Why You Should Take Journalism and Broadcasting

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a TV personality for a broadcasting network? Or maybe the writer for a press company? Perhaps you watch the announcements every day and can picture yourself on the screen. Maybe you aspire to be a weatherman like Riley or host a segment like Aileen. If any of these things interest you, you should add the Journalism and Broadcast elective to your schedule for next year. Today, we aim to answer any questions you may have about the class and detail all the reasons you should take it. We even have a special interview with our co-editor and three-year journalism and broadcasting student, Madeline Matheny. If you’re questioning whether or not you should join the class, hopefully, you’ll have a clearer answer by the time you’ve finished reading this article.

What Does a Typical Day in Class Look Like?

Everyone has a specific job for the publication of the newspaper and announcements to run smoothly. There are two categories of jobs: broadcasting and journalism jobs. Everyone rotates turns in both positions. When it’s your turn in the journalism role, you get to research, interview, attend events, and use what you learn to produce stories for the school newspaper. In a broadcasting role, you may be an anchor, the face of the announcements for the school. You could be a reporter, interviewing others and reporting on sports and events. You might be a part of our graphics team, designing graphics for the announcements, or an editor compiling the announcements together. Maybe you want to be a producer, making sure everything is running smoothly. Not sure which job you like best? You’ll get the opportunity to try your hand at many different positions. A typical day in the class is spent working to complete whatever tasks you need to in accordance with the job you’ve chosen.

What are the Benefits of Taking this Class?

One thing that makes journalism unique is that it’s a class taken by students grades 9-12, so you have the opportunity to meet people you wouldn’t normally meet in your core classes. The class is also mainly student-led, and if you have an idea, you’ll likely be able to implement it! “My favorite part about journalism is the creative freedom you get to explore different topics and meet lots of people,” says newspaper editor, Madeline “Maddie” Matheny, grade 11. Maddie has taken Journalism and Broadcasting every year of her high school career and plans on taking it her senior year as well. “I’ve done journalism for the last three years and I think it would be fun to finish it off my senior year,” she says.

The class is also only first period, so it’s a refreshing way to start the morning, and if you have friends taking the class, you know you’ll be with them. “[Journalism and Broadcasting is] a great way to start your day and it’s a lot of fun,” Maddie commented.

This class is a great taste of what the journalism and broadcasting industry is like, so if this is a career field you’re thinking about pursuing, this class is worth a try. “…it’s been a really fun experience and I continue to learn things every day,” Maddie said, regarding her last three years in Journalism and Broadcasting. If this class at all interests you, on behalf of all of us in Journalism and Broadcasting, we hope you consider adding the class to your 2022-2023 schedule.