MassInsider Inside the Classroom
Sean Cusick teaches high school English at Tantasqua Regional High School in Fiskdale, Massachusetts. In his journalism class, he’s trying to help students figure out how news actually works today — not just the traditional newspaper model, but how stories spread across platforms and how narratives take shape in real time.
Before MassInsider, Mr. Cusick was cobbling together resources from all over the place: different news sites, screenshots from social media, links students would send him. It worked well enough, but it was a lot of work and didn’t really give students the full picture of what was happening on any given day.
That’s when he started using InstaTrac’s MassInsider newsletter as a teaching tool. “MassInsider is essential in my journalism classroom,” Cusick explains. “It’s a real-world example of how journalism meets modern news consumption — blending traditional reporting with social media, podcasts, and Substack-style content. My students analyze stories to learn fact-checking and news values while seeing how professionals adapt to how people actually consume news today.”
The daily digest gives his students a snapshot of Massachusetts and national policy coverage all in one spot. What makes it useful is the mix — students see how the same story is covered by traditional outlets right alongside Substack writers, podcasters, and social media voices.
In practice, students kick off class by scanning the day’s headlines and summaries, looking for patterns and recurring themes. The variety of sources means they’re exposed to different perspectives and formats that are actively shaping the conversation.
The real learning happens when students compare coverage. How does a traditional publication frame an issue versus a podcast or a TikTok breakdown? What changes when the format shifts? How does audience shape tone? These are the questions that lead to actual media literacy.
By bringing MassInsider into the classroom, Mr. Cusick’s been able to bridge the gap between journalism theory and how people actually consume news today. His students are building real skills — aggregation, analysis, critical reading — while staying informed on issues that matter.
Want to bring this kind of clarity to your own news diet? Subscribe to MassInsider today!