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Journalism

Scouts BSA · Merit Badge · Arts

Printable worksheet (PDF)

Journalism is about finding out what's really happening and telling it clearly and fairly. You'll learn why a free press matters, practice asking good questions, and report on a real event. These skills help with school papers, speeches, and just being a sharp reader of the news.

Why it's worth it

Reporters are the people who show up, ask the questions everyone else is wondering about, and make sure the community knows what really happened. Journalism teaches you to listen carefully, check facts before you believe them, and write clearly enough that anyone can understand. Those skills help you on every school paper, in every interview, and every time you scroll past a headline and need to decide whether it's true.

Start this week

  1. Read or watch one local news story today and find the who, what, when, where, why, and how in it.
  2. Ask your Scoutmaster for the name of a Journalism counselor, and send them a short message with a parent copied to set up a first meeting.
  3. Decide whether the print/online option or the radio/TV option fits you better for requirement 2.
  4. Look at the troop and community calendar and pick a public event you could cover for requirement 4, like a parade, a town meeting, or a troop service project.

Stay safe

  • Cover events with a parent or buddy, and ask permission before you photograph or quote anyone. Don't post photos of other young people online without their parents' OK.

Requirements · 5

Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab) (updated 2025).

  1. Requirement 1

    Explain freedom of the press and how the First Amendment protects your right to speak out. Tell how to tell fact from opinion; explain malice, privacy, public figure, fair comment and criticism, libel, slander, and defamation; and discuss how they relate to journalism ethics

    Tip: Read the First Amendment out loud, then think of a recent news story that shows why reporters need to be free to ask hard questions.

    For example: Read the First Amendment, then explain it with a real example: a local reporter asks the mayor why a park closed. Freedom of the press means the government can't stop that story from running, even if officials don't like it.

  2. Requirement 2

    Journalism option. Choose 1 of 2

    Tips for this section: Pick the option that fits you: print or online if you like writing, radio or TV if you like talking on mic or on camera.

    Example for this section: For the print or online option, read a local paper, a national news site, a news magazine, and a news feed on the same day, and compare how each covered one story: its length, what it left out, and whether it seemed fair. Then tour a newsroom, in person or online if your counselor approves. For radio or TV, do the same comparison with newscasts and tour a station.

    1. Requirement 2a

      Option A: newspaper, magazine, and online journalism

      1. Requirement 2a1

        On one day, read a local news source, a national news source, a news magazine (print or online), and a social media news feed (online with permission). Compare a story on the same event from each: tell your counselor its length, how fair and accurate it is, and how each source handled it

      2. Requirement 2a2

        Tour a newspaper, magazine, or online news office (editorial, business, printing). Talk with a business-side executive about how management works with the reporters, photographers, and editors, and what makes an outlet good. A counselor-approved virtual visit is OK if none is nearby

    2. Requirement 2b

      Option B: radio and television journalism

      1. Requirement 2b1

        On one day, watch a local and a national network newscast, hear a radio newscast, and (with permission) view a national news source online. List each story and feature, the elements used, and its time or online space. Compare them for fairness and accuracy, and explain why outlets differed

      2. Requirement 2b2

        Tour a radio or TV station, focusing on the news departments. Talk with the station manager or another executive about how the station runs, how managers and the newsroom cooperate, and what makes a station good. If you can, go with a reporter to cover a story

  3. Requirement 3

    Discuss how hard news stories differ from feature stories, and explain the five W's and H. Then do one of 3a–3d. Choose 1 of 4

    Tip: Find one news story and one feature story in the same paper or site and compare them. Then write your own, checking off who, what, when, where, why, and how.

    For example: A news story about a troop food drive leads with the facts: "Troop members collected 400 cans Saturday for the town pantry." A feature story might start with a person: "At 7 a.m., 12-year-old Sam was already stacking boxes."

    1. Requirement 3a

      Pick a current or unusual event that interests you and write a hard news OR feature article about it, aimed at print, online, audio, or video. Share it with your counselor

    2. Requirement 3b

      With a parent's or guardian's permission and your counselor's approval, interview someone influential in your community because of their leadership, talent, career, or life story. Give your counselor a written or spoken report on what you learned

    3. Requirement 3c

      With a parent's or guardian's permission and your counselor's approval, read the autobiography of a journalist who interests you. Write an article on what you learned about them and what they've contributed to journalism

    4. Requirement 3d

      Go to a Scouting event and report on it in a 200-word hard news or feature article, using inverted pyramid or chronological style. Review it with your counselor, then send it to a local newspaper or your council or district newsletter to consider

  4. Requirement 4

    Go to a public event, then do one of 4a–4c. Choose 1 of 3

    Tip: Cover something local, like a school board meeting, a parade, or a sports game. Take notes, get quotes, and write it up the same day while it's fresh.

    For example: Cover a town parade: arrive early, take notes on what you see and hear, ask two people for quotes with their permission, and write your story that night. Check every name's spelling before you share it.

    1. Requirement 4a

      Write 2 articles about the event: one in inverted pyramid style and one in chronological style

    2. Requirement 4b

      In radio, TV, or podcast style, write three pieces about the event: a straight news story, a feature, and a critical review

    3. Requirement 4c

      Tell the event's story with a series of photos, including both news and feature shots. Write a short summary of the event and captions for the photos

  5. Requirement 5

    Identify 3 careers that use journalism skills. Pick one and research its training, education, certification, experience, and startup costs, plus job outlook, starting pay, and advancement. Talk it over with your counselor, including whether it interests you

    Tip: Ask a local reporter or your school newspaper adviser how they got started and what a normal workday looks like.

    For example: Compare three jobs: a beat reporter who covers schools, a photojournalist who tells stories with pictures, and a producer who decides what goes on a newscast. Find out the training and a typical day for each.

Places to visit

Ask an adult to set it up, and go with your family, den, patrol, or crew.

  • A newsroom, radio station, or TV station

    You can see how stories are assigned, edited, and put on the air or online, and meet the people who do it.

    How: Have an adult call the station or newsroom and ask about a tour for a small Scout group. Some offer tours on set days each month.

  • A high school or college student newspaper or radio station

    Student journalists can show how they find stories, run meetings, and meet deadlines.

    How: Have a parent or your counselor contact the faculty adviser and ask whether a few Scouts could sit in on a staff meeting.

Where it can lead

  • ReporterFinds stories, interviews people, and writes or records the news.
  • PhotojournalistTells news stories through photos and video.
  • EditorChecks facts, fixes writing, and decides which stories run.
  • Broadcast producerPlans what goes into a newscast or podcast and keeps it on time.
  • Public information officerShares news for a city, school district, or agency and answers reporters' questions.

Ask yourself

  • Where do you usually get your news, and how do you decide whether to trust it?
  • What was it like to interview someone you didn't know well?
  • How did you make sure your story was fair to everyone involved?
  • What did you leave out of your story, and why?
  • What's a story in your community that you think more people should know about?

Good questions to ask a reporter or editor

  • How do you decide what's news and what isn't?
  • How do you check a fact before you publish it?
  • What's the hardest interview you've ever done, and how did you prepare?
  • How has the way people get news changed since you started?
  • What should a young writer practice to get better at reporting?

Helpful reads

For leaders & parents

  • Have scouts report on a troop campout or service project for the unit newsletter or website.
  • Help a scout set up a short visit or video call with a local newsroom or radio station.

People & places that can help

Pairs well with

Into this? Explore more

Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.