school, or making a giant Pudsey Bear out of coins in the playground - all in the name of charity! Events like these make great news stories, so why not report them for your school website, radio, newspaper or newsletter. You could make it one of the stories you report during the first of four School Report practice News Days on Thursday 19 November. Below is a step-by-step guide to help you:
TV, RADIO OR ONLINE?
First of all, decide how you are going to present your final report. Are you going to make a video or an audio report (podcast) to play on your school website? Are you going to publish a text-based report online or in your school newspaper?
Make sure you have the
equipment
you need to make your report and the support of the relevant members of staff such as the IT technician, the web administrator or the school office.
FIND OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING
Your next task is to do some research. Find out about the Children in Need events happening at your school. Ask your classmates, your teachers and other members of staff. Check the school calendar and diary. Read the notice boards and look out for posters around the school. Find out what celebrities are doing by visiting the
Children in Need website
. What about other schools and organisations in your area? How are they raising money for Children in Need? Check out your local newspapers, radio stations and
BBC websites
for information. Now you know what's happening and where, decide on which particular events you are going to report.
GATHER THE NEWS
Now you can begin to gather facts and opinions about each of the events you have decided to cover. Try to find out the answers to the five W questions: - What's happening?
- Who's involved?
- Where's it taking place?
- When's it taking place?
- Why are people taking part?
As Children in Need is all about doing unusual things to raise money for charity, three good How questions to ask are: - How do/did you feel?
- How much money is being raised?
- How will the money be used?
As well as gathering words (either written or spoken), remember to gather images (either still or moving) and sound effects.
WRITE THE STORY OR SCRIPT
Once you have gathered facts and opinions, words and pictures, you are ready to plan and write your report. You could start by describing the event to someone else before you begin writing. That way you can check whether they understand you. It also means you can change the report in your head before putting pen to paper, which saves time. Try to tell your story in five short sentences. If you are writing a script for a TV or radio report, this worksheet will help you work out how long it will take to read the words aloud.
If you don't know how to start your report, leave the opening sentence until last. Start by writing what happened in the order it occurred. With a few tweaks, you can use this for the body of your report. Once your pen is flowing, you'll recognise the key facts. Now you can incorporate them in one sentence at the beginning. Add an end sentence about what is likely to happen next, and the first draft of your report is complete. Double check your facts. If you're not sure about something you've written, ask. If you're still in doubt, take it out. The last thing you want to do is give people the wrong information. Read your report out loud. Getting tongue-tied is a sign you need to swap the complicated words for simple ones. Make the necessary changes. Ask someone else to read your script. Take their comments on board and alter your script or story accordingly.
ASSEMBLE THE WORDS AND IMAGES
Once the words have been written, you can add the images and sound effects you gathered.
ORDER THE REPORTS
Having assembled the words and pictures into a series of reports, your next task is to decide on the order in which to present them. Try placing the most important, interesting or unique report at the beginning and a light-hearted or unusual report at the end. This worksheet will help you create an order.
RECORD YOUR REPORTS 'AS LIVE'
If you are making TV or radio news, you are now ready to record your reports as if you were standing in front of a live audience. Rehearse first, so your reports sound and looks as good as they possibly can when you are "live on air".
BROADCAST YOUR REPORTS VIA THE INTERNET
Now you have completed your reports, as a piece of video, an audio recording (podcast) or in text form, you are ready to publish them. Ask the IT technician, or web administrator to help you broadcast them via the internet. Alternatively, pass your reports onto the person responsible for putting together the school newspaper or newsletter. Finally, remember to let the School Report team know that your report is online using the
Contact us
page (see link, top left). The BBC aim to link to your report from the School Report website so that it can accessed by people all around the UK.
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How to make a one-minute radio report
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