Stories that matter

Sensationalist news always screams for your attention. This can be maddening yet enticing: no one wants to miss a thing, after all, and everyone enjoys a good story. At the same time you can have this unsettling idea that you do not actually know anything about anything. That you do not really get a good, solid story. 

You will explore a societal issue in depth in this Stone. You will learn to conduct thorough research for solid veracious stories. You will with an overview and ask what is happening, exactly? What facts are known, who is involved, what do these people think, what are they feeling? You will then need to be able to translate this knowledge into something that makes a lasting impression. You will learn to bring your story to life from a human point of view using the appropriate storytelling techniques. You will always be aware of your responsibility as a maker: you will consider all the interests, frames and sensitivities when telling your story. 

The background story you will create will be developed from a draft and told through the medium of video. It must be of interest to a reputable, journalistic media brand. To draw attention to the issue and your story, you will also produce a show that centres around a social debate. 

Your curiosity, critical attitude and social interest will take you beyond the limited boundaries of Google: you will go out into the world in search of stories that matter.

• You will develop your research skills.
• You will learn to analyse a social debate.
• You will learn how to tell a good, solid and attractive story based on reliable sources.
• You will develop the critical thinker in you. You will learn to detect biases, stereotypes, frames, prejudices and falsehoods.
• You will develop video skills and creative techniques.
• You will learn how to produce a video show in a television studio.

A journalist media outlet asks you to produce a background story on a current topic to inform its audience about it and produce an additional show that centres around a social debate.

Expertise:

• Research and editorial skills
• Video storytelling
• Ethical and critical thinking and making.

In this stone you’ll create: