<![CDATA[Conventional news text instruction often neglects oral communicative competence, prioritizing written analysis over speaking performance. This study investigates the effectiveness of integrating Project-Based Learning (PjBL) with authentic news video production to enhance seventh-grade students' speaking skills within the Merdeka Curriculum. Employing a qualitative case study design, data were collected through methodological triangulation comprising limited participatory observation, semi-structured in-depth interviews, supportive questionnaires, and documentary analysis of student scripts and video products within a coastal-region SMP. Analysis followed Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña's interactive model through iterative cycles of data reduction, display, and conclusion verification. Findings revealed that 70 percent of students demonstrated enhanced comprehension of news text structure through functional internalization of 5W+1H elements and the inverted pyramid principle during rigorous scriptwriting. Learning motivation increased by 65 percent, attributed to the authentic experience of "becoming real reporters" that conferred social meaning upon academic tasks. Findings indicate that transforming video from passive input to active speaking output significantly improved students' fluency, confidence, and paralinguistic awareness through the 'authentic audience effect.' However, critical analysis reveals that high-stakes performance exacerbated speaking anxiety for marginal learners, necessitating differentiated scaffolding. The study concludes that authentic video production fosters 'performative multiliteracies,' shifting literacy from consumption to embodied public performance. These insights offer educators a critical framework for designing equitable speaking interventions that balance technological innovation with psychological safety.]]>
