BLEND
FALL 2008 // ISSUE 1 // VOLUME 3 // JOURNALISM STARTS RIGHT HERE // BALL STATE PRODUCED // NSPA DISTRIBUTED
FAMILY TIES
Newest SJOY second in family.
GET A JOB
Or at least get an internship!
POLICY MATTERS
Time to review your staff manual?
FUTURE SHOCK! How will we get our news next? STROPS T
SWEN EH
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LACOL
NOINIPO
BLEND
WELCOME l BRIAN HAYES
Fall 2008 Issue 1 Volume 3 Blend Magazine c/o Department of Journalism Ball State University Muncie, IN 47306 SES DIRECTOR Brian Hayes EDITOR Tom Gayda MANAGING EDITOR Kim Green ASST. DIRECTOR / BUSINESS MANAGER Adam Maksl BLEND CONTRIBUTORS Candace Perkins Bowen John Bowen H.L. Hall Sarah Nichols OFFICE STAFF Stephanie Cope Jincy Gibson Shelby Murphy Becky Rother Blend Magazine is published by the Secondary Eduction Services office at Ball State University. Call 765-285-8900 for advertising information or questions. As well, you can always e-mail the staff at blend.mag@gmail.com. FOR NSPA Logan Aimone • executive director Marc Wood • communications director Emily Griesser • member services director Kathy Huting • contest and critique coordinator Mike Gesellchen • administrative assistant Michael Wright • accountant FIRST AMENDMENT Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
BLEND
Brian Hayes is the director of Secondary Education at Ball State University. He is a former adviser of student publications at Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis. Hayes has worked professionally for several newspapers.
A friend of mine told me the other day that his confidence in the newspaper industry had hit an all-time low. He was recently informed that his friend’s dad, who was a long-time St. Louis Post-Dispatch writer and editor, had lost his job due to the latest round of layoffs at the newspaper. This all-too-familiar scene is one that critics commonly point to when they claim newspaper — and also journalism — is dying. But is this really an accurate conclusion? Does this mean that our society no longer needs journalists? Does it mean that people no longer need to be informed about the events and happenings in their communities, their state, their country and the world? If journalism is dead, how will people determine whom they should vote for in a presidential election? How will people keep
abreast of what’s happening in the stock market, our schools, the environment, the war on terror and local crime? The other day I was fortunate enough to talk with Pegie Stark Adam, founder of Stark Adam Design (pg. 6). She has several years of experience working as an artist, designer and graphics editor with multiple media forms. In short, Pegie doesn’t see journalism as a fading occupation. In fact, she thinks there is enormous opportunity. She said the industry is just changing with the times — much like it always has done when new forms of communication and media have emerged. And I have to agree with her. To read more about Pegie, her thoughts, experiences and accomplishments, turn to the “in the business” feature on the following pages of this issue.
INSIDE l BLEND 3 NSPA Logan Aimone
14 All In The Family by H.L. Hall
4 The Blender
16 Future Shock by Tom Gayda
6 In The Business: Pegie Stark Adam by Brian Hayes
20 The Life of an Intern by Candace Perkins Bowen
9 Go Ahead, Take It! 10 Tips & Tricks: Art + Information by Logan Aimone 12 Just Because 13 Go Ahead, Take It!
24 Nine Sites That Make Us Happy by Sarah Nichols
ON THE COVER
Floating interactive newspapers? Maybe. No one seems to know for sure what the future of the media holds, but good journalism will always be important.
26 Legal Issues by John Bowen
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NSPA l LOGAN AIMONE
Logan Aimone is the executive director of the National Scholastic Press Association.
What does the future of journalism look like? That’s a pretty tough question. During the summer of 2008, media outlets reported a steady stream of bad news about the journalism industry: newspapers nationwide cutting hundreds of newsroom jobs, media organizations showing lower profits and subscription rates falling. It has not been easy to watch. Based solely on these reports, one would think there could be no future in journalism. Despite the poor economic outlook, the future for the craft of journalism and for the young people headed into media careers, the future is exciting and inspiring. Student media is alive and vibrant. We’ve never seen more publications pushing the envelope with color, special printing techniques or the inclusion of Web extras. NSPA’s 2008 Story of the Year winners, for example, included shorter traditional coverage as well as long-form narrative. We’re seeing student journalists experimenting with multimedia and alternate story forms. Rather than just long columns of text printed on a page, student newspapers are taking cues from magazines, yearbooks and broadcasts — and they’re mixing it together to create a converged Web presence. Some great examples are out there: • FHNToday.com — Francis Howell North High School, St. Charles, Mo. Combining the work of the North Star newspaper, Excalibur yearbook and North Star podcasts, the new converged Web site debuted this fall as a one-click location for news about the school with text, audio, video and photo slide shows. • Hilite Online, Hilite.org — Carmel (Ind.) High School. A
hallmark of this site is its regular updates between print editions all categorized under the “exclusively onlineâ€? label. A clean appearance aids the navigation, too. The site is rich with multimedia — photos, text and video. • The Paly Voice, voice.paly.net — Palo Alto (Calif.) High School. A true pioneer in online student media, The Paly Voice merges content from several news and feature publications at Palo Alto High School. The site now also features blogs, podcasts and the morning announcement video. • Wayland Student Press, waylandstudentpress.com — Wayland (Mass.) High School. The students creating this site are the vanguard of online publishing. There is no printed edition; it’s all online. The students’ goal is to be the leaders of 21st century media. They’re doing that for sure. Media organizations are looking to hire people with skills in multiple media platforms. College media outlets often already have a strong presence on the Web, but the content that is there is increasingly sophisticated and of high quality. High schools can emulate this trend from college and professional media and significantly increase readership and the level of service they provide readers. It’s also a lot of fun. What does the future of journalism look like? It’s a multimedia news and feature organization that brings readers important information and offers them something valuable. It doesn’t take a crystal ball to see that the future for scholastic journalism is bright. Look around and see that the future is now.
Kent State University’s School of Journalism & Mass Communication offers plenty of opportunities in a new high-tech facility
A wide range of bachelor’s degrees
Advertising, electronic media, news for magazine, newspaper and broadcast, public relations, photojournalism and information design www.jmc.kent.edu/students/current/mjr01.htm
Award-winning student media you can join as a freshman Daily Kent Stater, TV2, Black Squirrel Radio, The Burr and niche magazines www.KentNewsNet.com
The Center for Scholastic Journalism, offering
t "O POMJOF NBTUFS T EFHSFF JO KPVSOBMJTN GPS UFBDIFST BOE NFEJB BEWJTFST t 8PSLTIPQT BOE DPOGFSFODFT GPS TUVEFOU KPVSOBMJTUT BOE UIFJS UFBDIFST t .BSL (PPENBO UIF OFX ,OJHIU $IBJS JO 4DIPMBTUJD +PVSOBMJTN XIP XJMM QSPNPUF B OBUJPOBM GPDVT on the First Amendment and outreach to administrators, newsroom professionals and others t " 8FC TJUF UP IJHIMJHIU OFXT DVSSJDVMVN BOE OFUXPSLJOH PQQPSUVOJUJFT www.jmc.kent.edu/csj
Want more information? Contact Candace Perkins Bowen cbowen@kent.edu
BLENDER MIXED l MEDIA
JOURNALISM l ETIQUETTE
The following scrambled words spell out the last names of famous journalists. Can you unscramble the following words using your journalistic know-how? Answers below.
Publications doesn’t mean study hall Sure, there’s a deadline. Their work may even be done. But as some students in publications class study for another class, read a book or listen to music, other students are working hard to put their publication to bed. Some kids would never have even a second to think about doing homework from another class in publications, but some kids make it a daily activity. Now, granted, there may be a time now and then when some staff members simply have nothing to do. But there are probably lots of times when those working ever day could use an extra hand. Are you using your publications class for study hall? If yes, consider what you can do to make your publication better. What can you contribute to improve your publication? Having the reputation of being a big help is much better than having the reputation of abusing your publications time.
COLOR l TRIADS
C 20 M 70 Y 100 K 0
C 40 M 90 Y 20 K 0
C 30 M 100 Y 80 K 10
C 80 M 100 Y 0 K 20
C 100 M 80 Y 0 K 0
C 30 M 100 Y 80 K 10
C 40 M 50 Y 40 K 40
C 60 M 70 Y 40 K 30
C 20 M 40 Y 60 K 0
8. (Dan) Rather 9. (Diane) Sawyer 10. (Barbara) Walters 11. (Helen) Thomas
12. (Brian) Williams 13. (Tom) French 14. (Wolf) Blitzer 15. (Peter) Jennings
4 blend magazine fall 2008
4. (Walter) Cronkite 5. (Carl) Bernstein 6. (Tom) Brokaw 7. (Nellie) Bly
We at Blend like to blend colors. Here are a triad of triads that you might enjoy using. As more publications go full-color, it’s important to use color wisely.
Mixed Media 1. (Bob) Woodward 2. (Edward R.) Murrow 3. (Katie) Couric
1. dardowow ____________________ 2. rumwro ____________________ 3. rucico ____________________ 4. tenicork ____________________ 5. snebirent ____________________ 6. kobarw ____________________ 7. lyb ____________________ 8. herrat ____________________ 9. raswey ____________________ 10. stwarle ____________________ 11. mothas ____________________ 12. limwalis ____________________ 13. nefchr ____________________ 14. lerbitz ____________________ 15. sninejng ____________________
ASK l KIM
Yearbook questions fill mailbag Each issue, veteran adviser Kim Green answers questions you submit. Need help with an issue or solution to a problem? Contact Kim at greenk@bcsc.k12.in.us with the subject “Ask Kim.” Q: We are having trouble coming up with a yearbook theme. How can we be expected to know what will define our school year if we haven’t been through it all yet? If we go general, our critiques say our theme can relate to any year. Help! A: Actually, your staff has a two-layered theme/concept question.
Kim Green directs the student publications at Columbus (Ind.) North High School. A 2006 Dow Jones Newspaper Fund Distinguished Adviser of the Year, the publications Green’s students create are consistent award winners.
First, you haven’t yet found a theme/concept to help you frame 2008-09. You’re not alone! Many yearbook staffs find themselves struggling with a theme or concept — often well into the school year. From your question, I gather you do have your yearbook critiqued. I recommend looking over the theme development section of the critique book if your staff hasn’t done this yet. If one of the national press associations, such as National Scholastic Press Association or Columbia Scholastic Press Association, has critiqued your yearbook, both have excellent resources. NSPA’s newly-updated Yearbook Guidebook presents valuable information in its introduction as well as bullet points within the judging scoresheet. In addition, if you go to NSPA’s Web site at www.studentpress.org/wheel, more good stuff is at your fingertips. CSPA includes a CD, Scholastic Yearbook Fundamentals, which is a great resource in addition to its very thorough scoresheet. Most state press associations who offer critique services also have theme/concept checklists in their scorebooks. Use any or all of these as a checklist as you “try out” words, phrases, ideas, and/or visuals your staff may use as a unifying focus for this year’s edition. This brings me to the second layer of your question: making a non-specific but cool and recognizable concept/theme work for 2008-09. Whatever your unifying element, focus it on your students. They define the year; they participate in the events or live the life of the year; they take the classes, play the sports or join the clubs. They are there in your high school’s reality of 200809. Recognizing that the focus of your year should always be the students — all of them — helps anchor your concept/ theme to this particular year. Some of the best examples I’ve seen include: • “People First,” Whitney High School’s 2007 yearbook, Rocklin, Calif.: The first-ever book for this brand-new school; the staff featured all the firsts of that year from the viewpoint of the participants — i.e. the holder of the first parking pass, the football player who scored the first touchdown, etc. These really defined the year. But the staff didn’t stop there; they carried a running bar of three to four students on every spread featuring a unique fact about each student and putting their students truly first! • “Honestly,” Shawnee Mission Northwest’s 2008 yearbook, Shawnee, Kan.: This book played off the popular PostSecret concept in which participants wrote
a secret about themselves on an index card and mailed it in. These were then published in a book. Not only did the staff do an outstanding job of profiling people in the book as well as some of the best professional interview magazines, but they also nailed the “honestly” concept with an anonymous quote on each spread and a book in a vinyl pocket on the front endsheet filled with anonymous “secrets” from students there. Can you imagine anyone at that high school not wanting to read that? •“404830,” Mill Valley High School’s 2008 yearbook, Shawnee, Kan.: This is a surprising take on a studentfocused book. The figure represents the number of seconds in their school year and how students lived that time. In addition to wonderful student-focused copy and captions, each spread featured “Chat Time,” which started with a specific time, and a quote by a student about what he/she was doing or saying at that random time. •“Ourbook,” North Central High School’s 2009 yearbook, Indianapolis: I hate to scoop this theme, but it is too good to keep quiet about. I won’t tell you any more than, yes, it is Facebook-based, and yes, this staff has it nailed! And what a great way to focus on their kids during this year! Whatever theme/concept you choose, ask everyone in your school to define themselves with it. You can’t get better unity than that! Then, as you carry it out elsewhere in the book, be specific about everything. Nothing pins down a year better than dates, stats, numbers, facts — even the weather/temperature. And don’t settle for hokey! Subtleness with a strong student focus can make this your best theme/concept ever! Q: Our staff can’t decide on a theme. The editors have one theme and the rest of the staff has another. This is causing some hard feelings. The staff can’t get excited about the editors’ theme idea so we don’t want to work on it. A: Oh, boy. I’m going to come off sounding a bit harsh here, but. . . This isn’t about sides or people on staff, this is about your yearbook. The editors are in charge of your yearbook. What the editors decide is the theme — period. If the rest of the staff has such great ideas, they should apply that creativity to making the theme the best it can be. (If the rest of the staff consists mainly of underclassmen, save that great theme for next year’s book!) A little secret: Almost all the kids in your school can’t even name the theme of last year’s yearbook (let alone know the name of your book), but they do know whether or not they were pictured beyond the people section. That’s your real challenge! Never sacrifice your yearbook over power struggles or negativity. It’s all about your yearbook. Now get over it, quit wasting time and start producing a quality student-focused product. fall 2008 blend magazine 5
IN THE BUSINESS l BRIAN HAYES
PEGIE
STARK ADAM
Where did you go to high school? Did you participate in journalism while you were there? I went to St. Joseph’s Catholic School in South Bend, Ind. I didn’t take any journalism classes. I didn’t do anything in that area, which is interesting. When you made the decision to study journalism, what interested you most about the field? I was always interested in art. I could draw really well when I was in grade school so it seemed like a natural fit for me to pursue that as a career somehow. I majored in painting and lithography at the Herron School of Art in Indianapolis. After graduating, I taught art classes at Herron and IU Bloomington and opened my own (printing) business. Then I started making photo books about people, and that seemed to really spark my interest in documentary photography. I became interested in journalism once I began telling stories through photography and decided I wanted to learn how to mix that with writing. You have a wealth of experience and accolades working as a visual journalist. What do you attribute to your success? There are a number of people who I attribute to my success — too many to probably even mention. Dick Gray, who is no longer with us, was the dean of the journalism school at IU. He took a chance on me when I was applying for their doctoral program. I came to him with a fine arts portfolio and he could have easily turned me away. Then, of course, there was Trevor Brown who became dean after Dick, and he helped me get my foot in the door to work as a graphics editor at several newspapers — which I didn’t even know what that was at the time. Mario Garcia, who invented the WED (writing, editing and design) concept, has been extremely instrumental in my life. He got me in with Poynter (Institute) and has really become my lifelong mentor. And there were several art teachers that I’ve had throughout my life. They rewarded my way of thinking — which was never celebrated in high school — and pushed me to pursue that as a career. And obviously Stewart Adam and Roy Peter Clark. Working with them is an amazing experience. In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge we face in the news media today? The news media is very deep. It’s not just newspapers anymore. Now we have everything from online, to print, to TV. The industry needs to understand that people are using all media now. The biggest challenge is how are we going to make all of these mediums partners, not separate products. I’m concerned that people say everyone has to learn technology. To be a journalist, people need to think about content first. Learning how to generate content is the most important. 6 blend magazine fall 2008
Learning technology is easy. That comes second. How much do you think design, environment and medium play in the consumption of information? That would be a hard thing to measure, but having visual appeal does draw more attention. People have more sophisticated tastes now. A badly designed product is not going to sell. From our EyeTrack research, we know you cannot really measure design and what is good. But all the things that are good with design that we think attract attention seem to be working. What should high school students interested in pursuing a career in journalism consider when choosing a college? They need to look for a curriculum that is on top of what is happening in the media industry — content-driven courses that have a visual component. I would look for a program that has a good reputation and talk to people who have graduated from the program to get their input. I would also definitely look for a school that has a good art and design program that is somehow connected with their journalism program. Another thing I would look for is a well-rounded liberal arts school that will give you insight into classic literature and an understanding of the world around us. A good liberal arts education is hard to beat. With so many changes happening in media, can someone who likes to write still find a job as a reporter and storyteller? I think they can. What we are going to need badly once we get all these Web sites established is good writing. They (media companies) would snap you up in a minute. Writers also need to think multi-sensory: When I tell this story, what is it going to sound like in the newspaper versus on the Web? How would video enhance this story? What about the images that could accompany this story? Would that change the information being presented? Time and again, people say newspapers are dying and there is no future in journalism. How do you respond to that? I think that’s crazy. Newspapers as we know them are folding and going out of business in the U.S., but in other parts of the world they are thriving. In the U.S., we still need news. Maybe printed newspapers will be published twice a week and other times the information will be on the Web. Only time will tell what will happen in the industry, but newspapers aren’t dying. They are just changing. Good journalism is good journalism no matter what the form.
Who: Pegie Stark Adam Company and position: Director of Stark Adam Design What she does: Provides design solutions for newspapers, magazines, corporate publications and Web sites Where she’s worked: The Poynter Institute, The Detroit News, The Detroit Free Press, St. Petersburg Times, Syracuse University, the University of South Florida and the University of Florida Clients she’s served: The Repository (Canton, Ohio), Ohio State
University, Salvador Dali Museum, The Patriot-News (Harrisburg, Pa.), Ottawa Citizen, National Catholic Reporter, Tech Weekly, and The Weekly for the Ottowa Citizen, The Toronto Star, The Independent (London, England), St. Louis PostDispatch, The News & Record (Greensboro, N.C.), The Sowetan (South Africa), AlAhram (Egypt), and several other newspapers and organizations in the U.S. and other counties. Web site: http://www.starkadamdesign.com
Stark Adam is responsible for redesigning Ohio State’s alumni magazine.
fall 2008 blend magazine 7
Memories fade.
Yearbooks last.
Your staff has
power and responsibility. You teach
design,
writing and editing,
technology and
storytelling, But the
business.
most important lessons take from
your staffers yearbook
involve
working together to
the school’s only permanent
create
record.
No one else’s work matters as much or lasts as long.
That’s where we come in;
we get it. www.yearbooks.biz
GO AHEAD l TAKE IT! Perhaps your staff isn’t organized quite how you’d like. Need some help? Consider this form. Created to keep track of each page or section of a newspaper, the form can easily be modified for yearbook, magazine and Web assignments. Modify as you need — go ahead, take it!
assignments & ladder Section Editor _________________________
Story Deadline
Story Topic & Description
Reporter
Issue No. & Date
Artist/ Photographer
Photos/Illustrations Description
Other Graphic/Alternative Copy Needs:
Photos/Illustrations Deadline
o fact box o pulled quote o chart o quiz o list o timeline o poll
_________________________ Section _________________________
o bio box o table o ratings o quote collection o glossary o diagram o map
Story Deadline
Story Topic & Description
Page Reporter
_________________________
Artist/ Photographer
Photos/Illustrations Description
Other Graphic/Alternative Copy Needs:
Photos/Illustrations Deadline
o fact box o pulled quote o chart o quiz o list o timeline o poll
Notes _________________________
Advertisements Ad size __________________
Story Deadline
Story Topic & Description
Reporter
Artist/ Photographer
Photos/Illustrations Description
Other Graphic/Alternative Copy Needs:
Photos/Illustrations Deadline
o fact box o pulled quote o chart o quiz o list o timeline o poll
Business _________________ Placement ________________ Ad size __________________ Business _________________ Placement ________________
Artist/ Photographer
o bio box o table o ratings o quote collection o glossary o diagram o map
Story Deadline
Story Topic & Description
Reporter
o bio box o table o ratings o quote collection o glossary o diagram o map
Photos/Illustrations Description
Other Graphic/Alternative Copy Needs:
Photos/Illustrations Deadline
o fact box o pulled quote o chart o quiz o list o timeline o poll
Ad size __________________
o bio box o table o ratings o quote collection o glossary o diagram o map
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Placement ________________ fall 2008 blend magazine 9
TIPS & TRICKS l LOGAN AIMONE
Art + Information =
EXCELLENCE A well-designed illustration can draw in a reader as well or better than a photo. They help tell the story and set a tone, too. Good infographics blend visual storytelling with information that is not only interesting but informative. While a comprehensive illustration or infographic can take many hours to construct, it really doesn’t take much to make a simple column of text into a dynamic page or package. The key is spending time on the advance planning. These images all placed in the 2008 NSPA Design of the Year contest co-sponsored and judged by Adobe Systems. Regardless of the type of media, these are examples to learn from.
SCALING THE LANGUAGE BARRIER Second Place, Illustration A full broadsheet page on overcoming language difficulties is illustrated beautifully with a compelling piece of art that is reproduced perfectly. The art communicates the message that learning English is a challenge to overcome. The mountain is drawn over a background of newspaper pages in English, while the person is drawn on Chinese newspapers. Nexus, Westview High School, San Diego Jolene Xie, designer • Jeff Wenger, adviser 10 blend magazine fall 2008
A B
A. HOW TO “CRANK DAT” Honorable Mention, Illustration Blending photography and text, this illustration breaks down a popular dance craze into 11 easy steps. The images are clear and focused with the clipping paths well executed. Drop shadows add a finishing touch. The Talon Times, Lakes Collunity High School, Lake Villa, Ill. Paul Vickers, designer • Kellie Doyle, adviser B. DORM LIVING 101 Honorable Mention, Illustration A clean, clear graphic uses art instead of photography to demonstrate the dorm room essentials. Doing so avoids a distracting background and a lot of set-up time to photograph the scene. Panther Pride, Midlothian (Texas) High School Emily Nutt, designer • Carol Richtsmeier, adviser C. GOING GREEN FOR THE HOLIDAYS First Place, Illustration A newsmagazine cover typically features an illustration or photo, but rarely is such a simple and iconic illustration so effective at conveying a message. The holiday lights wrapped around a wind turbine tips off the reader to the two inside pages of ideas to help the environment at the holidays. Using the color green bridges the holiday theme and the environmental message. The Rock, Rock Canyon High School, Highlands Ranch, Colo. Max Rowe, designer • Jack Kennedy, adviser
C
E
D
D. HOW TO GET YOUR PASSPORT Honorable Mention, Infographic A basic and well-executed flow chart encourages reader interaction with the message. Simple questions followed by bulleted lists make the information easy to read and understand. Recent studies from the Poynter Institute show that graphics help the reader retain information better. Using the suitcase image gives a cue that this is a story related to travel. the broadview, Convent of the Sacred Heart High School, San Francisco Lauren Jung, designer • Tracy Anne Sena, adviser E. FRESHMEN CUT FAILURE RATES First Place, Infographic You have to see it to believe it. That’s the philosophy behind this graphic that uses color-coded, people-shaped icons to show readers how many fewer freshmen failed classes compared to past years. The graphic represents each student in the class visually. A small amount of introductory text at the top puts it in context. With today’s schools emphasizing high-stakes testing, this type of academic story deserves and gets Page One treatment. Peninsula Outlook, Peninsula High School, Gig Harbor, Wash. Austin Jansen, designer • Derek Smith, adviser
fall 2008 blend magazine 11
JUST l BECAUSE
‘Why can’t I just take a picture from the Internet?’ Forget the legal reasons. They don’t matter. You shouldn’t use pictures from the Internet because they won’t look good when they are in print. Here are two examples of a security guard looking out at Memorial Stadium at the University of Oklahoma. From afar, the pictures look pretty much the same. But look closer. The picture at the bottom is fuzzy, somewhat digitized and simply not fit for print. If you are lucky, some Web sites have an area for the media to access high-resolution photos. This is ideal, because the photos are there with the intention you will use them.
good!
But, on most occasions, taking pictures from the Internet is both legally and graphically wrong. So, rip this page out and put in on the wall. The next time someone wants to use a picture from the Internet, we got you covered!
bad!
GO AHEAD l TAKE IT! You’ve heard kids on staff complain about not having story ideas. Blasphemy! Just look at the objects in your class — there are hundreds of stories just waiting to be told. Better yet, create your own “story generator” to keep the stories flowing and the excuses to a minimum.
the story generator BEFORE
SORT OF RELATED
TV
A STEP FURTHER
• Where do the school TVs come from?
• What TV shows are students watching?
• How much does the school pay per TV? How many does the school buy at one time?
• Are any former students in the TV industry?
• How much money does the school get a year for technology? How often are things upgraded?
• Have TVs become disposable items?
• What is the situation at other schools?
• How long has the school had TVs in every room?
• Are shows like “90210” and “Gossip Girl” true • What does a person study to become a broadcast journalist? to life?
• Who picks the model of TV we use?
• How much TV a week does the average student watch?
• Is there a plan for how often the TVs are replaced? • Who installs the TVs? How long does it take?
First, pick any object in the room. Even a person would work. Then, think about all of the “things” that brought that object or person to the room. Think of these as “behind the scenes” ideas. Now, a TV may seem like an odd thing, but look at all of the ideas you could come up with.
• VHS tapes, DVDs, Blu-ray, what format’s next? • Will the Internet eventually replace TV?
Next, think of story ideas that are sort of related. These may make better stories down the road. In this example we look at TV and the peripherals. We can do the same thing with homecoming. Think about how much how much money a student spends to attend homecoming or prom. There’s another story — money! Who pays for these things? How much do kids earn at their jobs? What do comparable things at other schools cost?
Take this concept a step further. Use homecoming, for example. What all goes into making the week of homecoming a success? Who plans everyOf course, every story isn’t going to be a winthing? Do alumni return? Why? How ner, but this process will get you thinking in a is the theme picked? What are the way where story ideas will begin to flow. homecoming traditions? How is the football game opponent chosen? What goes on the day of the big dance? How are dance dresses selected? How far out does a boy have to ask a girl to go?
• How are electives chosen? • How will technology continue to evolve? • How has life changed as technology evolved?
Now it’s time to look to the future and consider other ideas based on the original object. It’s time to really think outside of the box. How has dancing changed? Why is your rival school your rival school? Where did homecoming come from? How is the school calendar set? Get the point? This way of brainstorming can help when you are stuck for ideas or want new angles on old stories. But of course, always listen to your readers and keep a notebook with you to write down those other awesome ideas when they come to you!
fall 2008 blend magazine 13
T
here will never be another. In 2006, the Journalism Education Association named Marcelino Benito, from Cypress Falls High School in Houston, as the 2006 national Student Journalist of the Year. Two years later, JEA presented Alex Benito, Marcelino’s brother, with the same award. Two members of the same family receiving this top award has never occurred before, and it will never occur again in the Benito family, as Alex and Marcelino have no siblings. “Maybe one of us will have a son or daughter someday,” Marcelino said, “but it will be several
finding out, and he was equally ecstatic. I could hear him yelling through the phone.” Marcelino said he was also in shock when he heard the announcement he had won the top award. He also said the moments leading up to the announcement were pure torture. “It all didn’t hit me for a couple of days,” he said. “It means even more because I witnessed firsthand the journalistic talent there is out there not only in Texas, but across the country. To be chosen as the best in 2006 will no doubt remain one of the best moments of my life and hopefully be the beginning of a promising career in journalism.”
but loud and proud cheering section.” Marcelino said because he had been through the presentation before, he knew little signs to look for, like where the photographer was standing, that might indicate Alex had won. “Obviously, I wasn’t sure,” Marcelino said, but I kept turning to Ashleigh (his girlfriend) to say ‘Oh God, I think he did it, I think he did it.’” When Marcelino heard Wayna Polk, JEA’s SJOY chair, announce Alex as the winner, he said he just slumped back in his seat. “I was exhausted,” Marcelino said. “I wanted it so badly for him. After a few minutes I stood
ALL IN THE FAMILY by H.L. Hall
years before another Benito wins the national award.” When Marcelino received his recognition in San Francisco, there were no members of his family present. That was not the case when Alex received his award in Anaheim. “I called my family members immediately,” Marcelino said. “My mom started yelling over the phone. Everyone was so proud. I was lucky to have Ms. (Lisa) Van Etta, my adviser, and some fellow staff members with me.” Marcelino said when he found out Alex had won the Texas award he knew he had to be in Anaheim in case Alex won the national award. Their mother also made the trip to Anaheim. It was important for him to be there, Marcelino said, because he knew moments like that only happen once. “I know I wish I would have had my family there cheering me on,” Marcelino said, “so I made sure he had his small, 14 blend magazine fall 2008
up and clapped for him as loud as I could. My mom, not one to keep her emotions in check, was going crazy, tears flowing, jumping up and down in the aisle. It’s one of those experiences that I’m happy we were all together. My dad wasn’t able to make the trip, but obviously he was thrilled when he heard the wonderful news.” Alex said he was in shock when he heard the announcement. “I really wasn’t thinking about anything,” Alex said. “My mind was just drawing a complete blank. I was informed by my brother later that when they did call my name I just flew out of my chair and rushed to the front so fast that the photographer didn’t even have a chance to get a shot of me at the moment I heard the news. “I could hear my mom yelling that she couldn’t believe it. She was crying and yelling in the middle of the aisle. I also spoke to my dad immediately after
Two brothers both claim top student journalism award.
Marcelino is currently at Northwestern University majoring in journalism, and Alex is at Western Kentucky University majoring in photojournalism. The last time the JEA convention was in Chicago, Marcelino visited Northwestern. “I fell in love with Northwestern at that time,” he said. “I took a tour of the campus and of the journalism buildings, and I was hooked. I spent the next two years in high school working incredibly hard to hopefully one day attend that school. Luckily, I was accepted. The past two years of my life have been incredible in Chicago.” Alex said he chose Western Kentucky University because of its nationally recognized photojournalism program. “I had heard,” he said, “ that the photojournalism people here are very close, almost like a family, and I have found that to be true. Everyone has been really supportive. My experience so far has showed me how much
I have yet to learn and that I will have an amazing opportunity to learn and grow as a photographer here.” Alex said in five years he hopes to be working as a photographer somewhere, and in 20 years he still hopes to be a photographer working for a major publication or for a wire service. On the other hand, Marcelino hopes in five years that he will be working in a small to medium market as a news anchor. In 10 years he would like to be involved in politics as a press secretary for a senator or representative, and in 20 years he said he would “relish the opportunity to run for public office.”
Wingspan Online, and he served as a photographer for both the yearbook and newspaper. “Ms. Van Etta pushed us to participate in more than one publication,” Marcelino said. “We didn’t have to pick newspaper or yearbook. We could do both. So I did work as a writer for the Golden Eagle (yearbook), in addition to working as a photographer for both staffs. I did a little bit of everything and that experience was huge.” Both said they had great memories of their high school journalism experiences. A photograph Alex took at the JEA/NSPA convention in Nashville two years ago was a highlight of his high school
everything it takes to make one. “I’m especially interested in cinematography,” he said. “It’s what appeals to me most. I think it’s because cinematography is so closely related to photography. I also like playing tennis and reading. Over the years, I’ve learned that journalism is a very stressful business, and if you’re going to do it you have to have some sort of outlet to release all the stress. Tennis and reading are my outlets.” Tennis is also an interest of Marcelino’s “I dedicated myself to two passions — tennis and journalism — in high school,” he said. I was lucky enough to succeed at both. I was constantly torn
“I picture my brother and I working together at the White House. He would be the White House press secretary, and I would be an AP photographer covering the White House beat.” — Alex Benito, 2008 Student Journalist of the Year
Both see the possibility of working together somewhere in the future. “I picture my brother and I working together at the White House,” Alex said. “He would be the White House press secretary, and I would be an AP photographer covering the White House beat.” “I would love to work with Alex someday,” Marcelino said. “I’m not sure he would say the same thing about me. I’m curious as to what his answer will be. The great thing about Alex and me is that we complement each other well. He’s a better photographer than I am any day, but he knows he can’t come close to me in his writing. He’s more creative, but I’m more outgoing. So if we work together some day, I think that would be great.” Both give credit to Van Etta and their experiences with high school journalism for their success. Marcelino served as editor-inchief of the Wingspan, Cypress Fall’s newspaper, for three years. Alex was editor-in-chief of the
experiences. “I took this photo of a clown during a parade,” he said. “I used the photo in my Journalist of the Year portfolio. I took it immediately after losing my iPod at a nearby museum. Despite having lost such an expensive item and being extremely sad, I was still able to shoot such a lasting and memorable image.” For Marcelino, the highlight of his high school career, he said, was learning the most from going toe to toe with the administration at his school. “We incurred a lot of censorship issues throughout most of my time as editor,” he said. “There were several times when I had meetings with both the principal and associate principal. They were both great people, but we disagreed on what the role of the paper should be.” Even though journalism has consumed both Alex’s and Marcelino’s lives for several years now, they do have other interests, but some of them differ. Alex said he has always been interested in film studies because he enjoys movies and
between them. Ms. Van Etta always wanted me to pick one over the other. My coach had his preference as well. I knew I could do both. Anytime I had tennis practice in the afternoons, Ms. Van Etta would holler as I left, ‘Hope you break a leg Marcelino.’ “She wasn’t kidding.” Politics, Marcelino said, is also a major interest of his. He said he is a CNN politics junkie. Because of this interest, he is pursuing a double major in journalism and political science. “The media needs politics,” he said, “and politics needs the media. This election year I’ve been a vocal supporter of Hillary Clinton, and let me tell you it wasn’t the popular choice at Northwestern. I love politics because you see so many different stories play out every single day.” Even though his choice for president wasn’t popular at Northwestern, Marcelino said the one event that has defined his life has been his decision to go there for college. “My family has always been extremely close, and tight knit,” he said, “so my decision to leave
home, especially going hundreds of miles away to a school in Chicago really shook things up. I’ve had to learn how to live on my own, to adapt to a horrible winter, and engage a whole new community of people.” For Alex, the defining moment in his life was winning the national Student Journalist of the Year Award. “Winning the award proved to myself and a lot of other people what I am capable of,” he said. “I have always lived in my brother’s shadow. He really was the one with the best grades, who beat me at any sport, but we really became equals after I won the same award he won only two years earlier.”
s r e p a Are p s I ? g n i y d l l e c r u yo g n i k a t phone u o y e r A over? . . . r o f y read
E R U T FU K C O H S
? t x e n s ’ Whatby Tom Gayda
Nothing’s ever certain when discussing the future. The fate of scholastic journalism proves that. The journalism profession as a whole is rapidly changing. And while student journalists do their best to keep up, by the time the scholastic world gets on pace with the professionals, the landscape of the field has changed again. For 20 years, cynics have cried the death of the newspaper is near. Convergence has been heralded as the way of the future. But what are we converging? Professionals are scratching their heads right now wondering what is on the horizon. Those in the scholastic journalism world are doing the same. “The advent of magazines designed for iPhone screens and the re-configuration of standard Web sites for mobile devices all point to news being collected on the fly,” said Tracy Anne Sena, adviser at Convent of the Sacred Heart High School in San Francisco. High schools will have to make a technological leap for this to happen, and, at many schools, cell phones will have to become school-friendly. Mark Goodman, Knight Chair for Kent State’s Center for Scholastic Journalism, said he avoids guessing what’s coming. “I have no clue what form high school students will be getting their campus news in five years,” Goodman said. “Technology changes too quickly for me to predict format. Maybe student newspapers in 2013 will look like The Daily Prophet from Harry Potter — something you hold in your hands but that has moving images. Hey, it could happen.” Goodman said that the role of high school journalism, no matter the medium, will remain very important. “I do think that high school journalism will be more vital than ever because no other medium even comes close to doing a better job of talking about the issues that are important to teenagers,” he said. Student press advocates say strong content will be the hallmark of any form journalism takes. A strong journalism education will transfer to any medium. Student journalists have their own ideas, too. “I believe in the very near future that all journalists, not just high school journalists, will be reporting stories using a system of convergent media, which has already began in some places,” said Hays (Kan.) High School newspaper editor Thayne Griffin. “It will utilize a mix of blogging, photojournalism and writing stories all by one person on one story to help get across what really happened to everyone in a multitude of ways, which will especially appeal to kids due to the technology that goes along with it.” One thing does seem certain: Anybody can be a journalist. From grandparents with a digital camera and a blog to high school students with Facebook, everyone is uploading content somewhere and documenting what is going on in the world. “The students with whom I work get their information 24/7,” Sena said, “and I only see this trend continuing as mobile computing devices become smaller, cheaper and faster. My students send me links to new items from their cell phones when they’re traveling with their families on vacation. They post video to Facebook while they’re still having an experience — not after they come home.” Wendy Wallace, director of the Poynter Institute’s high school journalism program, thinks the future will be less about technology and more about savviness. “I predict that today’s teens will continue to rely on the convenient, portable devices that fit in their purse and pocket to find out what’s happening now,” Wallace said. “That will be the first place they look. They’ll also watch TV, they’ll read magazines and newspapers, they’ll get bombarded by information just like we all do today. But they’ll be savvy about it. They’re smart. They multitask. They’re curious. They may be better informed than any generation before them because of unprecedented access to anything happening anywhere, as reported by journalists and blogged by anybody who happens to be there.” Sandy Woodcock, director of the Newspaper Association of America Foundation, agrees. “I think that school newspapers must train students to be journalists with the solid journalism skills and knowledge of law and ethics,” Woodcock said. “Then they must encourage them to tell stories across media platforms utilizing the best methods to convey the fall 2008 blend magazine 17
information and inform their audiences.” Immediacy is a major component of what journalism will be. Students — and adults — live in an immediate world —and love it. “One of the challenges of advising student publications has been the ever-changing realm in which we operate,” said Ann Visser, adviser at Pella (Iowa) High School and JEA past president. “Sometimes, that’s overwhelming; most of the time, it’s invigorating and certainly does not allow us, as advisers, much opportunity to sit back and relax.” The bigger challenge is deciding how the content will be delivered. “My crystal ball says that we will still be producing school newspapers,” Visser said. “However, viable school Web sites that include video, podcasts, interactives, will absolutely be a part of what we’re doing. That will mean publications advisers will need knowledge in yet another area of media. “I think youth, kids, will consume their news however their parents and peers are getting it, in print, online, via broadcast and radio. Media has to be ready to provide information however the consumer wants to receive and when the consumer wants to receive it. Student media will follow suit depending on the individual school’s ability to produce media in differing formats. But essentially, media assists its audience in being better able to live their lives, tells them what to think about, not what to think. Good student media should endeavor to do that where there audience is — whether in print or online or both.” Advisers will have to stay ahead of the curve, even though the curve is always moving. “Tomorrow is here today,” Sena said. “Any journalism program worth its salt needs to push multimedia publishing skills, because our students are already there. That’s where the jobs are, and no one is going to break into such a competitive market — no matter how great the photographer or writer — without a whole bag ’o tricks.” Jack Dvorak, former director of the High School Journalism Institute at Indiana University and co-author of “Journalism Kids do Better,” agrees that high school journalists will need to follow the lead of the professionals. “More emphasis in the future will be on online journalism, thus saving production costs,” Dvorak said. “Also, online publications will prove to be more timely, interactive and accessible.” There is a caveat, though. “The essence of journalism will remain the same,” Dvorak said. “Readers will still want accurate, thorough accounts of school news and enterprise stories via traditional journalistic reporting. And they will want viewpoints that come through editorials, columns and letters to the editor. I don’t think online will ever replace some form of printed media. After all, we’ve had printed books for more than 600 years — and electronic media changes forms often. Printed matter is more permanent, and it will have value in years to come, though we might see less of it. Some studies have been conducted to figure all of this out — or at least attempt to. The NAA just released “Youth Media DNA: In Search of Lifelong Readers.” The study, available on the NAA Foundation’s Web site (www.naafoundation.org), looks at people between 15 and 29 and what their news habits are. “What is researched was readership habits and how they change according to lifestages,” Woodcock said. “It looks at four — a home with parents, with a roommate, etc.” The Web site states, “‘Youth Media DNA,’ . . . suggests that there’s an interest in news among a significant portion of young adults — and if newspapers move quickly to address the specific needs of younger readers, there are readership gains to be made.” Perhaps a silver lining to a murky cloud? The good news is the study shows there is an interest in news. It’s just how we’re going to deliver it that’s the problem.
THE LIFE OF AN
INTERN OR, THE IMPORTANCE OF AN INTERNSHIP
by Candace Perkins Bowen
It’s sure not just “shadow a pro,” say college students after completing their often-required and definitely recommended journalism school internships. Whether they spend a summer as a small-town newspaper photographer or a semester during the regular school year in an advertising agency, they say this real-world experience prepares them for a full-time job like nothing they learned in the classroom. “It was three months of writing for the newspaper right off the bat, no lowly kinds of tasks,” said Brooke Bates of her internship with the Vail (Colo.) Daily. Bates, a graduate of Drake University who now is associate editor at SmartBusiness Online in Cleveland, found herself in the open cockpit of a bi-plane writing a profile about the pilot, and on an all-day horseback ride, both enterprise stories she suggested to her editor. “Being able to see how a large magazine works and sitting side-by-side while editors made important decisions” were most valuable to Tim Magaw, Kent State University senior who worked at AARP The Magazine in Washington, D.C., last summer as an American Society of Magazine Editors intern. Not every journalism or mass communications program requires its majors to have a supervised work experience like this, but many do. (See sidebar) Often these are standard 40hour work weeks and can total as much as 400 hours during the semester. Some are paid, though others are not. Even a lack of pay doesn’t stop the j-students from looking for the perfect spot to hone skills. The Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader received between 250 and 300 applications for internships last year, interviewed 100 and selected 14. Narrowing down the list was a challenge, said Dori Hjalmarson, the paper’s night metro editor and internship cocoordinator. “But I have a difficult-to-spell name, so anyone who doesn’t get that right isn’t going any further,” she said. Attention to detail is important to Erick Trickey, senior editor of Cleveland Magazine and that publication’s internship coordinator. “One misspelled word in a cover letter or resume” is all it takes to lose out with him. Having a previous internship helps, too, especially if the publication is a well-respected daily and can be selective. A
student who has “even just volunteered for a local weekly paper to get clips” makes a difference to Sandra Gadsden, assistant metro editor, who works with interns on the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times. Those with no experience are at a disadvantage, she said, although her paper’s recruiters “huddle and talk about those who impress us” and sometimes choose interns based on more than previous work. “There’s some kind of ‘x’ factor you can’t quite put in words,” Hjalmarson said about selecting the right interns. It can also be a cover letter that is well-written and “surprising.” Both she and Trickey warned about using cliché approaches. “Make yourself stand out,” she said. A successful letter is the foot in the door, but to be a successful on the job takes other skills and attributes. The best interns for Trickey don’t just want to write and are willing “to do less exciting work sometimes.” That might mean calling to verify information for the popular dining guide or fact-checking others’ stories. “Humble and desperate” are words Hjalmarson uses to describe a good intern. “You’ve got to realize you have a lot to learn.” “You have to be a sponge,” said Gadsden, who admits she pushes her interns. She wants them to take a “proactive role” in their growth and need to “take advantage of the intelligence in the room.” Not all do that. Every internship coordinator has some horror stories to tell: the reporter who quit after three weeks with three corrections in the four stories she wrote or the one whose damp workout clothes and underwear littered the floor around her desk. “Some are still thinking in a collegiate mindset” where it’s pass/fail and all they need to do is pass, Trickey said, “but luckily that doesn’t happen too often.” In fact, in today’s economy, newspapers in particular often rely on interns, especially in the summer. They have A1 pieces, right on the front page, or, as Hjalmarson told of one former student, “a huge Sunday Arts & Life story” because the intern was curious about hip-hop in Lexington, pitched the story to the editor and spent time digging for details. “There’s lots of pressure on interns to carry the paper,” Hjalmarson said. “We rely on them to act like real employees.”
‘I interned at Rolling Stone. . .’ This past summer I had the opportunity to intern in the marketing department for a major publishing company, Wenner Media. Although many may not recognize Wenner as a company, most are familiar with one, if not all, of their publications: Rolling Stone, US Weekly and Men’s Journal. The headquarters is located in midtown New York City, sandwiched between Times Square and Rockefeller Center. It did not take long for me to realize that my first task in taking this internship was readjusting myself to a new lifestyle — a style that was completely different than the one I had been living on the north side of Indianapolis, where I grew up. It is difficult to define a typical day as an intern for Wenner Media. Each day entailed different tasks than the day prior. Sure, I took on my share of “intern” jobs. I fetched coffee for the marketing director — unsweetened iced coffee, three-fourths coffee, one-fourth
non-fat milk, to be specific. But the majority of my day consisted of entertaining projects, such as calling major record labels and developing new contacts for Rolling Stone employees, or setting up sweepstakes for Men’s Journal magazine. I was given the opportunity to work alongside professionals in the publications industry, from production managers to marketing directors to major event coordinators. I worked hard for three full months. However, I did not walk away with any money. They did not offer me a job for when I graduate. But, I did leave with an incredible resume builder. I made a handful of strong contacts from three major publications, contacts that would not hesitate to vouch for my hard work and dedication to Wenner Media. I learned more about myself and how to direct my future career. And perhaps most importantly, I walked away with more knowledge and experience in publications than ever before. — Michael Guggenheim, senior, Indiana
University
Terrence Howard, from Hustle And Flow, pitches his new album to Jan Wenner, CEO of Wenner Media, during a Rolling Stone Celebrity luncheon.
Alicia Hanger, a Ball State advertising major, completed her internship requirement at Hoosier Park in Anderson, Ind.
What do accredited J-Schools say about internships? BALL STATE UNIVERSITY Few experiences give students more relevant and practical training, self-confidence and connections than an internship. That’s why we require our journalism, advertising or public relations students to complete at least one internship before graduation. Not all schools require this, but we want to make sure our majors have benefited from on-thejob experiences. INDIANA UNIVERSITY Journalism majors may earn a maximum of three credit hours for internships. You may earn credits all at once or one at a time based on the number of hours worked. For each hour of credit, you must work a minimum of 120 hours. You and your internship supervisor determine the number of hours and weeks you will work. IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY Jl MC 499 is required of all Journalism/Mass Communication and Advertising majors. Students must complete a 400-hour internship in their journalism and mass communication or advertising specialization. The course is graded satisfactory-fail, based on the employer evaluation and student report. KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY An internship offers students a “real world” experience that cannot be replicated in the classroom. Students in the public relations and electronic media sequences are required
to have at least a one-credit-hour internship to graduate. Students in print journalism, electronic journalism and advertising are strongly encouraged, but not required, to do so. KENT STATE UNIVERSITY Every student majoring in Journalism and Mass Communication completes an internship (JMC 40092) as a requirement for a degree. The internship must be at least 300 hours of professional work under professional supervision. That means a newspaper, a magazine or a digital news site. On some internships, students work for both print and digital versions of a publication. NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY Internships are critical for an aspiring journalist, and it’s never too early to get started on your search. Internships provide experience and clips that will help you land a full-time job. They are also a great way to explore alternate career paths while you are still in school. Since your internship is not a requirement of Medill’s curriculum, this course won’t aggregate hours of credit to your cumulative total, but it will appear on your official transcript and be part of your permanent academic record. As an additional benefit, especially since this internship is unpaid, the JOUR 3880/499-2 course is tuition-free.
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY At the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, students are strongly encouraged to pursue internships. We view internships as an integral part of a student’s education. They provide our students with opportunities to apply their educational training in a real world setting. Students at Newhouse may apply for a variety of internships during their collegiate stay. UNIVERSITY OF IOWA You are not required to complete an internship, but the J-School strongly encourages you to do so. Professional enrichment is important in the field so we will assist students in the completion of at least one internship during their study program. UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI Effective FS2006, students may earn up to three credit hours for internships. Internship hours count as journalism electives. To be eligible, you must have completed at least one semester in a sequence in the School of Journalism; you must be a student in good academic standing; and your internship must be pre-approved through Journalism Advising. (Internships listed under “options.”)
* Retrieved by Kent State graduate student Trevor Ivan from university journalism school Web sites.
When it comes to increasing productivity, I’ve always been a fan of the “work smarter, not faster” concept. Using the Web has become a key component of our strategy for efficient operation on the publications staffs I advise. We love using these Web resources because they are free, accessible outside the classroom, paperless and generally fun or easy to navigate. News Page designer (www.newspagedesigner.com) Contemporary designs abound at this user-friendly site. Page designers always come away inspired, and it’s so much easier than lugging around an expensive coffee table book like the SND annual or other books we used to collect for ideas. The site is hosted by the Sun Journal in Lewiston, Maine, and has much more than just contemporary page layouts. We often browse under the portfolios section or refer to the section of tips that load in article format or bulleted lists. Just recently our newspaper staff made use of the “Focusing on Content” article, a find that impressed me on this design site. Adobe Kuler (http://kuler.adobe.com) Perfect for seeing thousands of color combinations with an intended theme, this site has replaced Pantone for us as the go-to for yearbook color palettes. First-time users will want to tour the introduction (http://www.adobe.com/ products/kuler/) to learn more about what this site offers, but it’s great for testing potential colors and/or getting ideas for a new look within your publication. Upload an image and get the exact colors to create a palette — it’s easy using their color extraction tool. For CS3 users, the Adobe Swatch Exchange feature enables you to see or test a color feature here and then load it directly to your InDesign, Illustrator or Photoshop file. Poynter Online (www.poynter.org) This site has long been a resource for teachers and advisers in scholastic journalism, but it’s now
SITES THAT MA
reaching students, too. The new redesign (in beta form as I write this) showcases content a bit differently, but you can follow the links to Journalism Education and you’ll see Poynter High Story Ideas, a great discussion generator for students. The blog-like style and current topics are fantastic for newspaper staffers. Whether the goal is to find a new story idea or just gain insights as to how someone else might cover the topic you’ve already chosen, this resource is fresh and driven by younger contributors. E-mail the links, post a comment, search back a few weeks… it’s all there. Google calendar (www.calendar.google.com) Keep everyone on the same page with this free, easy calendar setup. We use one for each newspaper production cycle and yearbook deadline. Anything that saves paper is worth considering, and kids won’t lose a calendar that is stored online. The event reminders and other simple features go a long way in keeping staffers on track. We don’t use the cell phone reminders (a bit stalker-like, we decided) but this is a great way to plan your time together and share it with everyone involved. Online test generators (http://www.fscreations.com/examview.php and others) A quick quiz over news values, photocomposition principles, AP style (or whatever the day’s topic may be) can sometimes be best done online. Kids feel more at ease behind the computer because it feels like a game or simulation instead of a formal written assessment, and the big win is that sites like ExamView Pro do the grading and just shoot an email your way with the results via screen capture. Naturally, this method is most helpful for quick and low-level assessments because the program isn’t equipped to measure higher-level thinking like paragraph responses. But sometimes it does just the trick. A quick Google search yields several similar online programs, ranging from free to sky-high prices; ExamView is not a free download but is well worth the cost. Good Tutorials (www.good-tutorials.com) It was just a matter of time before the true techies on staff surpassed my Photoshop skill level and envisioned images I didn’t know how to help them create. They love the challenge, though, so I send them to Good Tutorials. Online Photoshop tutorials are everywhere, but this site is user-friendly and
the assortment changes regularly. Some are applicable to regular images, such as improving contrast, and others teach complicated special effects more likely for one-time use in your publication. Survey Monkey (www.surveymonkey.com) This site, with its free basic membership, has revolutionized the way our staffs conduct polls and gather data. Long gone are the days of walking around campus to pass out tiny slips of paper with survey questions and counting the answers by hand using a tally sheet with tick marks. At Survey Monkey, the templates are easy to use and can be customized quickly to meet our needs. Users can determine the number of questions (up to 10 included in the free basic membership) and the type (yes/no, multiple choice, fill-in) as well as how long the survey can remain “open” to accept responses. We use 5-10 questions and allow one week, posting the survey link on our school’s Web page. Students post a Myspace bulletin with the link and add it to their Facebook pages and groups to help reach a wider audience. What really makes this site is the way Survey Monkey sorts the data. No more counting little slips of paper and worrying that students might make a simple math error, skewing their results. Log in and the percentages are all there for you. Done. Facebook (www.facebook.com) Sure, it’s blocked at school, but from home Facebook is the biggest way our students communicate. It only makes sense that we use it to our advantage. No, my students and I aren’t “friends” (until they graduate) and I won’t poke you, send you a puppy or help you get flair credits. The editors maintain a group page for each staff and use it as a way to keep everyone involved from outside the classroom. But now it has also become an outreach tool and way to involve our readers. They post photos from team building exercises, trips and other memorable occasions (an automatic recruiting tool). The newspaper group is working on a countdown ticker to announce the number of days remaining until the next issue (an idea they borrowed from their sister school across town) and the yearbook group has links to ordering the book online as well as actual yearbook images to entice prospective buyers. We’re just getting into it enough now that we’ll soon be posting our yearbook sales “commercials” too.
Naturally, there’s some site maintenance involved, which the editors handle on a regular basis. They don’t want drama, gossip or immature behavior in any of the postings on their pages, so they’re always on the lookout … but the editors find it fun and easy to maintain since they spend so much time online already. (Does your state press association have a Facebook group? What about your publications staff alumni?) News University (www.newsu.org) What an amazing resource and teaching tool — this site offers free online classes for students and teachers alike. It’s easy to set up an account. Enroll in a course together and use the site during class time, or give a time frame and let students do it on their own outside of school. Courses like “Beyond the Inverted Pyramid: Creating Alternative Story Forms” and “Targeting New Audiences: Finding Your Niche” are relevant to all types of publications and offer lessons in a userfriendly visual format. Complete each course on your own schedule; start and stop as much as necessary. No need for copying handouts; everything is there on the screen and with examples and extras. More than once after using this site at school, I’ve had reports from students who have logged on from home to view other courses. This resource is also great for class periods without the adviser; a substitute teacher may not be trained in journalism, and these courses keep students engaged and build skills (without busy work) with the interactive lessons. Countless other Web sites make our jobs in scholastic journalism easier and better. The key is to bridge the gap between “student sites” and “teacher sites” so that everyone involved with your publication benefits. Want to share a site that made a difference to your staff? I look forward to reading about it in the next issue of Blend. What’s your favorite site? E-mail Blend at blend.mag@gmail.com or visit our new fan page on Facebook!
AKE US HAPPY by Sarah Nichols • Whitney High School • Rocklin, Calif.
LEGAL ISSUES l JOHN BOWEN
Editorial policies solve problems, create basis for open forum status
I
t’s 3 p.m. Friday and final page deadlines are in four hours. Designers created space on page six for a just-submitted political ad that seems to be an answer to budget problems, but that’s not what everyone is talking about. The staff is divided. Some want to run the ad because it is for their candidate. Others say there has to be balance, not one without the opponent’s. Production skids to a halt as the debate heats up.
There are larger questions: • Can the paper run political ads? • Would the staff have to give other political viewpoints an opportunity to run an ad? • Where to find the answers? The source that comes to mind is the editorial policy. Having an editorial policy, though, does not mean it’s the right editorial policy. Editorial policies, says Mark Goodman, Knight Chair in Scholastic Journalism at Kent State University and former executive director of the Student Press Law Center, are like a double-edged sword. The right ones can protect student journalists admirably well as several court cases have shown. The wrong ones — well, they’re worse than no protection at all. “If carefully drafted,” Goodman said, “policies can be used to cut the bonds of censorship. If not carefully worded, however, they can ultimately create more trauma for advisers and students than having no policy at all.” Policies, Goodman said, should be a reflection of the publication’s own values and commitments. “As a result,” he said, “one of the most important parts should be statements relating to the public’s right to know and the independence of the student editors from control by school officials. I would definitely suggest including a statement that says the publication is operating as a ‘designated public forum’ with student editors making the content decisions.” A good policy should also clearly establish the publication’s role and educational mission plus the educational value of student decision-making, all stated positively. Students and advisers who created the policies need to understand, and state clearly, that student decision-makers accept the responsibility and liability for their work, and their learning. The notion of “forum” means the school has given content control, in whole or in part, to someone other than school officials, in this case student editors, Goodman said. 26 blend magazine fall 2008
Creation of this designated public forum can come as school policy or student media being a forum through practice. “Thus the importance of policies,” Goodman said. “If your school has one giving student editors content control, that policy can effectively exclude your student media from the limitations of Hazelwood.” Courts, at least in the Sixth Circuit (Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee), have recognized the importance of policies by practice, Goodman said. The Dean case in the Sixth Circuit is one example where there was no board policy but long practice as a forum led the court to support student freedom of expression. Other relevant cases are the Yeo case from the First Circuit and the Wooster case from the Sixth Circuit. Goodman said the best ways to establish a forum by practice — in order of importance — are: • Publish statements in editorial policies and in the pages of the publication. • Avoid administrative prior review, or if that review happens, make explicit in some official document that it is only for informational purposes and not for content control. • Make sure there is nothing in writing that says the adviser (let alone some other school official) has ultimate authority over the content. • Be able to show a history of covering controversial issues without any school censorship. “The great thing about a publication’s own editorial policy,” Goodman said, “is that it can be used as a reflection of practice. Thus the longer period of time statements like the ones I’ve just described appear in an editorial policy (and ideally, in the pages of the publication itself ), the further they will go to establish that the practice is for the publication to operate as a forum.” And it’s possible to convert this into an official policy at some point. “The only thing really different,” Goodman said, “is to get some school official to sign off
on their policy statement.” Ideally, he said, that would be the school board, but it could be an individual building administrator or even an adviser. “Basically,” Goodman said, “the signature of a school official (and date, I’d suggest) on a statement that says the publication is operating as a designated public forum and student editors make the content decisions is all you need to meet the policy test for public forum status.” The difficulty comes if there are contradictory policies. If, for example, the school board has adopted a policy that pretty clearly says it isn’t public forum, it’s unlikely that policy statements by the building principal or the adviser can supercede that. “Statements of the highest level authority of the school on the matter are going to be the most accurate reflection of the intent to create a forum by policy,” Goodman said. “But, at least if you’re in the Sixth Circuit, you may still have the option of showing public forum by practice.” Oh, by the way, despite some policymaking groups saying student media cannot endorse political candidates or issues, student media can publish ads supporting, or opposing, political candidates or issues. They can also editorially endorse candidates and issues. The key is student decision-making, uncontrolled by administrators or other school officials. Questions to answer in policy development: Given the importance of operating student media as designated public forums by policy or practice, here are some things to consider: • What is the mission of your student media? Thorough, accurate and complete reporting on issues and events of importance to your audiences? • What is the role of your media? How will your media demonstrate civic responsibility and showcase student learning? What is your responsibility to your audience? To the concept
Discussing editorial policies might get heated, but taking care of potential issues before they happen will save everyone a future headache.
of democracy and the public’s right to know? • What type of forum do you want to be (closed, limited or open) and which model brings the best educational benefits to you and your audience? • Who makes final decisions of content and how does that define responsibility? • Will students agree not to print unprotected speech? Why is this important? • What’s the role — and the rights — of the adviser? The student staff? The administration? • What is the best way to establish accurate and thorough reporting and informationgathering practices? • What is the best way to establish policies and practices that demonstrate professional standards? • What is the best way to know what thorough and professional reporting requires? Other policy considerations: In creating the best policy, either by policy or practice, consider avoiding: • Imprecise language — a classic example is a prohibition of “offensive” expression, which is not a legally defined term like “obscene.” • Vague obligations of the student staff – “stu-
dents must include opposing viewpoints” or “controversial material will be discussed with administrators” should be avoided because they set undeliverable standards… • Wording that calls your media a student forum but leaves the final decisions to someone other than students. • Wording that says your publication’s purpose is to promote and encourage school activities. • Statements that you won’t publish material not generally acceptable (to a school official, community or a significant majority or minority). • Wording prohibiting association of the school with any position other than neutrality on matters of political controversy.
veloping the right policy? It’s far more than money from ads. It’s your credibility, plus: • Whether citizens have access to independent information that makes it possible for them to take part in governing themselves. Citizens cannot verify, interpret or act successfully on information limited by control. • Whether schools develop in the young not only an awareness of this freedom but a will to exercise it and the intellectual power and perspective to do so effectively. Those who have been censored and not encouraged to think for themselves — or carry out research for themselves — will see no need to do so.
• Wording that student media should promote and encourage school spirit and to support the best traditions of the school.
• Whether school publications provide something unique to a culture: independent, reliable, accurate and comprehensive information citizens require to be free.
• Wording that the media should promote cooperation among taxpayers, parents, the school and its students.
• Whether students lose belief in an educational system when they see they cannot practice what they are taught.
Vague, indefinable and unenforceable is not good.
• When schools, as government, misinterpret Hazelwood they teach the wrong civics lesson by controlling ideas and actions for any reason they choose. continued on next page. . .
What’s at stake in good policy development: Ultimately, then, what’s at stake in de-
fall 2008 blend magazine 27
Helpful legal information Possible editorial policy content • Statement of forum status and why it is important • Positive statement of educational value of a free student press for students and their communities • Protected vs. unprotected speech • Statement of mission and goals • Roles of the adviser, editors and administration • Prior review and why it has no educational value • Letters to the editor and process • Death coverage statement • Copyright procedures • Plagiarism and statement for not doing it • Advertising guidelines • Photo manipulation statement
• Whether we reinforce the belief in our Constitutional heritage, that citizens can and do make educated decisions when given the responsibility for those actions. Links to court decisions mentioned in this article: The Dean decision • Dean v. Utica FAQ http://www.studentpress.org/nspa/ trends/~law0205hs.html • SPLC summary http://www.splc.org/newsflash.asp?id=911 • Seattle situation citing Dean http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/ Content?oid=167429 • Michigan article that drew censorship http://www.ajr.org/Article.asp?id=2554 The Wooster decision • http://www.splc.org/law_library.asp?id=35 (the case itself ) • Students, school district reach settlement http://www.splc.org/newsflash.asp?id=716 • Wooster decision clarifies censorship guidelines http://www.studentpress.org/nspa/ trends/~law0203hs.html
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The Yeo decision •C ourt refuses to hear advertiser http://www.splc.org/report_detail. asp?id=304&edition=10 • Yeo v Lexington http://lw.bna.com/lw/19980106/961623.htm • School overreaches in banning yearbook photo http://www.yeodoug.com/articles/ text/livefree.html • First circuit court decision http://www.ca1.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/getopn.pl?OPINION=96-1623.01A Links to other materials and policies: • Link to policy examples, including JEA’s model editorial policy, PowerPoints, articles on policy development and other editorial policy examples http://www.jea.org/resources/pressrights/20 08documents/2008ResponsibleJ/2008princip le1policies/responjourn1.html • JEA Press Rights Commission’s updated site for legal and ethical materials and a newly developed section on the principles of responsible journalism http://jeapressrights.org
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2009 ball state journalism workshops Five-day student workshop: July 26 - 30, 2009 Daily News Experience workshop: July 26 - 30, 2009 On The Ball staff workshop: July 31 - Aug. 2, 2009 www.bsujournalismworkshops.com