How Can You Learn Journalism Even At Your School?

Journalism as a career has seen a steady rise in the last decade. Once considered to be a career for only those who had the passion for writing, it is today diversified into varied job roles. Newspapers, television channels, podcasts, radio shows you name the medium and you will find at least a 100 players in the industry.

Media in India has a large audience. Hence the demand to diversify into subjects covered in India’s many local languages has led to an increased demand and great opportunities for journalists. That being said, it is a challenging field. Students who are interested in journalism would benefit greatly from being exposed to the basics of the field early on. Not only them but students who think of journalism and writing as a hobby should also engage in activities that help them enhance their skills and encourage creativity, and expression.

Also Read: 8 Careers In Writing For Those Who Have A Flair For It

According to a research conducted by Jack Dvorak, professor emeritus of the School of Journalism at Indiana University, “High school journalism students earn higher grade point averages, score better on the college entrance examination and demonstrate better writing and grammar skills in college.”

So based on this and looking at overall qualities required to pursue a career in Journalism let’s look at how a student benefits from participating in activities related to Journalism:

• Development of writing skills: Writing skills are important irrespective of the field chosen by the students. Journalism helps them hone their writing skills.

• Development of academic skills: Researching for an article topic by utilising various resources is not unlike the essays and papers that a student has to write for academics.

• Teaches freedom of thought and expression: This forms the fundamentals and objective of journalism to begin with. It teaches students to stand up for what they believe in and speak up.

• Gives a voice to the students: There are many problems that students face today, this gives them a platform to voice their issues and also to share their opinions and thoughts with clarity.

• Real-world experiences in the field: Say you’re interviewing your school cafeteria manager about his job for your school magazine. Your seniors, or teachers who are in charge of the school magazine will ask you to write down questions and interview him. But how will you get the true picture of his job? Not simply by interviewing him but observing his routine, especially when he is in his element – like during lunch break. This will help you hone your observation skills, thinking skills well as you grasp and understand what goes in the manager’s mind

• Adds Confidence: Through journalism students can direct their own learning, gravitating toward questions they want answered and the issues they want resolved. Speaking out gives them the confidence to believe in what they have to say, that their lives and stories matter.

Also Read: TV Media Segments, Careers Pros And Cons

How Can Students Engage In Journalism At School Level?

Students need something that will help them explore their interests at their own pace. So while they may want to pursue activities that add to their resume, it would be a mistake to ignore academics.

But your interest and academics can go hand in hand. Here are three easiest ways in which students can participate in to engage and dabble into journalism at school level:

School Magazines: School magazines are an inhouse publication that is distributed by paid or complimentary. Generally used to celebrate the achievement of the school – students and teachers. This would be the perfect place for an aspiring journalist. Right from concept to execution and then completion of the magazine can be assigned to students. Writing articles, interviews, coverage of school levels, designing the cover and inside pages – all will give you an insight into what happens in a newsroom.

Newsletters: Similar to magazines these are also inhouse publications. A school newsletter usually contains the details of any upcoming events or competitions in the school and also news updates regarding the schools. But it can also consist of articles based on the issues and concerns of the students. It is a great way to give a voice to the students and teach them the importance of the freedom of expression.

Also Read: 10 Things To Know About A Career In Writing

Online Blog: An online blog is similar to a newsletter except it is in an online format. A blog can be an informal forum for the students, by the students. It does not require any faculty involvement and can be focused solely on the students. It can talk about the issues faced by the students in school. For example, bullying, peer pressure, academic stress, etc. are some important topics that need to be voiced and understood from the perspective of the students. A blog gives them the opportunity to voice out their opinions.

Other than the ones mentioned above, students can pursue personal publications too, like book or film reviews or even short stories. The more they put out in the world, the more experience they get. Managing this alongside academics can be tough, but for focused students all it takes is a little time- management and hard work!