How to Understand the News Cycle

Get a new perspective on the news cycle and how journalists make news decisions

This four-hour course will help you sharpen your eye for a story, understand how the news cycle, how newsrooms function today and what gets editorial coverage.

What You’ll Learn: How news works, fact vs opinion and how newsrooms operate

What makes a story news? How do reporters decide what to cover and where do they find stories? What determines which stories lead the news agenda or go viral? With insights from reporters and editors who are making the news, you’ll learn how journalists think and reveal the secrets of their decision making – helping you develop your own “nose for news”.

We’ll demystify newsroom structure and show you how some of the UK’s most well-known and reputable outlets are organised. From day-to-day operations to long-term planning, you’ll broaden your understanding of exactly what goes on behind-the-scenes at broadcasters and publications.

How you’ll learn

This two-module course to help understand the news cycle will be led by an experienced trainer who will share their practical expertise through presentations, discussion and practical exercises – ensuring you have opportunity to reinforce your learning, test your understanding and receive feedback from an experienced editor.

Who the course is for

This course is for you if you want to hone your news sense and understand how newsrooms really work, and/or try to secure more coverage for your campaign, company, organisation or clients. We also offer a full-day version of this course, How Newsrooms Work: Understand How News is Made.

We currently offer this course as bespoke training for teams and can deliver it remotely, or in your offices. Get in touch using the button below to discuss times and dates, as well as how we can tailor it to your needs. 

Course Modules

What Makes News?

  1. What makes a news story
  2. News sources and demographics
  3. Hard and ‘soft’ news
  4. Recognising fact and opinion
  5. Knowing your audience

How Newsrooms Work

  1. How newsrooms are organised
  2. The editorial decision-making process
  3. What journalists want (and don’t want)
  4. Matching a story to the right journalist
  5. Opportunities outside the news cycle
How news works - photographers in a press pen

How to Understand the News Cycle

Get a new perspective on the news cycle and how journalists make news decisions

Get in touch

What our students say

View all testimonials

What a great session we had on Communicating with Impact. Bridgid shared practical techniques to enhance and develop our communications skills so we can present and speak publicly or to senior stakeholders with confidence and impact.  I speak for my whole team in highly recommending Bridgid Nzekwu if you are after effective and fun communication training.

Vodafone
, Group Legal Director, Corporate Commercial & Compliance

The team is flexible, slick, well-resourced and overall simply first class. Their expertise and knowledge have been invaluable. I was delighted with our choice, so I’d have no hesitation in recommending them

Prostate Cancer UK
, Head of External Relations

PA Media Training were efficient, well organised and genuinely lovely people to deal with and, importantly for us, able to provide flexibility around our needs to create the bespoke training we required. I wouldn’t hesitate to use them for further training or to recommend them to other organisations.

Mayor of London’s Press Office
, Head of Media

The small class sizes nurture a comfortable environment where everyone supports and learns from each other. The staff helped me hone in on my writing skills and develop the confidence to feel comfortable on camera.

Camilla Foster
, Reporter
, Newsquest

Contact us

Do you wish to train on one of our specialist courses? Start by filling in the application form – we’ll ask you for some important information such as your education and employment history.

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Name*
By submitting this application form you confirm your acceptance that the information you have provided will be used during the recruitment procedure. Once the recruitment procedure is completed, the data will be stored for one year and then destroyed. If you are the successful candidate, relevant information may be taken from this form and used as part of your personnel record.
If you would like to receive regular updates from PA Media Academy, please tick here:

Contact us

For more information , simply fill out the form and a member of our team will be in touch.

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
By submitting this application form you confirm your acceptance that the information you have provided will be used during the recruitment procedure. Once the recruitment procedure is completed, the data will be stored for one year and then destroyed. If you are the successful candidate, relevant information may be taken from this form and used as part of your personnel record.
If you would like to receive regular updates from PA Media Academy, please tick here:

Contact us

For more information , simply fill out the form and a member of our team will be in touch.