Story Ideas for High School Publications

Students were asked to describe some of the features from their high school publications that they particularly liked, or brainstorm stories and projects that could be completed next school year. Here are some of their thoughts:

Nancy: We have a series called, "What It's Like to Be Me": It's a series on students with different backgrounds. Most are identified fully.

Jack: We're trying to generate more op-eds from students on current events.

Riley: We do teacher bios/ stories on why teachers came into the profession. It can help students relate better to teachers, and open up to them.

Danielle: We do features on students with unusual or unique talents. And one student generated money by creating celebrity websites.

Caroline: A good feature is student-written editorials: Such as why "To Kill a Mockingbird" should be read.

Courtney: Our publication could use more stories about crime -- in the neighborhood or at school.

Jack: I'd also like to see more well-rounded interviews on tough stories.

Teacher suggestion: Stories on coping with the high stress of high school -- and teen anxiety and depression. Interviews could be conducted with counselors, therapists, teachers, students.

Nancy: It would be helpful to tie national news to student opinions, such as on influx of Syrian refugees.

Crystal: We do a feature called Black vs. Gold: The editorial board writes opinions from both sides on big issues, such as on a vote to eliminate final exams in Montgomery County -- only having quarterly tests.

Riley: When athletes come back from college to visit: They're interviewed about college life. We also do features on college-bound athletes.

Jack: On our high school radio station: Get student newspaper reporters to come on air to talk about their stories.

Courtney: We could use a calendar of upcoming events. When SAT workshops are held in the building, for instance.

Q&A: Thoughts on the National Political Conventions

Terp Young Scholars journalism students fanned out to talk to folks at the University of Maryland about the national political conventions. With one night remaining at the Democratic National Convention, the following are some of the responses they got:

Do you feel that you know the candidates vying for president better after watching the conventions? How so?

 

Katya Beltran

Katya Beltran, 15, a Terp Young Scholars student from Silver Spring, Md.:
“I did get more information about [Donald] Trump’s views and his beliefs, and it only made me more pro-Clinton. [Trump] has no plans. He always says broad things of how he wants to change America, and then he doesn’t describe how he plans to do it.”

Guy Cremen, 82, a retired railroad police officer, from Glen Burnie, Md.:
“I really think there were too many people talking. There was just too much talking. The other day they had (actress) Debra Messing. I mean, hey, come on. What do we need her up there for?”

Frank Yu, 20, a junior computer science major, from Gaithersburg, Md.:
"Their speeches were very personal, and I got a specific insight into their lives. ... And instead of just political farce, I could actually get ... insight into their background."

Ravi Doshi, 20, a junior kinesiology major at UMD College Park, from Frederick, Md.:

“I didn’t really learn more about [the candidates], just more about their party.”

Albert Millard, 21, a junior Spanish major at UMD College Park, from North Potomac, Md.:

“I don’t really know a lot more. I knew who both of the candidates were before.”

Who was your favorite speaker at the conventions, and why?

Dave Goodlett

Dave Goodlett, 56, biochemistry professor at UMBC, Baltimore:

“My favorite speaker at the Democratic convention was [U.S. Sen.] Cory Booker. He was very enthusiastic, and the platform he expressed support for is the platform I believe in.” 

David Quinter, 15, of Washington, D.C. :

“(My) favorite would have to be Michelle [Obama]. Her speech was riveting.”

Alexander Boyson, 24, a senior English major at UMD College Park, from Rockville, Md.:

“I love ... (comedian) Sarah Silverman. She kept it light and gave an inspiring speech.”

Albert Millard, 21, a junior Spanish major at UMD College Park, from North Potomac, Md.:

“I think (President Barack) Obama yesterday was my favorite speaker, because we need him to unify the Democratic Party. We need a voice from the party. There’s been a lot of chaos from both parties, so hearing words from the president would help to settle some of that.”

Guy Cremen, 82, a retired railroad police officer, from Glen Burnie, Md.:

“I think [my favorite speaker was] Donald Trump Jr. Everything he said was right up front.”

Katya Beltran, 15, a Terp Young Scholars student, from Silver Spring, Md.:

“Michelle Obama, because it was a very powerful speech. … She has the ability to change minds and turn this election around so that we do not elect Trump.”

Dale Connelly

Dale Connelly, 65, a recent graduate of the UMD College Park, and a former employee of the National Archives, from Silver Spring Md.:

“Michelle Obama … she talks about the children, but also she talked about ... gun control, and she also respects the people in blue.” 

Oluwatobi Ajimoko, 19, a University of Pittsburgh finance major, from Williamstown, N.J.:

“It would be [Barack] Obama, but I feel that Michelle, as a person, because she doesn’t hold the same political power as Obama, she’s more relatable, and she was able to … make us see a different side of her, which is what she has been able to do a lot of times over the past eight years.”

Was anything said at the conventions that made you change your mind?

Donna Goodlett, 52, a homeless advocate from Baltimore:

“No, if anything it solidified my choice.”

Katya Beltran, 15, a Terp Young Scholars student, from Silver Spring, Md.:

“Nope. Still against Trump.”

Oluwatobi Ajimoko, 19, a University of Pittsburgh finance major, from Williamstown, N.J.:

“Having the Democratic convention, it kind of showed us that even though Hillary is not very trustworthy, she does have the credentials to be president.” 

Hannah Dentry

Hannah Dentry, 26, post-bachelor student, from Baltimore:
"I think they did a really strong job of not only promoting Hillary (Clinton) and her amazing experience, but also being realistic and specific about how her opponent Donald Trump is not."

Ravi Doshi, 20, a junior kinesiology major at UMD College Park, from Frederick, Md.:
"Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka spoke on more liberal topics, and that surprised me."

--Text and photos by Terp Young Scholars journalism students: Madison Akers, Kyra Ashlock, Emily Colby, Courtney Diggs, Crystal Foretia, Nia Gates, Megan Gregoire, Wyatt Haversack, Caroline Kloster, Colleen Neely, Danielle Tobb, Nancy Vu, Jack Wagner and Riley Wal.

Post Tour: Mobile and Social Platforms, Reporting Discussed

Washington Post mobile editor Mark W. Smith with Young Scholars.

Blackistone: Reporting the 'Transcendent' Stories

Kevin Blackistone, a panelist on ESPN's "Around the Horn," visited class, talking about the rich sports stories that can be reported beyond the game stories.

Merrill College Visiting Professor Kevin Blackistone has covered news and sports, and expressed opinions on ESPN's "Around the Horn" and in a column he writes for The Washington Post.

His jobs in journalism have brought him all over the world -- including to Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympics and to South Africa to cover the 2010 World Cup.

He said the stories that have meant the most to him, though, are the transcendent ones, which touch on themes of race and culture and society.  While he was in South Africa, for instance, he said he made time to visit the prison on Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned before the fall of apartheid.

What points from Blackistone's talk resonated the most with you? 

Did you find any points in his talk inspirational?

Building Ethics Codes for High School Newsrooms

We talked today about personal newsroom ethics: How reporters should conduct themselves to gain the trust and respect of their sources and readers. 

Now It's time to draft some do's and don'ts for your high school newsrooms. What do you recommend for a school code of ethics? Please give five to 10 strong bullet points. 

Your codes could address accuracy, fairness, conflicts of interest, accountability, plagiarism, how errors will be addressed and more. The codes could address text as well as images, video and social media.  Please focus on what you think is relevant for your school's publication(s).

Please read the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics, and at least one of the following before writing: 
The Washington Post Code of Ethics, 
the National Press Photographers Association code, 
RTDNA's code and 
NPR's code. 

Newsroom Diversity Still Trails U.S. Demographics

How far have newsrooms come in diversifying their staffs? Not far enough, journalist and Merrill teacher Anne Farris Rosen said Thursday.

Although the minority population in the U.S. reached about 38 percent in 2013, the minority workforce in the news business continues to trail that. Minority journalists make up only about 22 percent of the local TV news workforce, and only about 13 percent of the daily newspaper workforce, according to a 2015 report from the Pew Research Center.

How does minority representation in the newsroom affect the types of stories covered by the media-- and how they're reported?

Please comment, below, on stories involving race that you have seen in mainstream media outlets in recent weeks and months. How well have they been covered? How could they have been improved? Please be diplomatic, but specific, in your comments, which should be fact-based. Please give links to stories or studies you cite.

Or:

What most intrigued you or worried you about Rosen's talk? Be specific; give examples.

I'm looking for several well-reasoned and well-written paragraphs.

Welcome Summer 2016 Class!

Welcome Young Scholars students! I'm looking forward to working with you in JOUR 150 this summer.

This blog will be used throughout your three weeks with me to start discussions about media coverage of events (including police shootings and the presidential conventions), media hiring practices and ethical questions about publications' handling of news. The best posts will include some research and links to reported stories or primary documents. Remember to be thoughtful and tactful; this blog is open to the public for viewing.

Each of you must start at least one blog post; all of you must also comment on some of your classmates' and my posts. I'm hoping our class discussions and guest speakers will give you ideas for this.

To get you started, I'd like you to tell me in the comment area of this post where you typically go for news, what you like to read, listen to or watch for news, and how you get there. (For instance, do you read sports stories linked to friends' Facebook pages? Or do you religiously go to ESPN's home page several times a day to read about certain teams or sports?) Be specific!