WAN-IFRA, along with a consortium of international partners, has announced the launch of NewsArcade, a new gaming tool aimed at rebuilding trust in news among Generation Z. The tool combines gaming insights with news values and is now available for a free, six-month trial run for pioneering newsrooms.
The goal of NewsArcade is to counter misinformation and disinformation, as well as boost media literacy among young people. The web-based content management system allows journalists and editors to repurpose existing content into interactive and gamified news stories. This innovative approach to storytelling and engagement is designed to better connect the news media with Generation Z.
To aid newsrooms in utilizing NewsArcade, the partners have also created an online training course specifically tailored for media professionals. The course is structured into short “nano modules” and consists of 4-minute video tutorials, making it easy for journalists and editors to quickly learn how to gamify news stories and incorporate NewsArcade into their daily tasks.
In the game, players are presented with a set of provided News Values and are tasked with “covering a story” in line with one of the seven values. This allows users to experience the editorial decision-making process and make decisions on angles, quotes, headlines, and images to meet the editor’s challenge.
The consortium has also prepared a variety of example stories that can be found on the NewsArcade website. Users can choose to engage with articles on topics such as disinformation and AI, the upcoming UK elections, and news avoidance, and will be challenged to write their own version of the story from an analytical and constructive perspective.
To participate in the free, six-month trial run of NewsArcade, pioneering newsrooms can apply by emailing newsarcade@in-two.com. Further information and updates on NewsArcade can be found on WAN-IFRA’s website.
