By MIA LENZI – The art of journalism and photojournalism is becoming more and more underappreciated with the rise of an over-saturated media market.
The Indiana Gazette created an entire day for appreciating journalism by inviting students in both journalism and photojournalism classes from many different schools including Purchase Line, United, Harmony, Northern Cambria, and Punxsutawney Christian Academy, to participate in the 18th annual Journalism Conference, held on September 30, at the HUB on the IUP campus.
IHS and IJHS’s very own journalism and photojournalism students attended the educational conference created to help build young journalists, and guide them to doing the right things long before the paper hits press.
IHS Journalism teacher Mr. Nath and Digital Media teacher Mr. Puskar attended the workshop along with the students. Several of Ms. Bailey-Orchard’s journalism students from the junior high attended as well.
The organizer of the workshop is Hastie Kinter from The Indiana Gazette. Throughout the day, students attended multiple meetings that featured different topics including sports journalism, photojournalism, editorial opinion writing, credibility/accuracy, and many others.
The sessions are meant to help improve the knowledge and technique of each student, while always pushing for students to follow the ethics of journalism.
Journalism student junior Joe Luetkehans comments, “The journalism conference is exciting for all members of the High Arrow staff every year. I think that it will serve as a good reminder for some and a great intro for others in regard to being positive journalists. It really is a treat that we’re allowed to take this opportunity to better ourselves.”
The conference also gave the opportunity for students to meet the hometown journalists of The Indiana Gazette. Freshman High Arrow staff member Jorie Meil comments, “I thought it was fun and it will be very helpful to my writing.”
At the end of the day, the journalist students got to enjoy a trivia game hosted by Indiana Gazette staff writer Chauncey Ross. IHS brought home the win once again.
Sophomore Parker Koons said, It was a very inspirational experience for me and I learned a lot.” Each year young journalism students leave the workshop gaining confidence and knowledge to help improve their own writing.
[Photo by Tom Peel, Indiana Gazette]
