10 Story Ideas for November, 2025
Dave Davis, director of the ASB Workshop, advised a high school newsmagazine for 34 years. He will post the “pitch meeting” the first day of each month, September - May.
RPGs: Baldur’s Gate 3. Grounded. Hogwart’s Legacy. Palworld. Skyrim. Those are a few examples of role-playing games (RPGs) teenagers are into these days. As you can imagine, there are positives (enhanced social skills, problem-solving, stress relief, boosted creativity and empathy) and there are negatives (social withdrawal, potential for distress, impact on other relationships, and just too much escapism). You can start here and dig deeper for all sides: https://lifeskillsadvocate.com/blog/benefits-of-role-playing-games/
If I Can Hear It, It’s Too Loud: About 1 in 6 teens shows hearing loss symptoms according to a study by Siemens Hearing Instruments last year. More info here: https://cvascent.com/a-budding-problem-hearing-loss-in-teens-is-on-the-rise/ Seems like a timely story to cover since about every teen in America pops in ear buds, which certainly can pump up the volume.
Moving Halloween? Is it time to consider moving Halloween to the last Friday or Saturday of October, regardless of the date? The idea has gained some momentum. It has some advantages (does not disrupt the regular work and school week) and a few concerns (would we just encouraging MORE late night hijinks with no school the next day?) Teenagers will surely have strong opinions (as will parents). This might make a great roving reporter piece. There will be plenty of photos or video clips available from students who had some Halloween fun this year.
No Shave November: Might be a good time to remind folks what this no-shave-November stuff is really about: Cancer. https://rb.gy/kw1qd7 Quite a few men participate, including teachers and male students. Track their “growth” and find out why they feel it is important to support the cause.
No Matter Who We Blame: The shutdown of the U.S. government is about to start causing more pain to more Americans. Teenager journalists should dig in and try to understand all sides of this ongoing confrontation in Washington. Here is information from the BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c74jden8ddxo There are tons of articles you can find as you research the story, but including first-hand accounts of the shutdown’s impact would be great.
Old Fashioned Hymns and Praise Bands: There are so many churches now offering “traditional” and “non-traditional” services to their members. What is the difference? For one thing, the music. That might be a great, attention-getting way to start off a story about how modern churches are trying to meet their congregations where they are. Maybe include a young song leader and an older one as they reflect on how they plan their music each week.
Stick It: Did you know manual transmissions account for less than two percent of new vehicle purchases in the U.S.? Have teenage drivers at your school ever driving a car with a stick-shift? Find one who has/does. Go for a ride. Find out what’s cool about it. Talk to a car lot owner about sales of cars with manual transmissions. Does anybody ask for them these days? Here are the ones still being sold: https://www.caranddriver.com/features/g20734564/manual-transmission-cars/
Bringing It On: A movie that had a much bigger audience than many expected thanks to continued screenings on the small screen just turned 25 this year. “Bring It On” (2000) was all about cheerleading, with of course a little teen drama thrown in. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0204946/ This anniversary could lead to a story about the various local, state and national cheerleading competitions many teens participate in with their schools squads, and also non-school squads that demand a very high level of performance and skill. See who is “bringing it on” at your school.
Over the River and Through the Woods: Did you know there are quite a few songs that are considered “Thanksgiving Songs?” There is a list (with links) here: https://www.cras.edu/top-20-thanksgiving-songs/ Are some of these a bit of a stretch? Do students and teachers actually have an answer when you ask them for their favorite Thanksgiving song? Trivia: Did you know “Jingle Bells” was originally written as a Thanksgiving song. Have some fun with this one.
Not Our Team, But Still: It’s the time of year when high school football teams start marching to state championships. Maybe your school’s team is not one of those. You can still produce a great story by covering a nearby school’s team and fan base as they try to make it to state. The sounds, the visuals, they are all there. Your viewers might appreciate seeing how another school is making some local sports history.