Title

A New Voice for Chariho

Document Type

Article

Contributor

Pantalone, John [faculty advisor, Department of Journalism]

Date

May 2008

Subject

Communication; Information technology; Secondary education

Format Data

Microsoft Word document, 1,090,048 bytes 2008 URI Senior Honors Project

Keywords

newspaper; high school; journalism

Abstract

When the Founding Fathers drafted the U.S. Constitution, they recognized the importance of a free press by protecting it from government interference. Newspapers can wield incredible power in making positive change and building a better community. They also provide fantastic opportunities for journalists to learn about the world around them and become an expert in many fields.

Journalists, however, are not limited to professionals in the newsrooms of the nation’s largest daily papers. Reporters of every age have made an impact on their communities. For my Honors Project I sought to bring this ability to high school students by designing a guide for starting a student-run paper.

Included in my guide are lesson plans for a beginning journalism class, job descriptions for editors, basic advice for someone looking to start a student newspaper and my own reflections.

To “test drive” my guide I served as the newspaper adviser for Chariho Regional High school for just under six months. Starting in December 2007, I worked with the administration, a journalism class and other students to lay a foundation for a theoretical paper, which was never actually published.

Reflections of Chariho.doc (27 kB)
Reflections of Chariho.doc