Develop a North Star

Process

Mindwarmer

Step 1:
Share the Systems Thinking slide deck with the class. Use the iceberg model to explain what systems thinking is, and how it might help us tell more complete stories.

This can bridge into a discussion about success and impact. Some talking points could include:

• The “success” of journalism is often credited by the number of clicks an article gets, or whether or not something happened because of the reporting (i.e., a public official is ousted after a piece exposed corruption).
• Journalism often focuses on accountability for past actions, but rarely do we take time to focus on possibilities for the future.
• While we don’t want to prescribe a particular agenda or outcome for our work, it’s important to zoom out and see the role our reporting plays in our society, the issues we cover, and the potential to affect change.

Exercise

Step 2:
Explain what the activity will be about: students will spend time developing a guiding vision for their journalism. This is often referred to as a “North Star.” 

Step 3:
Now that you’ve framed the subject, it’s time to start considering the future you’d want to work toward. 

What are the features, outputs, and functions of healthy civic life ?

In 10 minutes, write down as many of these attributes or qualities that you can think of, one per sticky note. You can do this as a large group, in pairs, or have students work on their own and share out.

Some examples could include:

• Equitable amongst race, class, and gender
• Quality education for all
• Access to affordable housing
• Healthcare is affordable and accessible
• 100% voting turnout

As these are developed or shared, place them up on a wall or whiteboard, putting similar ideas by one another.

Step 4: 
Now that you have a better idea of what an ideal system might produce and how it functions, it’s time to step back and consider the role journalism plays in creating that system. While journalism is often heralded as a non-partial referee, the calls it makes have an impact.

Have students reflect individually or in pairs on the following questions, writing individual notes on sticky note:

• Why is journalism important?
• How can journalism make a difference?
• What personal values or beliefs drive your reporting?

Students can then share-out with the class and place their sticky notes near their answers for the first question. 

Step 5: 
Zoom out and look at what everyone has developed for the prompts and look for common themes among the answers. As a group, take note of recurring phrases and key themes. Note though, that everyone has a different reason for why they are pursuing journalism.

Step 6: 
Using the list of values and goals, have each student develop their North Star. This is a 2-3 sentence description of the goals they’re working toward and the role they want to play as a journalist in the world. 

For example, you could write:

“My North Star is a society that is equitable and resilient for all. As a journalist, my reporting will help shed a light on power dynamics that challenge that, and elevate voices and communities that have been historically marginalized.”

You can have students share out, or have this be a moment for individual reflection.

Possible Alternative

Instead of focusing on journalism writ large, you can center this exercise around a particular topic. As a class, pick a subject you’d like to focus on, like healthcare, criminal justice, or education. Adjust the questions as needed:

What are the features, outputs, and functions of a healthy public?	→	What are the features, outputs, and functions of a healthy ________ system? (Fill in the blank with the chosen topic)
Why is journalism important?	→	Why is your reporting on this topic important?
How can journalism make a difference?	→	How can your reporting on it make a difference?
What personal values or beliefs drive your reporting?	→	What personal values and beliefs drive your reporting on this topic?

Rather than creating a North Star about their journalism, they can write one about the topic. For instance, if you’re focusing on education, it could be:

“Our North Star is an educational system that provides equal access, quality education to every child in our city. This educational system teaches children about equity, civic engagement, and how to be lifelong learners.”

Have questions? Feedback?

We’d love to hear about your experience using these activities in your classroom, get your thoughts on what we could improve. Email us at resources@journalismdesign.com or fill out this form.