High School Workshop

While the ways in which the American public consumes news are constantly evolving, new and digital media have created a huge demand for high-quality content. Journalistic skills — writing, information gathering,  interviewing, and critical reading — have never been more important, and these skills will give students a leg up as they pursue college degrees and eventually enter the workforce. Journalistic skills, in fact, constitute 21st Century learning, and they are beneficial even for those who will not pursue a career in journalism.

Days will typically begin with instruction about a specific skill, such as interviewing, followed by practice experiences. In a seminar setting, participants will share, refine and improve their work under the guidance of faculty and peers. Students will produce personality profiles, feature stories, opinions, and reviews. During the week, students will post their work on a blog, where they may also contribute their own thoughts and opinions.

In addition to learning the nuts and bolts of journalism, students will bolster their writing skills through exercises that focus on creating a voice and developing descriptive writing. They will engage in critical thinking by examining articles for elements such as style, bias, and argumentative technique.

Students will also gain an understanding of the importance of journalism in history and of the use of free press in today’s world, where an understanding of journalistic practices and ethics is more important than ever. 

The program is open to all students, from beginners to advanced students.

Middle School Workshop

Journalism is an exciting and rapidly evolving career field, and it is at a pivotal point in its development. The core of the middle school journalism program will include the basics of developing effective news stories, coming up with angles for human interest stories and producing fair political commentary, with a focus on quality and effective writing throughout. Students will engage in regular hands-on practice while receiving feedback on strengths and areas for improvement.

Seminar topics covered may include learning about journalism as a career, conducting interviews and developing insightful questions and follow-ups, critical thinking skills, the influence great journalism can have on society, libel law, and aspects of sound news writing. Not all topics will be covered in equal depth in a given week, with greater focus going to topics of strong interest to the students.

Students will also engage in mini-debates on topics such as truth, objectivity, and fake news; first amendment issues; the ethics of journalism; and other controversies, such as if libel laws should be changed to make it easier to sue publications and win.

These controversial topics are also subject to adjustment based upon student interest, time constraints, and any relevant news that may break before or during the camp session.