Newscraft: the game that puts you in the shoes of a reporter

The journalistic process can seem opaque at times. Those who have never been involved in journalism don't always understand the issues, biases and pressures involved. Admittedly, some excellent films have succeeded in depicting the situation, but this will never be worth the felt understanding that a simulation, such as a serious game, can bring.

Selecting relevant information

Newscraft is aimed at late primary and early secondary school students, and takes an in-game approach to journalistic writing.

The player is a new editor working in one of the four (fake) media offered in the game. These represent the various types of media. Some try to maintain journalistic neutrality and provide factually accurate information, while others seek to create emotion without worrying about what is said. As a result, every Newscraft game will be different, depending on where the player sets up.

Once set up, the player will have to respond to orders from the editors and write a few texts by the end of each day's play. To do this, the player consults fake or commissioned media articles on a topic and selects the headlines, photos and words that seem relevant. These are more like doodles, color-coded to represent whether a term is technical, spectacular or ordinary. The player also possesses a magnifying glass that enables him or her to see those scribbles that are intended to be erroneous data. So, depending on the medium you choose, you'll need to be careful (or not) in your selection, and make sure you match the editorial line.

Learning the notion of editorial line

Each article consists of 25 selected words, a headline and a photo. Here again, it's a question of what the editor-in-chief wants. Sensationalism, scandal, raw information, text encouraging activism... These are the choices the player will have to make to get through the three days and secure his place in the editorial team.

The game is available on all platforms as a download or even as a browser game, providing players with an understanding of the editorial line aspect from the headline to the end of the article. The game informs through experience the different proposals existing in the modern media landscape. Data that will shed new light on the strengths and weaknesses of each medium.

Newscraft