Scholastic journalism sessions held at Westin Bonaventure

Feather editors and advisers will be presenting a series of seminars at the JEA/NSPA National High School Convention, April 16, at the Westin Bonaventure hotel. Staffers will be presenting to not only share their tips, but to also hear new suggestions and learn from their JEA/NSPA audiences.

Editors-in-Chief Rees Roggenstein, Josh Carter and Chloe Mueller will be presenting, alongside adviser Greg Stobbe, two journalism-based seminars, titled “Online Workflow” and “Thriving in Cyberspace”. While the sessions will focus on different aspects of publishing, they center on editing and producing online content for consumers.

Photo Editor Kylie Bell and Photojournalism adviser Kori Friesen will be leading two additional conferences, titled “The Image as your Hook” and “Photojournalism Nuts and Bolts.” These classes will focus on capturing a captivating photo as well as the process of providing and utilizing polished pictures.

At the end of each session there will be time for questions and answers, in which the editors welcome any inquiries or suggestions. Feather editors and advisers hope to collaborate with their audience and gain as much knowledge as they impart.

Journalism

Online Workflow

Online Workflow offers a broad overview of the editing and publishing process behind the scenes of an online publication. The session essentially encapsulates the daily rhythm within the journalism lab and how articles evolve from concept to creation.

The audience is first shown the staff hierarchy and how staffers work in relation with one another, in

their assigned roles. Then, the Feather editors will touch on day-to-day operations (i.e., how many articles and podcasts are posted each day, etc.)

Then, viewers will be given the grand overview of how articles change from start to finish. This includes how article ideas are brainstormed, fine-tuned, given media files and finally published.

The session will also feature some tips on how to maintain a staffroom. The reporters will share how they stay motivated and complete tasks on time, as well as how they motivate others and keep the staff connected. There will also be a look at how articles are edited and how new writers are trained.

This lecture begins at noon, April 16, in Los Cerritos at the Lobby Level.

Thriving in Cyberspace

Thriving in Cyberspace is intended to give a more in-depth look at the technological side of an online publication. The staffers will not cover as much editing and writing content, but will move more into the world of social media and digital files.

First, the audience will learn the importance of analyzing their followers and maintaining a cutting-edge news source. This involves staying on top of social media platforms and experimenting with new digital mediums.

The editors will explain how the Feather upkeeps its primary social media (Facebook, Instagram, Soundcloud, Vimeo and Twitter) accounts on a daily basis, and how often staffers are required to post. The seminar will offer advice on advertising news sources through various digital mechanisms.

Finally, the session will break down the process of obtaining and publishing media posts such as videos, slideshows and podcasts. Examples will be shown to the audience, as they explore the diverse realms of journalism.

This lecture begins at 2:30 p.m., April 16, in Los Cerritos at the Lobby Level.

Photojournalism

The Image as your Hook

In a world where multiple visual platforms lead the social media industry, the photo plays a more critical role then ever before. Professional photographer and Feather co-adviser Kori Friesen teaches key elements to choose and capture images that will be your story hook.

The Image as your Hook explains the growing importance of choosing the correct photos to portray stories. The lecture explains how the photojournalists need to shoot to capture the best image, the criteria for what makes a desirable image, and which images photojournalists choose for editors to review.

As readership has declined gradually over the years, with only 28% of words read per visit, the correct photos play a much larger role in keeping the reader interested in the article then ever before. The audience will be introduced to the concept of using photos to guide readers down the article and keep them on the page as long as possible.

The lecture will continue to explain how images capture the reader’s attention using emotion as the hook. Images that make people feel empathy or sympathy are integral to grabbing the attention of the reader and making them interested in the article itself.

This lecture begins at noon, April 16, in Santa Anita C at the Lobby Level.

Photojournalism Nuts and Bolts

Photojournalism Nuts and Bolts aims to share insight on workflow and essential tips for photojournalism teams. Learning what the best gear is for the team, scheduling time, processing, editing, and publishing efficiently are key topics covered in the lecture.

With the correct equipment being the first key to success for photojournalists, the lecture will begin by explaining what type of gear the Feather photojournalists use for their assignments. A variety of Canon bodies, lenses, and other miscellaneous tools are necessary to capture the best image of an event.

The lecture also details the key characteristics of a photojournalism team: availability, efficiency, and good communication. With news articles happening day-of, photojournalists need to make themselves available in order to cover the event, work efficiently to capture the image, and communicate with each other to keep each other accountable for their work.

The editing process for images is also featured in during the lecture. The lecture aims to share what computer programs photojournalists use, how they resize images, download them, and embed them in the website.

This lecture begins at 1 p.m., April 16, in Santa Anita C at the Lobby Level.

Photojournalism Lab Walk Through from The Feather Online on Vimeo.

Call to action

The JEA/NSPA High School Convention provides an opportunity for attendees to not only learn from professionals, but from their peers and other papers. Through collaboration, a mutual exchange of knowledge, experience, and application broadens the perspectives of scholastic journalists. Please visit The Feather and other student newspaper seminars to come together and improve each others’ papers.

Please leave a comment below after you attend our sessions, letting us know what we did well and what we need to improve upon.

Please use the official JEA/NSPA Los Angeles tags: @nhsjc, @NSPA. Please use the official convention hashtag: #nhsjc .

For more features, please read Hollywood sign, observatory offer unique views of Los Angeles.

These authors can be reached via [email protected] and [email protected].

For those who want to contact The Feather advisers, they can be reached via [email protected] and/or [email protected].