After the initial week’s look behind the scenes at North West Tonight the second week started with a look behind the scenes as the lunchtime news programme went out.
Once again some reporters watched from the studio floor whilst others watched the goings on in the gallery.

The group, of about twelve community reporters, went to a meeting room (a former broadcast radio studio) where after refreshments Jim Clarke, News Gathering Editor for North West Tonight at BBC Manchester ran at session giving an introduction to journalism. Jim, who has a background in newspaper and television journalism, was able to draw on his experiences to show the group the best way to find and develop a story!

Whilst most of the Community Reporters there were already writing stories on their blogs, the emphasis so far had been on the mechanics of setting up a blog, pubishing text, images, audio and video. The sessions at the BBC were more about how to create and write an eye catching story which would engage with the audience.

The group left the second session positive and enthused with lots of ideas. Their “homework” was to come up with an outline for a story which could be developed at the next session, the following week.