Topical Talk

Upsetting news: strategies to help

Why can the news be upsetting? Exploring the emotional impact of difficult news headlines.

Collage of pages from the “Upsetting news: strategies to help” teaching resource showing the cover and lesson plan

Published 18 July 2025

About this lesson

Occasionally, Topical Talk Headlines refer to difficult global affairs, such as conflict or injustice. It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the constant flow of information from the news, especially when much of it seems negative.

While vital for informing us, news media often present information in ways that can amplify negative emotions.

Use this lesson to help students:

  • Understand common patterns and trends in news reporting
  • Discuss why certain news stories feel more distressing than others
  • Explore different strategies for coping with upsetting news stories

Skills and knowledge

  • Listening

    Step 1: I listen to others and can remember short instructions
    Did you listen to your group and remember the instructions to speed-write news stories?

    Step 7: I show I am listening by using open questions to deepen my understanding
    Did you listen and use open-ended questions when you discussed
    the scenarios?

    Step 12: I listen critically and think about where differences in perspectives come from
    Did you listen critically and think about why each person in the scenario felt like they did?

  • Knowledge

    I know some strategies to help when reading or hearing about upsetting news stories
    What are some of the strategies?

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