Teaching
My entrepreneurship beyond my own program has expanded into classrooms nationwide. As a firm believer in the value of journalism myself, over the last year and a half I have taught numerous classes nationwide through the organizations of SIPA, SCSPA, and NSPA. These classes, taught to usually around 30-40 students and advisors, have covered a range of topics such as “Reporting on Tragedy”, “Leadership in the Classroom”, “Staff Organization”, and “Student Leadership.” In such classes, I give a lecture around 45 min to an hour before taking questions from the audience. Many of the questions asked are questions I once had myself as I entered into the journalism world. For example, while teaching a class to students and advisors from different publications located from the east to west coast at NSPA, a student asked me how to maintain a friendship with their staff members all the while being their leader and telling them what to do. My answer to this question has many layers to it, but it begins with the members you have on your staff. In interviewing candidates for the 2019 staff, I made sure to ask the question “How do you feel about receiving directions from a fellow student, whether they be older or younger than you?” As such a dynamic is a required part of not only the world of student journalism, but often times a part of any job, I would listening intently to the candidates answer while also watching their body language. If it was evident an individual wasn’t comfortable with such a dynamic, it’s likely they could cause issues for the future staff. This is a good way to remove the initial problem. However, staff members still can get on the staff and may have an issue with an individual in their leadership role. So to maintain a good relationship with staff members while remaining their leader, I have always made an effort to discuss work related issues while still getting to know the individual personally. This shows that you not only care about the publication, but you care about that individual. The same goes for critiquing their work. Even if a piece is turned in that horrifies you, let them know the points of improvement, but try your hardest to find the one piece of good so they don’t take your critiques in an offensive way.
The answer provided above is one of the many answers I have given to fellow student journalists and advisors in hopes of providing solutions to their problems. I have experienced my own problems in the classroom and hope that my advise outside of the classroom can resolve their situations. The dynamics and rules of journalism are no easy feat, especially when the media is increasingly under the spotlight for criticism by its viewers, which is why I’ve sought to help others in making their publications the best they can be.
The answer provided above is one of the many answers I have given to fellow student journalists and advisors in hopes of providing solutions to their problems. I have experienced my own problems in the classroom and hope that my advise outside of the classroom can resolve their situations. The dynamics and rules of journalism are no easy feat, especially when the media is increasingly under the spotlight for criticism by its viewers, which is why I’ve sought to help others in making their publications the best they can be.
Publications
My help has spread into other areas beyond teaching as well. At my school, you are only allowed to be a member in one journalism program out of the four we have available. But with my craving for journalism so large, I have sought to help the other programs where I can. For example, our school’s video media program, Tribe Talk, I have helped film segments when needed. Clips I have shot can be seen in a segment of Tribe Talk Presents on a Charleston band called named Local Honey. I drove out to North Charleston with Tribe Talk member Amelia Walker to help her film and interview the band when no one in the program was available to assist filming this project.
Ads
In order to raise funds for our yearbook through ads, in the summer before the 2018-2019 school year I helped organize an "Ad Blitz" day with my staff. This day entailed organizing 8 groups of 4-5 staff members and assigning them to a region in the Mount Pleasant/Charleston area. From there I told each group how to present the sale of an ad and to get the contact information of businesses who couldn't buy an ad at that moment, but would be interested. In my own group, we spend two hours going from business to business selling ads and getting contact information visiting over 20 restaurants, stores, and offices. That day my staff sold around 8 ads on the spot and had the contact information of over 40 businesses to follow up with.