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Info for
High School Journalists

By Randy Swikle

Every high school needs a journalism class and a student newspaper. The proof is in the school’s mission statement.
For example, here is one school’s mission:

• To promote thinking skills such as decision making, problem solving, creative thinking, organizational skills, time management, goal setting, reasoning, listening skills and application.
• To advance knowledge in disciplines such as math, language arts, sciences, social sciences, technical skills, vocational skills, fine arts appreciation, foreign language and physical development.
• To enhance life skills, such as emotional wellness, physical wellness, self-discipline, respect for self/others, responsibility, citizenship, integrity, independence, and communication skills.

All that, we do in journalism. And we do it better than most other classes and activities by the way we promote the mission throughout the school community.

No other curricular or extracurricular offering delivers better opportunities for achieving the school’s mission than journalism and a student newspaper. That’s because no other class is broader in scope and no other activity is more engaging.
With its inherent diversity and holistic approach, journalism integrates every component of the school’s mission in a way that has profound influence beyond the classroom doors. A dynamic journalism class that supports a free and responsible student newspaper benefits the entire community by promoting the core values of the school’s mission. It makes concepts come alive!
Look at an example from each of the three categories of the school mission:

First, the newspaper serves as a catalyst for thinking and thereby benefits not only the student journalist but also every reader.
Decision-making: It’s more than a concept; it’s a constant. In journalism class, students constantly deal with the process, the strategies, the ethics, the options and other considerations for making good choices. With the newspaper, they apply decision-making skills and touch the thinking of readers. They influence adult decision-makers by providing a student perspective of issues and events, and they stir involvement of their peers by providing a more panoramic awareness of things.

Second, the newspaper serves as a vehicle for advancing knowledge in every academic discipline that is relevant to a particular story topic or to a process vital to gathering information about the story topic.

Math: It’s more than numbers and quantitative operations; it’s a discipline that breathes life to a technological world. In journalism class, students learn the mathematics of opinion polls, page design, finances, camera settings, computer programming and other things that support stories and production. With the newspaper, they apply those math skills to assist with the discovery of truth and the dissemination of information.

Third, the newspaper serves as a medium to apply life skills in a context that contributes to the wellbeing of citizens and to the principles of our democratic society.

Emotional wellness: It’s more than managing stress and dealing with feelings; it’s maximizing performance and interacting with people. In journalism class, students learn to deal with deadlines, to maintain objectivity, to analyze body language, to build rapport with news sources and coworkers and to get readers to feel the significance of a story. With the newspaper, they recognize achievement, provide uplifting stories, offer entertainment and inspire intrinsic motivation that leads to maximum performance. The newspaper also becomes a safety valve, allowing students and others responsibly to vent their feelings in editorials, editorial cartoons, letters to the editor, opinion columns, and other publication forums that satisfy the need to be heard.

A journalism class and a student newspaper provide diverse learning opportunities that enable students to engage in the school’s mission rather than to approach the mission as if it were merely a conceptual guide that lacks practical application.

No high school can achieve its full potential without the significant contributions that a journalism class and student newspaper offers to the entire community. If your school doesn’t offer journalism or produce a student newspaper, CREATE. If your school does have a journalism program and student newspaper, SUPPORT.

Randy Swikle retired in 2003 after 36 years of teaching journalism and advising student publications . He taught 34 years in Johnsburg School District 12 in Johnsburg, Ill. In 1999, Randy was named National Journalism Teacher of the Year by the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund. For help in getting a journalism curriculum and a student newspaper started in your school, contact Randy at randyswikle@comcast.net.