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. 

If you’re booking for yourself, find all of our scheduled courses here

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

Being equipped with an NCTJ Diploma does massive favours for your future, and the skills the course taught me are ones I lean on every single day. The simple fact is, I wouldn’t be where I am without that course. 

Alex Barker
, Videographer & Presenter
, The Athletic

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 teaching I received was second to none and despite having no experience whatsoever in journalism, the tutors made sure there was a friendly environment where I felt welcome to ask any questions I needed. I was able to finish the course and go into a job working for The Sun.

Olivia Allhusen
, Junior Journalist
, The Sun

The lifelike interview settings and tasks that PA Media Training deal in replicate perfectly the real-world feel of a tough media interview and help the delegates come out of the day feeling much more confident that they can play an active role in representing their organisation.

Transport for London
, Director of Communications & Corporate Affairs

I made amazing friends, amazing memories and now it has led me to an amazing job which I never would have gotten without my time at Press Association.  

Holly Bishop
, Digital Reporter
, GB News

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

Contact us

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