New Journalism Class Opens Doors
Nina Sinclair, News Editor, 7th Grade
Until now, Noe Middle School has never had a journalism class. So what is this class all about?
About 65 students are experiencing journalism this semester, which leaves plenty more curious. Journalism is taught by Mr. Nelson, former Noe Athletic Director and long-time teacher, in addition to being a former journalist. Students are assigned jobs and are tasked with writing stories for Noe’s digital newspaper, among other activities.
In Journalism, students are taught the basics of journalism and skills that they could apply to their career. Students that may be interested in applying for the Journalism and Communications magnet program at Manual High School may want to check out this related arts class, because Journalism provides skills that could be used to boost your application and knowledge of J&C at Manual.
Nelson won more than 40 local, state, and national journalism awards.
“I worked for six years as an editor and writer for a newspaper and then I became a teacher.” Nelson said. “So I have experience.”
Nelson considers himself to be the best person in the school to teach journalism. Using his career experience, Nelson is able to connect journalism with the real world.
“Journalism is going to give you skills that you can use in just about any aspect of your life,” Nelson said.
For Mr. Nelson, this class isn’t just a career path, it’s an outlet to teach young people about the importance of the press.
“I hope they gain an appreciation for the media, because it’s one of the most important institutions in America,” he said.
While skills will be taught, there are some characteristics that a journalism student needs.
“Someone that doesn’t have an issue talking and communicating with people is important,” Nelson said when asked what kind of student he’s looking for in Journalism.
Overall, Nelson believes what he teaches will be important for not only high school, but will prepare you for every role you take on in life. He also teaches you about the importance of ethical journalism.
“Without a free press, we don’t have a democracy,” Nelson said.
Eighth-graders Harper Lile and Caden Green share the title Editor-in-Chief for the newspaper in Journalism and hold the most responsibility.
“I’ve always liked to write,” Lile said. “I actually used to write newspapers for fun. I’ve always wanted to go to J&C at Manual, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to practice.”
Lile and Green are both grateful for the opportunity to take Journalism before leaving Noe.
“I feel like I connect more with the teacher and the class,” Green said. “In Journalism, there’s close connections with everybody.”
Journalism is a structured class and students always have something to learn or get done. When not writing stories for their school newspaper, students indulge in mini-lessons about journalism, such as ethics and responsibilities, helping them understand the purpose of the class.
“This class could help us get into J&C which could further help our career out of high school,” Green commented.
In addition to producing a digital newspaper called The Noetice, students will also produce a news show called In the Noe and a magazine called Noe Ordinary Magazine, which focuses on long-form journalism, or longer, more in-depth stories. Students also complete two projects, one which focuses on photojournalism and another in which they make a documentary.
