Diary of a High School Journalist

Have you ever been interested in writing for the newspaper or even helping with the yearbook? Maybe you’ve heard about the Journalism class but were unsure what all you would be required to do? Do you think Journalism is just a bunch of writing? Well, I have the perfect article for you! This one right here that you are reading! Read on to get an idea of what a day in the life is like for a student in Journalism.

My day usually starts off by getting ready for school (on Thursdays, for me), walking in to room #1218, and talking to Mr. Peace. Then we get down to business: what article needs to be written, what photos need to be taken, and anything else we need to know. I usually have work to do after that, whether that be helping Mr. Peace with something, or helping my classmates Baley Morehead and Briley Simpson. Once I do all that, I hop on Photoshop to design some of the article pictures. I’m sure you have all seen my fabulous Avengers picture. (Or even this one.)

Now the true fun is when you need to interview someone for an article or maybe for a mini in the yearbook. You usually get a camera, a clipboard, and a pencil. The adrenaline rush you feel walking up those stairs to pull someone out of class for a picture and to ask a few questions can’t be matched. Another fun thing is going to different events and taking pictures. That’s another exhilarating feeling: waltzing out to the football track and taking pictures of the crowd as everyone watches you. 

I personally have been in Journalism since I was in 10th grade for the second semester. I may not be the longest member, but I’m trying to learn the ropes quickly to be one of the best journalists the school has ever had. One of my favorite memories has to be either the Sharpie article which was a rollercoaster, or even when we were all in the classroom before the pandemic happened and I started slow clapping, and Shane looked at me and yelled “Stop!” Soon after, everyone, including Mr. Peace, began slow clapping to the beat, and the classroom filled with claps. I lost it after the ten minute Clap-A-Thon. The Sharpie article, however, involved me and mostly the whole staff to call and dig up information about the Sharpie stuck in the upper library window. Of course, your dedicated General Journal writers found it within a matter of days.

One of my personal favorite things is writing the articles. I love sitting down and writing out my thoughts and how I feel; it’s such a creative outlet. There is honestly a big benefit of joining Journalism! Also, you get to interact with different businesses in the community as you attempt to sell yearbook ads, which help pay for the production of the book. It is oddly a lot of fun. I have learnt a lot from Journalism though, including some skills that actually help me a lot like going to businesses and talking to managers about buying a yearbook ad, interviewing students, and using a camera. Of course, Photoshop skills will always somehow be of use in most people’s lives. I think if you need to improve your people, writing, photography, and/or Photoshopping skills, then this class is for you! Or even if you are good at all those and more, you can grow your skills to become even better. Without Journalism, I’m not really sure what I would be doing right now.

 To me, Journalism is one of the best places to meet new people and to just be yourself. Everyone is extremely nice, and we have one of the best teachers ever, Mr. Peace. If this article interests you even a little, you should totally talk to me or anyone else in Journalism—even Mr. Peace—about joining!