Who? What? When? Where? Why? Journalism provides us with the answers to these questions for the events that affect our lives. In this course, students will learn how to gather information, organize ideas, format stories for different forms of news media, and edit their stories for publication in our online school newspaper. The course will also examine the historical development of journalism and the role of journalism in society.

Q: Will I get to work on the yearbook in journalism?

A: Journalism strictly works on our school newspaper.

Q: Will I need a camera to take photos for the school newspaper?

A: No equipment or supplies will be needed. Photos can be taken using students’ phones.

Q: Do I have to write articles for the school newspaper?

A: Yes, everyone is involved in all aspects of producing the newspaper at some point in the year.

Q: What if I am not a strong writer or have lots of mistakes (poor spelling)?

A: Most articles are peer reviewed, the editor checks them, and the teachers are available to help too. There are lots of short lessons about tricks to make everyone better writers too.

Q: Do I get to choose the topic for my articles or are they assigned?

A: Students run the paper and write 100% of the articles, so student input into the articles we write is essential. All students are given an opportunity to “pitch” their ideas and students select their topics for each edition of the paper.

Q: Does it matter if I am a student who attends school remotely (via Zoom)? Must I be on campus to be a part of the team?

A: Our class has students at home and in person; everyone contributes to the choices and decisions about the newspaper. Everyone writes an article for each newspaper we publish.