In the Know with Television News

by Liz Manguno

So, first, a disclaimer. I minored in journalism, worked for a suburban daily, taught newspaper and yearbook – and love the news. I believe the study and practice of journalism affords students a wealth of learning opportunities – researching, critical thinking, writing, interviewing, public speaking, producing, polishing, persuading, publishing . . . . From my perspective, school news programs are ripe for providing the rich and meaningful leaning experiences that core content courses can often only simulate. And there is a place in media studies for all students of all learning styles. 

 

If you’re not familiar with what elementary school news programs can offer, do check out Kids News Network (KNN) at Pleasant Grove Elementary School in Stockbridge, Georgia (http://www.henry.k12.ga.us/pges/knn/). It is truly the gold standard of elementary school news. It’s not just a forum for the pledge of allegiance and school announcements (there are much better means for communicating that type of information), but, rather, a program that provides students with real-life broadcasting experience. Unfortunately, actual clips are not available at the site, but you can read transcripts (from the 2000-01 school year) to get a glimpse of what these students have accomplished. Note: You’ll find an explanation on the site as to why the program, which was initially open to all students, was later limited to those in the gifted/talented program. While I understand the constraints that led to this decision, I regret that this was necessary. My experience has been that media production has room for students of varying talents and abilities. Writers, photographers, producers, editors – left brain, right brain – plenty of room for all.

For an example of a middle/high school program, go to Southern Columbia Area High School’s Tiger News (http://hs.scasd.us/ms/kelchner/tigernews/index.html). Be forewarned – this is a truly exceptional school news site. High standards are important, excellent models are valuable – but it’s important to view programs such as this as a goal – something to strive for – not as a base line for news programs.

I work in a high school, and we are fortunate to have a full-time teacher and full program of study devoted to television news production. Students first enter the program by taking Broadcast I. They can do this as early as their freshman year. This course introduces students to the basic concepts of television reporting, programming, and production, as well as to general media literacy. Students interested in producing the actual school newscast advance to Broadcast IV (just ignore the number sequencing here). This class meets first period and the news segment is broadcast at the start of homeroom, which immediately follows first period. Course enrollment is by semester; students can elect to take the course for just one semester or for up to six semesters (three years). Enrollment is open to all students who have met the single Broadcasting I pre-requisite. The school is equipped with a full studio and control room, so students are able to produce and present the news just as it is done in the professional workplace. The teacher has recently upgraded the system to operate tapeless. Instead of storing data on tape, they are now using cards that operate off a one terabyte hard-drive.

The program is largely student produced with teacher oversight. Roles are assigned on a rotation basis, with all students having the opportunity to direct and anchor. It takes the students about two weeks at the start of each semester to get organized and ready to broadcast. Once they are up and running, they broadcast live daily. Each segment runs from seven to ten minutes. All broadcasts begin with a standby clip. This allows teachers to verify that they are tuned in to the right channel. The actual broadcast begins with the pledge, followed by the moment of silence. As with any news broadcast, the actual content will vary depending on what is going on at the time. It is generally a mix of school/club announcements, news reports, sports highlights and feature spots. The current hot news topic is the significant reduction in the size (but not the price) of the cookies sold in the cafeteria.  Coverage has included interviews of cafeteria staff, administrators and students. Other recent spots have included crowding in the halls during the change of classes, the up-coming play production, and henna parties.

According to the broadcasting teacher, the major challenge he faces is overseeing a live production done by teenagers. He says he is the only high school teacher in the county who allows students to broadcast live. The students are generally responsible, but the temptation to slip something by can be strong. He has had to largely ban music with lyrics because of past incidents. He finds he regularly has to stress the idea that the announcements need to be done in a responsible manner. He tells his students they need to do the announcements and then have fun, not have fun with the announcements.

And that’s the way it is at Walton High School in Marietta, Georgia.