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"I hope it’s not your life, but you’ll find that you’re always an editor." These were words of both warning and expectation that I heard from my newspaper adviser before this year as editor in chief of the my high school’s student newspaper. I found them to be true in more ways than I expected. HSJI addressed the issue of always being an editor in the context of seeing stories in everything. We learned to see trends or milestones in each award or assembly at school. We learned to look at the kid who seems to do nothing extracurricularly and notice the three younger siblings he or she cares for each day after school or the part time jobs he or she held. We learned to take every daily conversation and see potential story angles. One day I threw a baseball around with some friends during a free period, then walked back inside my school sweaty and disheveled and ran straight into our Dean of Students. "I guess the Prep News is a mess today," he said of my appearance. I laughed about it with him and we struck up a conversation (it’s every editor’s job to be best friends with the Dean of Students). But this is a just a small example of another way that an editor is always an editor. Just as much as an editor has to associate everything in his or her own life with the job, he or she also carries all the associations that accompany the paper. An editor and his or her newspaper reflect upon each other at all times. If the driving force behind a newspaper is sloppy, the paper itself is seen as sloppy. They are implicitly perceived as intertwined. And concurrently, they absolutely must be separate. HSJI brought a stern warning not to dedicate all of one’s time to a newspaper because an editor has to get around and have a feel for school events. One of my newspaper’s section editors spent all of his free time in our newspaper office studying, working, and even eating lunch. When an editorial debate came regarding the student response to a new school program called the Jazz Diversity Series, he was clueless. An editor cannot comment on a school without being a part of it. An editor has to stay social and active outside of the newspaper. An editor has to stay immersed in student opinion or he risks both innaccuracy from his or her own biases and a loss of credibility from an "ivory tower" perception by his classmates. Ultimately, an editor is always an editor. As long as he or she is part of the newspaper (and probably for several months of withdrawal afterward), it will not leave him or her. But at the same time, an editor has to be more than just an editor. In whatever context, high school or the world, an editor has to be a citizen within his or her subject.
BY DYLAN HODGES, AVON HIGH SCHOOL
Yes, we are in a new year, but more importantly we are facing a new decade, a new chapter. We’re out of the rut that we were stuck induring the 2000s, and we can look ahead to the possibilities of the 2010s. As journalists, we bite our nails in anticipation of what to expect in our ever-changing profession. It’s exciting, yet terrifying at the same time. We must look back to look ahead and identify the trends. The 1980s were the Internet years— understanding and perfecting the technology for release in the 1990s. In the 1990s we saw the mobile evolution begin with phones appearing in our personal vehicles. The 2000s were just the tuning years for social networking platforms and widespread usage of internet on mobile devices, keeping users an arms length from their favorite mobile application. I predict 2010 to be the first step toward the mainstream use of social media with changes in mobile technologies and abilities. A mobile phone will have the capability to video conference, stream and distribute video live. As phone providers compete, I foresee these devices permitting us with higher quality services such as an HD camera lens, expanded bandwidth, battery power, and improved security features at an acceptable price range. These new features, while they may take a while to attain, will provide an information grid across the world—transferring data and news in an instant, unlike anything we currently have. This new information flow from everyday people has already taken effect, as with the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India of 2008. The citizens of Mumbai linked to web sites with more details on the attacks than ever seen on most US networks, alerting the media of the breaking news. Retailers like Zappos, UrbanOutfitters and others use mobile apps for the online shopper and offer their customers a chance to write and publish reviews of products, strengthening the bond between consumer and retailer. It is evident that the people want to be heard and the media wants to hear them. Many television news programs and newspapers are using their own websites and social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to stay connected with the audience. As news is interpreted and shared, people without journalism degrees will become first hand correspondents by sharing their findings for credit. The place for broadcast journalism and print journalism will only become more competitive as people will be able to decide when, where, and how they want their news presented. As a journalist, you’ll have to know many trades. The ability to report well is only the foundation of journalism. You have to take advantage of this skill and other opportunities in order to capture your audience and be distinguishable from the guy reporting an unfolding story from his cellular phone. It’s exciting to me. I have great ambition and look forward to the challenge, as well as the chance to work with the new technology. I think the new decade will be very empowering in the sense that our individualistic tendencies as a society will make the media world more personal and collaborative. I am still waiting for cars to fly. These are just a few of my predictions as I interpret what is taking place and how it can expand. I would love to hear how you think the media world is changing or how you think it will change within the next 10 years. Many might believe that the chatter in the high school halls consists entirely of pointless gossip and whimsical stories. Journalists, on the other hand, crave these random conversations. Why, you might ask? Because, for the most part, the best article ideas stem directly from the people for which we write. I learned from the beginning that a journalist’s main task is simply to listen and the rest will follow after. I was told that if I paid attention to all that occurs around me, I would discover stories that interest our readership. Sure enough, this advice was dead-on. As I made my way from class to class each day, I uncovered issues that my peers truly seemed concerned about. From there, I’d return to my newspaper staff overflowing with topics on brainstorming days. Each and every story that made it to print for the month’s edition was based solely on issues and events from within the school. Perhaps some articles will not intrigue us as much as the next. We all can agree that writing about test scores may seem significantly less thrilling than exploring the state-bound football team, for example. Still, if it is being discussed by our audience, then we must report it so that we can deliver the facts and the truth. And essentially, that is our true role as journalists—to shed light on various situations. About three weeks ago, I had a great experience. I was chosen out of all the students at Heritage Christian to be a MyINDY TV sideline reporter.
Prior to the game, I had to research information on both teams, like stats and star players. I met the crew of MyINDY and WISH-TV before the game. They hooked me up to a microphone and a headset. Throughout the whole game, I followed a cameraman around. Every once in a while, I would hear someone in my earpiece say "standby." A few minutes later, the main reporters introduced me and let me report. When I was on camera, I reported what was happening during the game and I also interviewed some coaching staff and players. Throughout the whole experience, I was definitely nervous. I was afraid of messing up on live television or forgetting my lines. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. I got the chance to interview head coach Ron Qualls and some Varsity football players. I asked them about their feelings prior to the game and about how the team had been practicing all week. I also was able to interview a cheerleader and get her input on the game and what it was like to cheer at past state championships.
I’ll post the video as soon as I can. Interviews are pivotal to any kind of journalistic article. I always thought that it was the quotes and not the writer that write a good story. Depending on what you are writing about, it is important to try to find the best sources possible. Sources need to be knowledgable and have at least something interesting to say about your topic. Mediocre sources make for mediocre stories. I remember being intimidated walking into an interview. I always thought that I was taking away from my interviewee’s busy day. I wasn’t sure if I would get what I needed. To reduce these stressors, you need to engage in your topic. Show your interviewee that you understand that their time is important and that you appreciate their cooperation. The key to interviewing is simple: Research, research, research! As a reporter, you should be knowledgable about your topic, even if you don’t want to or don’t care about what you are writing. You don’t want to look dumb in front of anyone because you didn’t do any research. Writing out questions before an interview is important. They help you stay on track and hit key points in an interview. But, as a reporter, you should not rely solely on written questions. Be prepared to think on your feet. Your sources may have something interesting to say that you didn’t anticipate, and you might have more questions about it. Ask them! The more you get from your sources, the better. Also, it shows your interviewee that you are actually listening to them and are interested in what they have to say. For those reporters who are somewhat shy, like myself, you just need to remember that these people are just people. They want to help you out and you need to show them that you can be in control of your story. Although I dreaded interviews in the beginning, they have become one of my favorite steps in writing a story. There are so many things to learn about and so many interesting people to talk to. I already can’t wait to get to know them! Good luck interviewing!
At Bartlett High School, the National Honor Society requires senior members to initiate and lead a service project unique to their interests. When I learned of this task, I racked my brain in hopes of uncovering an idea worth my while. Every possibility I came up with would most definitely have a positive influence on my community, yet none kept me intrigued. That was until a couple of my friends invited me to join in on their project. The plan—to create an extracurricular newspaper for fourth through sixth graders at an elementary school near BHS. I was ecstatic, to say the least. To inform others of the art of journalism, even at a simpler level for youth, would be a truly amazing experience. With the basis of our project set, we contacted the elementary school’s principal in order to get things up and running. His enthusiasm for the suggestion matched ours and he organized a time for us to present the prospect of a newspaper to his students. Though I worried that younger kids might not show interest in what we wanted to do, I was proven entirely wrong at our presentation. Fourth, fifth and sixth graders swarmed the three of us, eagerly listening to the information we conveyed. When asked who might like to participate in such an activity, nearly all of the hands shot up. Now, five days away from our first official meeting with the students, I cannot help but feel anxious. Will they enjoy what we share? Will they understand what we teach? There is absolutely no way of knowing what to expect. In a way, however, this adds to the excitement of what we’re doing. Whatever these kids may take from this, the fact that we’re spreading the knowledge of journalism to others is what matters most, and only this must remain in our minds and in our hearts as we go forth with this endeavor. And please, if anyone has any suggestions on important journalism topics that need to be covered with these children—feel free to share! I would greatly appreciate any and all thoughts and ideas.  Over the years, the Echo’s nameplate has changed as new editors determine how they want to run the newspaper. The editors bring in new designs that the staff must follow that year. This year, I designed the 2009-2010 nameplate in an attempt to modernize the Echo. It was my pleasure to find that many students and a previous adviser of the paper complimented the new overall look of the Echo. Having a more mod-looking paper has grabbed the student bodys’ interest while still being true to student journalism. I hope that my nameplate will be the Echo’s nameplate for volumes to come. I also hope that other papers will take the opportunity to be visually appealing to readers, in addition to having interesting content. Handle with care—a label relevant not only to fragile knick-knacks, but journalistic stories as well. It is understood that as reporters, we must make our voices heard and display certain facts for all to see. When our words may cause destruction to the life of another, however, where do we draw the line? Don’t get me wrong, shedding light on certain situations may indeed cause controversy. It is impossible to completely avoid angering at least a few in a journalist’s audience. As an opinion writer and the editorial editor for my school’s newspaper, I have witnessed my fair share of critical topics and differing viewpoints— including the criticisms that followed. Yet the manner in which a reporter approaches a topic is key. At times, what we disclose may not make everyone entirely happy. At times, the news hurts. That is something we all can relate to. Still, whatever the topic may be, remaining professional when revealing any information at all is vital. Rather than placing blame, pointing fingers or ranting and moaning, state the facts—state the truth. Remain conscious of ethics in any way possible. By following these guidelines, smart journalism is equivalent to safe journalism. Ethics. If you have ever taken journalism class you should know what those are. Over the years journalists have pushed these "Codes of Practice" to the limits. Libel, slander, prior review, and bias are a few terms that should be very familiar to all journalists. It is important to know your boundaries as a reporter and even a designer in the journalism industry. We so often think that our First Amendment rights allow us to do whatever we want, and that is definitely not the case. At Avon High School we have a very lenient administration that has never, in my years on staff, made use of prior review or had any problem with anything we publish. I remember meeting two students this past summer at HSJI who had many problems cooperating with their administration and publishing things that were in any way controversial. I had a difficult time understanding why they weren’t allowed to publish what they wanted because I was so used to not having any limitations. Although I know about these ethical rules, I have never had to put them into practice and they had lost importance in my eyes. But if pursuing journalism is a dream of yours, like it is mine, it is critical that you are well versed in ethics. Learning about it in high school is only the first step. A journalist is always aware of that line of ethics, and they make sure not to step over it. I hope that we can start understanding these rules now so we practice them accurately in the future. We are lucky to have as much freedom in this industry as we do in our country, and these ethical rules are set in place to not only protect the public– but to protect journalists. |
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