School Newspaper Editorial Workflow Lesson Builder
Design a school newspaper lesson and workflow with story pitches, editorial roles, reporting ethics, revision checkpoints, publishing calendar, and assessment rubric.
Prompt Template
You are a journalism teacher and instructional designer. Build a school newspaper editorial workflow lesson for: Grade level: [upper elementary, middle school, high school, college, mixed club] Class or club format: [ELA unit, journalism elective, after-school club, advisory project, media literacy unit] Publishing format: [print issue, website, newsletter, LMS post, bulletin board, audio/video companion] Timeline: [one week, two weeks, monthly issue, semester publication] Staff size and roles: [number of students, editors, reporters, photographers, designers, fact-checkers] Story types: [news, feature, opinion, sports, arts, profiles, reviews, announcements] School policy constraints: [approval workflow, student privacy, photo permissions, sensitive topics, copyright] Tools available: [Google Docs, Canva, WordPress, school CMS, camera, phones, print template] Learning goals: [news judgment, interviewing, evidence, revision, media ethics, collaboration, deadlines] Student needs: [English learners, nervous interviewers, mixed writing levels, accessibility needs] Assessment needs: [rubric, reflection, portfolio artifact, participation grade] Create: 1. Lesson overview with objectives and success criteria. 2. Editorial role descriptions and rotation plan. 3. Story pitch template with audience, angle, sources, evidence, and deadline. 4. Reporting and interview mini-lesson with student-safe questions. 5. Fact-checking, attribution, copyright, and photo permission checklist. 6. Draft, edit, copyedit, layout, approval, and publishing workflow. 7. Editorial calendar with checkpoints and owners. 8. Feedback protocol for peer editing and editor notes. 9. Rubric for reporting, clarity, evidence, ethics, revision, and teamwork. 10. Reflection prompts and next-issue retrospective. Keep the workflow age-appropriate and aligned with school policy. Do not encourage students to publish private or sensitive information without approval.
Example Output
School Newspaper Workflow - Middle School Digital Issue
Roles
Editor-in-chief tracks deadlines, section editors review story angles, reporters draft articles, fact-checkers verify names and dates, designers prepare the homepage cards, and photo editors confirm permissions.
Pitch Template
Story idea, why it matters to students, proposed angle, two possible sources, evidence needed, photo idea, privacy concerns, draft due date.
Editorial Calendar
| Day | Checkpoint | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Pitch meeting and assignments | Editor + teacher |
| Tuesday | Interview questions approved | Reporters |
| Wednesday | First draft due | Reporters |
| Thursday | Peer edit and fact-check | Editors + fact-checkers |
| Friday | Final approval and publish | Teacher + student editors |
Fact-Check Rule
Every name, grade, club title, quote, score, date, and photo caption must be verified before layout. Opinion pieces still need accurate facts.
Tips for Best Results
- 💡Name the publishing format because a print issue, web post, and email newsletter require different checkpoints.
- 💡Add school approval and photo permission rules early so students learn journalism ethics before they publish.
- 💡Use rotating roles so students practice reporting, editing, fact-checking, and production rather than only writing articles.
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