Journalism is alive and well. That is what I thought to myself just minutes after speaking to the journalism class at Waukee High School last week.
One of the students, Colson Thayer, invited me to speak to his class and to critique their publication and yearbook. Now, I don’t know about you, but I did not take criticism very well as a teenager, so I went in with the idea that I would focus on all they were doing right, which was clearly a lot. What I learned was that this group of students truly wanted feedback. They showed a sincere desire to learn and to grow and to improve. So I offered a few suggestions and prefaced it all by stating that I expected them to agree with some of my ideas and to disagree with others. Ultimately, I told them that they needed to soak it all in and do what makes the most sense for them to achieve their goals.
I was thoroughly impressed by their maturity, their listening skills, their planning, their thought processes, and, ultimately, their final work. This is a compliment to Colson and to his classmates and also to their instructor, Mr. Blumberg, who is appropriately letting his students learn by doing. I have no doubt that these students will continue to excel, and I hope that many of them will choose careers in the publishing industry.
Yes, journalism is alive and well.
Thanks for reading, and have a fabulous Friday!
Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305 |
