The Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s 2014 Fall Conference brought school newspaper editors from schools across the East Coast, including from our own school, together to improve upon their reporting skills.
At this event, editors received guidance and advice from experienced journalists in an effort to improve their layouts and reporting. The conference consisted of various workshops for high school reporters to attend. Workshop titles, such as “Avocado Green is to Die For!” and “Controversy, Confession, and Cornflakes,” attempted to engage students to attend that conference, just as an article title should draw readers into the text. At the seminars, students learned everything from the latest trends in design to tips on dealing with controversial subjects and censorship.
“There were a lot of really informative seminars on different aspects of newspaper and how to improve in those areas,” said junior and The Schreiber Times news editor Madeline Fagen. “I was able to attend three different seminars, each of which were helpful in their own way.”
The discussions Fagen provided insights into how to find information needed for in-depth articles, utilize her rights as a student journalist, and localize large-scale events.
“I will most definitely be using the techniques and resources that were shared in order to tell the Schreiber community the full story,” said Fagen.
Newspaper advisors Mr. Craig Medico and Ms. Evelina Zarkh agree that the conference was valuable and that these new techniques should be used in future reporting.
“It was a great time,” said social studies teacher and newspaper advisor Mr. Medico. “The students were inspired by what the speakers had to say, and want to apply what they learned at the conference to their writing in the Times.”
Schreiber students think it is important that editors attend conferences like these in order to improve their writing skills and enhance their ability to share news with the school.
“I think that these types of workshops are very worthwhile,” said freshman Sherry Shi. “Our editors are being inspired by writers of a higher level, which will lead to a better newspaper.”
Many students depend on The Schreiber Times to provide information about recent events.
“It gives students a resource to receive information about the school,” said freshman Rebecca Muratore. “It’s a really good way for students to write and express their opinions.”
Programs like the Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s 2014 Fall Conference are designed to improve school newspapers like this school’s, and encourage students to use their skills to a fuller capacity in order to create better, more comprehensive publications