The 2013 Den Echoes Newspaper and Reflections Yearbook staff. Photo Credit: Brooke Smith[/caption]As other students worked hard at Orange High last Thursday, staff members of OHS’ Den Echoes newspaper and Reflections yearbook staff, led by adviser Brooke Smith, joined 432 other students from 25 schools around North Carolina at the University of North Carolina’s Journalism Day, or J-Day.
J-Day is held annually at UNC’s Chapel Hill campus by UNC’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Its purpose is to educate high school students interested in journalism about the professional world of news production and publication. It also gives an opportunity for high school students on their newspaper or yearbook staff to share tips and tricks with staff members from other schools.
During J-Day, students and advisers first gathered in UNC’s Carroll Hall auditorium to listen to opening introductions, as well as an introductory panel about working in the journalism field, specifically in sports. After the opening talks, students attended three preselected, 50-minute classes, taught by professors from the school of journalism, as well as reporters and journalists who work for the local Raleigh newspaper the News & Observer. Over 20 instructors were present at J-Day to offer their guidance and advice. Classes ranged from Photojournalism, Feature Writing, TV News Production, and many more.
OHS’ Den Echoes editor, Brianna Hales, and Reflections yearbook editor, Cailee Pulido, were given the opportunity to attend a special class, called the Editor’s Roundtable.
When asked how the Editor’s Roundtable was different from other classes, Hales answered that members of the class talked about “what we did as editors to improve our newspaper or yearbook,” as well as “what problems we had as editors.” Hales also added, “When people told their problem then other editors would tell them what they had done with their staff to fix or avoid the problem altogether.”
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