With the year coming to an end, the North Polk High School Journalism Department has said their goodbyes to the seniors who helped bring videos to the North Polk Broadcast channel on YouTube and pages to the 2023-2024 yearbook. Though sad, this brings the opportunity for the department to grow and allow new creatives to be involved in journalism at the high school level.
The branches:
There are many reasons as to why one should join the journalism department, and depending on the area of interest that one has, there are multiple options to choose from. The Journalism Department includes Broadcast, Newspaper and Yearbook.
Broadcast:
Starting off with Broadcast, this class may be for those that are interested more in videography, and are comfortable with being in front of a camera from time to time. In all journalism classes one is required to come up with ideas to share with the North Polk community. In broadcast, these ideas manifest through the videos put out on the North Polk Broadcast channel as well as the scripts on the weekly Galaxy News.
If asked, all of the journalism editors would agree that being in their branch of journalism has benefited them both in high school and in their everyday lives.
Junior editor Bella Brandi expressed that journalism “has given me a chance to share ideas with likeminded people and learn with others who are passionate about the same things.” Moreover she explained that collaborating with others has brought her out of her comfort zone.
Newspaper:
In the Newspaper class, the target audience would be people who not only love to write, but those who enjoy connecting with the community of not only North Polk but beyond. Moreover, Newspaper does not only prepare one through the different formatting styles one might encounter in the future, it prepares one in the social aspect of life.
During this class one is given the opportunity to come up with article ideas they feel are important to share with the community as well as personal opinion pieces they wish to convey.
For me, Newspaper has helped me become more comfortable with interacting with others in all aspects of life. I have been complimented on my comfortability during presentations, interviews and writing assignments; skills that are vital everywhere and always.
Yearbook:
For those that are interested in photography, the Yearbook is a perfect opportunity to improve camera skills with professional-level cameras provided through the class. Not only this, but the Yearbook provides the opportunity to be creative in the way one lays out pictures, captions, themes and more.
Yearbook junior editor Everett Eaton explained that “[b]eing in the journalism department has helped me by giving me a class period where I don’t feel like I have so much to stress about and it’s a class that I can enjoy.” Moreover, he explained that in his time in the department, he has curated friendships as “everyone in the class is nice and accepting of others in the school and they’re all fun to be around.”
Depending on the branch of journalism chosen, one will have the chance to work with a communicative and supportive small team sharing one’s same interests; simultaneously, one will also have the support and knowledge of a bigger team. Either way, both will give one the opportunity to not only grow closer to friends, but make new ones along the way.
Advisor Jessica Trier conveyed “along the way, you get to make memories with your fellow classmates, create memories for your schoolmates with what you add in news stories, broadcast videos and yearbook pages or photos.”
