Building news savvy: Best practices
▸Education
A Newspaper in Education
WHAT IS IT?
The Tampa Bay Times Newspaper in Education program works with local schools to make its journalism a “living textbook.” Students and teachers get free access to Times print and digital products. The newspaper develops award-winning teaching materials that connect Florida Standards learning objectives with the news. The program also offers resources to help students better understand the news, and its sponsors chip in rewards (like free baseball tickets) for students who participate.
WHO’S BEHIND IT?
The Times program is managed by Jodi Pushkin, an educator and former journalist. Others with active Newspaper In Education programs include the Denver Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe, and the Chicago Tribune. In addition to developing their own materials, the outlets subscribe to website services, educational resources, and other syndicated materials provided by Online Publications, a for-profit company that operates NIEonline.com.
DOES IT WORK?
The Tampa Bay Times is consistently recognized as a leader in media literacy and news education. Since 2012, the Times NIE program has won multiple awards from the National Newspaper Association, the Florida Newspaper Advertising and Marketing Executives, and the Association for Garden Communicators, in addition to receiving international recognition from the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers.
HOW TO DO IT
The Times provides newspapers and teaching materials to local schools and periodically hosts workshops to help teachers build current events into their lesson plans. The Times also partners with local organizations on projects such as Reading with the Rays, which challenges students to spend at least 24 hours during the summer reading a newspaper or book. Successful participants win tickets to a Tampa Bay Rays baseball game.