diff --git a/.github/workflows/news-file.yaml b/.github/workflows/news-file.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index 0e219871a..000000000
--- a/.github/workflows/news-file.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-on:
-  pull_request:
-    types: [labeled, unlabeled, opened, reopened, synchronize]
-jobs:
-  check-news-file:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
-        with:
-          # `towncrier check` needs enough history to run `git diff --name-only origin/main...`
-          fetch-depth: 0
-      - run: pipx run towncrier check --compare-with origin/main
-        if: ${{ ! (contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'trivial')) }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/news-file.yml b/.github/workflows/news-file.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2c7680d0b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/news-file.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+name: Check
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    types: [labeled, unlabeled, opened, reopened, synchronize]
+
+jobs:
+  check-news-entry:
+    name: news entry
+    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
+
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+        with:
+          # `towncrier check` runs `git diff --name-only origin/main...`, which
+          # needs a non-shallow clone.
+          fetch-depth: 0
+
+      - name: Check news entry
+        if: "!contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'trivial')"
+        run: |
+          if ! pipx run towncrier check --compare-with origin/${{ github.base_ref }}; then
+            echo "Please see https://pip.pypa.io/dev/news-entry-failure for guidance."
+            false
+          fi