The Challenge

Newsrooms are always searching for new methods to increase revenue and deepen relationships with their communities. One avenue that has been growing across the country is newsrooms designing unique, sometimes funny or clever, but always community-centered,  merch.

Whether it’s the $100k that Block Club Chicago raised with their gator watch shirts, the $7000 raised by LOOKOUT with their quick whip up of the Don’t be Patty shirts, or newsrooms building collaborative merch with local community artists – we’ve seen what results in successful merch: designing something that highlights a unique, fun or timely topic in the community that the newsroom is serving. 

So this year’s challenge is for student teams to find a newsroom partner and come up with a new merch idea. 

Read more about the challenge, rules and timeline.  

In this 2-part virtual workshop for beginners, attendees will learn the ins and outs of creating engaging and informative vertical storytelling experiences! According to the 2026 Digital News Report by the Reuters Institute, 77% of people globally consume online news video each week. TikTok, Instagram and YouTube are driving this growth. So if you’re not producing storytelling for vertical spaces, you’re not meeting all your potential audiences where they are!

In this fast-paced, practical course, you’ll learn the four key ingredients behind social video that performs. You’ll learn how to structure strong vertical video, write scripts that sound human (not like a news bulletin), and use layered storytelling to pack depth into every second.  We’ll explore creative formats that go beyond presenter-led video—using props, filters, and bold ideas to make your content stand out. 

This webinar series will cover:

• The four key ingredients behind social video that grabs attention and grows audiences
• Practical apps, tools, and tricks to create standout video—no big budget needed
• Real-world examples and inspiration from media, NGOs, and digital creators

Class 1: October 9, 2026 at 11am CT 

Hook them in: the structure of great vertical video 

• The anatomy of social video that hooks, holds, and lands
• Four proven hooks to make people stop scrolling and start watching
• Simple, practical techniques to structure your video

 Speaking in human: getting the tone right 

• Why tone matters
• The building blocks of tone: words, body language, and delivery
• How to spot (and avoid) journalese and unnecessary jargon
• How delivery and body language bring your script to life  

Class 2: October 23, 2026 at 11am CT 

Say more, faster: mastering content density 

• What content density means—and why it matters for social video
• Standout examples of how to pack more into less time
• Practical ways to compress time using visuals, text, and graphics
• How to plan your story in layers using simple scripting frameworks

Make it standout: creative storytelling for social 

• Simple ways to make presenter-led video more engaging and less predictable
• Creative ideas from top creators who use props and visual storytelling to stand out
• Inspiring formats across topics—from politics to sport and everything in between
• A hands-on group exercise to develop a creative treatment for a complex story

Participants in this workshop will not only leave with hands-on experience and additional resources to continue their learning at home, but will also be awarded an RJI Certificate of Completion for this training workshop.

Your instructor: Laura Garcia works for BBC’s World Service, making mid-form creative explainers for YouTube as social media specialist focused on vertical video strategy and social media innovation

Your host: Kat Duncan is the Director of Innovation at the Reynolds Journalism Institute. She leads the innovation team and their programs, workshops, partnerships and initiatives. 

When this class is full, you can ask to be added to the waitlist by emailing Kat Duncan Duncank@rjionline.org