Red Nose Day is the UK's biggest television fundraising event, and also a great opportunity to test out your reporting skills.
Across the UK, special events involving celebrities, organisations and schools will be taking place in the days leading up to and on 13 March 2009, to raise money for charity.
Events like these make great news stories, so why not report them for your school website, radio, newspaper or newsletter.
Below is a guide to get you started.
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?
How to make an online news story
Make sure you have the equipment you need to make your report, such as recording equipment or the right computer software. You will also need the support of relevant members of staff such as the IT technician, the web administrator or the school office.
Equipment checklist for making TV, radio and online news
FIND OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING
Your next task is to do some research.
Find out about the Red Nose Day events happening at your school or in your area. There could be a celebrity you could interview, or an event you could report on such as a school fundraising day.
Start by asking your classmates, teachers and other members of staff.
Check the school calendar and diary. Read the notice boards and look out for posters around the school.
You can also do some research by searching on the internet, in newspapers and by listening to your local radio station.
Red Nose where you liveNow you know what's happening and where, decide what particular event you are going to report on.
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:
As Red Nose Day is about having fun and using comedy to raise money for charities, an additional three good How questions to ask are:
One good way of gathering this information is through an interview. Decide who would make a good guest and write down a list of questions to ask them.
You can conduct interviews face to face, on the phone or via the internet.
Why not ask your teacher to help you contact someone outside your school who is involved with Comic Relief. A local celebrity or sportsperson could be involved. The manager of a local business might be promoting Red Nose Day.
School Reporters from Saints Peter and Paul Catholic College in Widnes were thrilled to interview The Saturdays and Nick Hancock, presenters of the BBC Philharmonic's Whoopee Cushion concert in aid of Comic Relief.
Whoopee Cushion concert reportYoung journalists from Hampstead Secondary School in Camden, London, interviewed comedy actors Rob Brydon, Ruth Jones and Hugh Dennis, DJ Alex Zane and Comic Relief founder Richard Curtis at the launch of Red Nose Day.
If you can't get hold of the person you want to interview, but they manage to speak to another media outlet, you can still use their comments, so long as you state where you found them. For example: "During a radio interview on BBC Radio Cornwall, Dawn French said..."
If the event you are reporting on is taking place in your school, you could interview a teacher about it. If it's something occurring in your town or village, you could try asking someone from the community who is involved, such as a shopkeeper or local resident.
As well as gathering words (either written or spoken), remember to gather images (either still or moving) and sound effects.
Notes about different shots for TV news
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.
Worksheet 3.2: Script template
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.
Remember that in news, the most important or eye-catching information comes first.
For example, if the event you are reporting raised a large amount of money, you might write : "Students from [your] School raised £5,000 for Red Nose Day during a talent show."
If a celebrity is involved, you might start with: "The Saturdays came to [your town] to help raise money for Red Nose Day."
Once you've written the middle of your report and 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.
More tips on writing a report
ASSEMBLE THE WORDS AND IMAGES
Once the words have been written, you can add the images and sound effects you gathered.
Have a look at the video clips and other resources on the Red Nose Day website, for example, a short film clip of 12-year-old Mahder from Ethiopia teaching her little brother Nathaniel to read and write because he is too ill to go to school.
Red Nose Day resources bank
You can download them and use them in your report.
Here are some other tips:
Editing tips for TV news
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.
Worksheet 5.1: Huw Edwards' top tips on ordering news
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 on your school's website.
Your school may have already created a special School Report page where you can post them.
Ask the IT technician, or web administrator at your school to help you broadcast post your news reports or programme on your school website.
Alternatively, pass your reports onto the person responsible for putting together the school newspaper or newsletter.
Your reports about Red Nose Day can now be accessed by a huge number of people.
Preparing your news web page
RELATED INTERNET LINKS
Red Nose Day
About Red Nose Day
Red Nose news
Red Nose where you live
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