Debating with reporters

Debating with reporters is a powerful classroom tool that enables every member of a class to participate in a formal debate. It should be used in conjunction with pupil judging and a floor debate.

Learning objectives

To help improve general communication skills
To help improve confidence
To encourage quick thinking skills
To encourage listening skills
To encourage and improve rebuttal skills
To encourage pupils to question a point of view
To encourage pupils to write from a certain perspective
To encourage an expression of views and debate on issues and current affairs
To acknowledge the different styles of media reporting

Activity

Before the debate (either at the preparation lesson or at the end of the previous lesson) four pupils should be given the role of reporter and should be allocated a ‘style’ (eg the style of a certain newspaper). These pupils are the reporters. The rest of the debate should be planned as normal.

These pupils have to take notes during the debate and then write up the debate in a certain style. (Alternatively, extra pupils can be involved in the reporting process by allocating two pupils to perform each role.)

The reporters' positions can be allocated either by asking for volunteers or by rotation.

During the debate, the reporters should make notes throughout the debate. As homework, they should research the style they have been allocated and then write a newspaper report in that style.

Four examples of possible reporting styles

Tabloid reporter

The tabloid reporter should write in less formal language, probably with some element of bias. Ask the tabloid reporter to read some tabloids in the school library to understand writing in that style. Advanced students can imitate the typography of a tabloid editorial in 'The Sun Says’ style. The tabloid reporter can align themselves with one side of the debate.

Hansard reporter

Hansard reporters can make notes for the whole debate or - as with the real Hansard - make a verbatim transcript, perhaps just of the summary speeches.

Broadsheet sketch writer

This kind of report, in the style of The Guardian’s Simon Hoggart, gives reporters a chance to concentrate on stylistic aspects of the debate by writing character sketches of the participants.

Broadsheet reporter

The broadsheet reporter should write more formally and have an objective approach to the report perhaps with a slight bias. A more able student might report with a slight bias (indeed, there can be more than one broadsheet reporter - one can write for the Telegraph = centre right, another for The Guardian = centre left).

These roles are not definitive. Teachers can allocate different reporting roles (for example if the debate is about an international topic, reporters could come from news sources from different nations and have to report accordingly).

Homework

Almost everyone in the class has some homework to do in the ‘Debating with reporters’ lessons. For some roles, this will take place before the debate while others will do it afterwards:

The chairperson(s) needs to make sure they know the rules of the debate and may want to prepare short introductions for the speakers and links between speeches.
The main speakers in the debate have to do their research and prepare all or part of their speech before the debate. This work will include reading around the subject and gaining an understanding of both sides of the issue.
The floor speakers need to research facts and figures and read around the issue. This will mean they can add something at the end of the debate.
The judges need to get together afterwards to discuss what they thought about the debate. The chair of the panel needs to prepare feedback that the judges will deliver at the start of the next lesson.

Following the debate, the reporters need to write up their reports in their allotted style.

The main speakers, the chair of the judging panel and the reporters have the most work to do. However, if classroom debates are held relatively regularly and the roles are rotated everyone should end up doing an equal amount of work.

Teacher notes

How to assess progress:

Do the pupils understand the process of debating with reporters?
Did the pupils understand the role of the reporters and the different styles of report?

As well as assessing the progress of the reporters, teachers can monitor the progress of the speakers, judges and those involved in the floor debate.