A little more than two years after announcing that The Broadcaster was back, East Islip High School is now running a Journalism elective!
A well-rounded group of students ranging from 9th to 12th grade answered the call and gather every day during 6th period to learn more about journalism, media, different types of writing, and how to appeal to an audience.
Before these young journalists begin to branch off completely on their own, the beginning of the course will challenge them to write articles in several different styles that all have unique requirements. These challenges will include using different elements of our publishing platform, collecting different interviews, including a certain number of quotes, writing to a certain length, etc.
While of course the writing matters in every article, the true purpose of this first assignment is to allow students to become comfortable with layout and publishing on our platform, SNO Sites. This platform is the industry standard. It houses over 2,700 K-12 news sites and over 400 college news sites across the country!
To best accomplish this goal, my mind went straight to a “listicle.” Not known for being typically “journalistic,” this style of article was popularized by sites like Buzzfeed and the idea was even satirized on my favorite show, Parks and Rec.
What listicle might I make, you ask? Here are some I would consider writing: “The Six Most Impactful Offseason Acquisitions for the New York Jets,” “The Five Most Relatable Marvel Characters,” “The Six Phone Apps I Couldn’t Live Without,” “The Top Five Movies I Should Have Already Watched, But Never Have,” or “My Seven Favorite Reads in the EI Book Room.”
Wow, I think I might need to write some of these! As the student articles come in, you’ll be able to see them linked below.
