Conference teaches students about the field of journalism

Rick Senften, instructor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, was one of the many presenters at the Ohio Scholastic Media Association workshop. He led local high school students in a discussion on how to develop a question for news stories.

Credit: DKS Editors

As part of the Ohio Scholastic Media Association workshop, students were given the opportunity to work in the TV2 newsroom with the staff. Jeremy Wheel and Lydia Long of Hoover High School receive a few pointers from Aaron Martin, a senior broadcast journ

Credit: DKS Editors

At a conference for high school students and teachers yesterday in Franklin Hall and the Student Center, most students knew nothing about the First Amendment.

Elyria High School senior Shantaya Harris said that she just didn’t know.

On the other hand, Andrea Whaley, a senior at Theodore Roosevelt, knew the entire amendment by heart.

“I’m getting this tattooed on my ankle,” she said.

The Ohio Scholastic Media Association conference introduced high school students to the field of journalism as seen at a college campus. While at the conference, the area students discussed their knowledge and views of the changing face of journalism.

Whaley said she had planned on being a health education major, but the conference made her think about changing to a broadcast journalism major.

“It showed that I can do this writing thing,” Whaley said.

Both Jefferson and Harris said they came to the conference undecided on a major.

If they were to choose, Harris said she would like to be a public relations major and Jefferson said that she would like to become a broadcast journalism major.

All three girls chose to become journalism majors because to them, journalism isn’t dying – even in the face of layoffs and the growing popularity of online news.

“We’re always going to need someone to get the news,” Harris said.

Whaley said that being able to see real people live is what keeps news alive.

“It gives it more of a weight,” she said.

A total of 350 students and adults were registered for the day, said Candace Perkins-Bowen, director of OSMA and director of the Center for Scholastic Journalism.

Bowen said that only 75 students and teachers attended when the conference was held in the fall semester last year.

Contact College of Communications and Information reporter Amy Szabo at [email protected].