Exploring press regulations with my students (Leadership for Change - The Economist).

I recently taught Lesson 4 of the Leadership for Change 2025 curriculum. It was one of the most enjoyable and thought-provoking sessions we’ve had this term. The topic, press regulations and the news, is not an easy one for students, but the activities were designed in such a fun and accessible way that the students understand the issues at stake.

One of my favorite moments was the TikTok-style news activity. Each group received a secret “circumstance” and had to transform a short fictional story into a 30-second news report (like a TikTok video). I loved watching how creative the students were, using humour to get their message across. It was fun and effective in helping them grasp how context and restrictions can shape the way information is presented.

This is exactly the kind of lesson I love: one that is engaging, relevant, and empowering, giving students the tools to think critically about the world around them.

And here is what Idil and Julie thought about it:

We worked on an article set in a zoo, where a giraffe and a pig slept together, and the zoo director decided they had to be separated. In groups of three, we created a 30-second oral presentation about this story. The challenge was that we weren’t allowed to use certain words. For example, “the president forbade us to say long neck and pig.” We then had to retell the article under these restrictions and to present it in the style of a TikTok video. We really enjoyed the activity because the story was funny, and the restrictions made it more entertaining and creative.