Creating a journalistic article

Overview

You are to create a journalistic article to raise awareness amongst young people of the issues surronding stop and search, particularly in the context of racial inequalities. You will need to illustrate why these inequalities exist - and why there is a need for police to undertake such practices. Whilst this is a theoretical article (i.e. it won't get published) the aim of producing journalistic pieces like this is to start an important conversation. Young people will be the influencers of the future and only through talking and listening can society, and the law, change for the better.  

Structure

A key skill for lawyers is the ability to read lots of information but put forward a simple argument. The most successful journalistic articles are the ones that manage to capture complex issues simply.  This challenge is designed to test your skills at reading, digesting and summarising.  The recommended structure for the article is therefore: 

  • Punchy headline (approx 10 words) to capture people's attention
  • Summary text (approx 50 words) to sum up in one paragraph what the current situation is and what needs to change.
  • Body text (approx 300 words) to build your case and put forward your recommedation. Outline how Stop and Search is impacting people on the street, whether the situation is improving, and what more could be done.
  • Call to action (approx 20 words) to sum up what the future might look like if your recommendation is taken forward.

Content ideas

A good journalist will always back up their argument with solid, proven facts. But there is also a temptation to create sensationalist headlines, so an article sells more papers. Your responsibility is to avoid such sensationalism, and focus on delivering a well-balanced story. The human interest element is critical to bring it to life for younger audiences. But both sides need to be reflected.  Your piece could therefore include any of the following: 

  • Some headline statistics that help prove the point you are trying to make
  • A quote from a someone that's been stopped and searched by the police*
  • A short case study - a paragraph outlining someone's situation to illustrate the impact of current law on a real person
  • A quote from someone in authority about the tensions they face*
  • A photo

*In this instance, this could be a made up quote.