CHSPA Chat

CHSPA Thursday Note - May 26, 2011

2011-05-26T06:51:00.001-07:00

Final Edition of School Year

One more time until August...

The latest updates on www.chspaonline.org include:

1. An Excel spreadsheet with all winners from our recent Best of Colorado contest. Find it at http://www.chspaonline.org/featured-news/2011/05/25/congratulations-to-all-our-best-of-colorado-winners/

2. Links to more information on summer workshops sponsored by yearbook publishers and other organizations... Check them out at http://www.chspaonline.org/workshops/2010/08/21/workshops/

3. Did you misplace your last CHSPA mailing (it should have arrived about two seeks ago)? It contained your All-Colorado instructions and entry form, which you can download from http://www.chspaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/2011-12-Renewal-CHSPA-member-form.pd f (You can also find the forms for retired adviser memberships, professional memberships and new member media on our Membership page under "About CHSPA.")

A final reminder to vote in the 2011 CHSPA Officer election, which closes at 9 p.m. tonight (May 26). There were 145 eligible voters among current and retired advisers, and 43 have voted, which is actually a great response. But we would love to hear from 102 others. You have received an initial email and a Tuesday morning follow-up, but if those can't be found, click on http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BJL8CW2 and weigh in by 9 p.m.

For those of you who are looking for some professional growth this summer, CHSPA again is offering the Summer Adviser Workshop (with strands for both new advisers and veterans), at Smoky Hill HS June 20-21, and at CSU in Fort Collins July 20-21. I am attaching the brochure to this email, and you can, as always, find a copy on our website.

Please don't forget to mail in your publication or video broadcast before you take off for some well-deserved summer relaxation. We have dozens of judges eager to give you some feedback, and you will have their thoughts back in August, in time to help in planning for next school year. It's part of your basic membership in CHSPA. You literally have nothing to lose (beyond the cost of postage).

It's been a terrific year for Colorado scholastic journalism, and your state organization has big plans to help you do your job even better next time around.

All the best!

CHSPA Thursday Note - May 19, 2011

2011-05-26T06:50:00.001-07:00

Just a couple quick reminders (all there is time for when the end of the school year obligations pile up!):

Don't forget to vote in the 2011-13 CHSPA officer election. You should have received an email with the Survey Monkey link. If you no longer have that email, look for a second email, only to those who have not yet voted, which I have scheduled to be sent at 7:15 a.m., Tuesday, May 24. The election closes at 9 p.m. May 26.

I hope member advisers received our last mailing of the school year, which contained both membership renewal information for 2011-12 school year, and instructions and entry form for All-Colorado. We have lined up dozens of judges from across the country, including six former national journalism teachers of the year. A lot of folks would like to see what Colorado scholastic journalism is up to, which is a tribute to you!

I hope you will agree that All-Colorado is relatively painless. Please contact me if you have questions, but know that June 6 is the postmark deadline for all entries. If you didn't receive that mailing, please let me know, but you can go to http://www.chspaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/All-Colorado-entry-and-instructions-2011.pdf to download the entry form.

A final congratulations to your student winners in our first Best of Colorado competition. We hope the certificates provided you a suitable opportunity to honor your talented and hard-working editors and staff. At some point early next week I will send you directions on how to a) check out the master spreadsheet of all the winners online, and b) how to view or download the top entries from the contest website. There were some terrific entries and they can serve as great examples for next year's staffs.

May your outdoor graduations ceremonies be held between rain showers,

World Press Freedom Day

2011-05-07T07:19:00.000-07:00

Washington, D.C. was the site of the May 3 conference, the first time this has been held on American soil. The lessons and the other support material can help in teaching press rights and responsibilities for years to come.

Below is the message Frank LoMonte, from the SPLC, sent out to schools across the country:

Friends,
The Student Press Law Center has prepared a lesson plan for use with your classes next week in conjunction with the celebration of World Press Freedom Day on May 3. World Press Freedom Day was declared by UNESCO in 1993, and this year is the first time that the commemoration events are being held in the United States, so this is a rare opportunity when the eyes of the world are focused on our country and the state of its own press freedoms:

http://www.splc.org/presentations/lp-wpfd.pdf
http://www.splc.org/presentations/lp-wpfd-notes.pdf

We also hope that each of you will consider using all of your social-media resources – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn – to share the following message on Monday, May 2, so that the 800 delegates attending World Press Freedom Day will hear our voices:

Free the Press – All of It, #wpfd

If you are so inclined, we’d of course love for you to link to the SPLC’s World Press Freedom Day page,www.splc.org/wpfd, along with your tweet or status update. And if your students do an editorial or something else creative to call attention to World Press Freedom Day, please let us know at director@splc.org and we’ll happily link to it.

Many thanks, again, to our good friends at the NSPA and the JEA for helping to underwrite the SPLC’s efforts to call attention to the press-freedom issues confronting student journalists, including the April 15 Washington Postad that you can find (and re-distribute) at www.splc.org/wpfd.

-- Frank D. LoMonte, Esq.
Executive Director
Student Press Law Center1101 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1100
Arlington, VA 22209-2211
(703) 807-1904, ext. 121 phone
(703) 807-2109 fax
director@splc.org
www.splc.org

CHSPA Thursday Note - May 5, 2011

2011-05-07T07:02:00.001-07:00

First, my apologies for sending this on Friday morning -- a delay in our video media contest gummed up the works... but that is my segue to those awaiting Best of Colorado Award certificates: for yearbook and newspaper advisers, your certificates are either in your hands or in the mail (sent Tuesday first class); video broadcast awards will be in today's first class mail.

Best of Colorado highlights

1. There were 923 individual entries in newspaper (in 25 categories). Classification breakdown: 23 5A, 18 4A and 10 3A.

2. There were 821 individual entries in yearbook (in 24 categories). Classification breakdown: 17 5A, 12 4A, and 9 3A

3. There were 90 individual entries in video broadcast (in 21 categories). All are judged in one class, and there were 9 schools that entered.

4. BOC is not exactly equivalent to our former Sweepstakes competition, but just FYI, here are last year's participation figures:

Newspaper = 5A 29, 4A 22, 3A 14. Yearbook = 5A 18, 4A 10, 3A 10. Video had 7 entries in 2010.

5. The contest site worked well, once everyone got the hang of it. The biggest mistake I made was in not having everyone create PDFs in the "smallest size," and in not asking for all multiple page/spread entries to be combined into one PDF. Those two things really slowed down the process of uploading and downloading the entries, but will be an easy fix for next spring.

6. Some advisers felt rushed with the March 31 deadline, but as the contest matures, I hope everyone will begin to plan for this annual competition and find ways to copy likely entries into a special CHSPA BOC folder as the year progresses. The most time-consuming part of the process is digging through folders to find submissions.

7. Later in May, I will be posting examples of top entries in each category online (probably using our contest website), along with the general judging comments I received. I will also post the entire spreadsheet of place-winners on www.chspaonline.org, so you can get a picture of the depth and breadth of the winners.

8. The CHSPA board welcomes any and all ideas that you have on the Best of Colorado contest. Feel free to send them to this email (chspaboard@gmail.com) or directly to me at jpkjournalism@gmail.com.

State Scholarship winners - Congratulations!

1. Teresa Halac of Rocky Mountain HS was chosen as the Dorothy Greer Scholarship winner (also known as the Colorado Journalist of the Year), and there were two runners-up: Madison Mansheim of Salida HS, and Ryan Winter, of Mountain Vista HS.

2. Jordan Fricke, of Englewood HS, is this year's Eric Benson Scholarship winner.

Quick items of interest

1. Congratulations to Cassa Niedgringhaus of Rocky Mountain HS, who is the Colorado winner of the Al Neuharth Free Spirit Scholarship. She will enjoy an all-expenses paid trip to the national conference at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. this summer, as well as a $1,000 scholarship.

2. The Summer Adviser Workshop (SAW) will be held in two locations this summer, for your convenience. The first section will be at Smoky Hill HS in Aurora, June 20-21 (Monday and Tuesday). The second section will be held at Colorado State University on July 20-21 (Wednesday and Thursday). Much more information will be coming your way soon (via email and snail mail), but I know many of you need to to know these dates.

3. The 2011 ReThink Workshop will be held June 14-16 this summer, at Rock Canyon HS. A new addition this year is an optional Wordpress workshop on June 17, focused on advisers having a working website ready for a new school year. Again, much more information coming your way, but you can check things out at http://coloradorethink.wordpress.com/

4. Speaking of summer workshops: if you and/or your students are interested in exploring investigative journalism, the first-ever I-News Investigative Journalism Institute will be held at the University of Denver July 18-22. The award-winning professionals from the Rocky Mountain Investigative News Network will take advisers and students through the entire process (and spotting wrongdoing and uncovering hidden information are valuable skills in any profession). Go to www.inewsnetwork.org to learn more and to find the online application. You will find additional information on the CHSPA site, as we are pleased to endorse this new option for journalism education in our state.

One last thing

Look for a mailing next week that will include instructions for entering your publication in the inaugural All-Colorado Awards, as well as election information for CHSPA officers for 2011-13, and your membership renewal form for 2011-12.

At CHSPA, we sincerely hope everyone not only survives the end of the school year, but thrives.

Jack Kennedy

CHSPA Executive Director

CHSPA Thursday Note - April 21, 2011

2011-05-07T07:01:00.001-07:00

I apologize for the lack of a Thursday Note for several weeks, but I hope you enjoy this one. It's full of good news! Letters of congratulations to the winners and their principals have been sent, so look for certificates, etc., in your school mail. At the risk of beating the snail mail to your hands, I just couldn't wait any longer to share!

1. The winner of the $2,000 Dorothy Greer Scholarship (also known as the Colorado High School Journalist of the Year) is Tess Halac, Rocky Mountain HS. The committee named two runners-up: Madison Mansheim, Salida HS; and Ryan Winter, Mountain Vista HS. They will each receive a $500 scholarship.

2. The winner of the $600 Eric Benson Scholarship is Jordan Fricke, Englewood HS. There were 13 finalists for these annual scholarships. Congratulations to the students and their advisers! And thanks to Kristi Rathbun for coordinating the scholarship competition.

3. The winners from our Feb. 15 Capitol Hill Press Conference newswriting contest:

1st place = Jessica Zook and Sam Katzman, Conifer HS

2nd place = Jessica Lyons and Macy Morgan, Mountain Vista HS

4. Winners from the Capitol Hill broadcast video contest:

1st place = Rebecca Erickson and Jordan Fricke, Englewood HS

5. Winners from the March 12 "Real Pirates" press conference news-feature writing contest (all these contests were judged by staff at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science):

1st place = Sam Katzman, Conifer HS

2nd place = Kelly Laughlin, Grandview HS

6. Winners from the "Real Pirates" review writing contest:

1st place = Tyler Blair, Smoky Hill HS

2nd place = Josh Ferge, Englewood HS

7. Winners from the "Real Pirates" photojournalism contest

1st place = TC Scaggiari, Englewood HS

2nd place = Alex Sorrell, Smoky Hill HS

3rd place = Emily Ward, Palmer Ridge HS

8. NSPA Best of Show - Anaheim Convention, awarded on April 16

Middle School Yearbooks - 2nd place - "Eagle Eye View," Sierra MS, Parker

Newsmagazines - 10th place - "Smoky Hill Express," Smoky Hill HS

Yearbooks 325+ pages - 8th place - "Summit," Smoky Hill HS

Yearbooks 275-324 pages - 7th place - "Aerie," Mountain Vista HS

9. NSPA National Pacemaker Award, presented April 16 in Anaheim

"Eagle Eye View," Sierra MS, Parker

"Spud," from Idaho Falls, Idaho, advised by former Lamar adviser Ryan Hansen (we cheer for former Coloradans!)

10. Our Rising Star advisers: Anastasia Harrison, Karen Wagner and Kathy Gustad received their awards during the JEA Adviser Luncheon on April 16.

11. JEA National Write-Off winners (listed by category):

Newswriting - Excellent - Hannah Kim, Smoky Hill HS

Editorial Writing - Honorable Mention - Alex Sorrell, Smoky Hill HS

Sports Writing - Honorable Mention - Nicole Martinez, Smoky Hill HS

Review Writing - Excellent - Tyler Blair, Smoky Hill HS

News Editing and Headline Writing - Excellent - Nathan Bobb, Fort Collins HS

Yearbook Copy/Caption Sports - Superior - Adrianna Brown, Mountain Vista HS

Yearbook Copy/Caption Academics - Honorable Mention - Megan Cook, Mountain Vista HS

Computer Design/Infographics - Excellent - Monica Roesner, Fort Collins HS

Photography Portfolio - Excellent - Cody Enboden, Mountain Vista HS

Photography Portfolio - Honorable Mention - Kendra Reid, Smoky Hill HS

I might have missed someone in the chaos, so let me know if that is the case. Samples of winning work from the Capitol Hill Press Conference (many thanks to coordinator Mimi Wahlfeldt) and the "Real Pirates" press conference (many thanks to Heather Hope of the DMNS) can be found on our website later this afternoon.

Quick update on the Best of Colorado awards: The judges have the 1,800 entries with a deadline of April 28 for all judging to be complete. I already have results from two of the seven professionals (five from Kansas, one from Washington, and one from Colorado) and two out-of-state advisers judging this spring, and plan to have certificates in the mail to your school not later than May 3. Thanks to everyone for your patience with this new approach to individual contests, and all the uploading, etc. I learned a lot from the experience (and hope to make next year smoother for all -- but more about that later).

We should all be very proud of our fine student journalists and their advisers.

CHSPA Thursday Note - March 24, 2011

2011-05-07T06:58:00.001-07:00

It's difficult to believe, but the end of March is just a week away. I would like to bring some BIG deadlines to your attention:

Best of Colorado

1. March 31 at midnight is the final deadline to have your Best of Colorado entries uploaded to our contest site. I have emailed all advisers of CHSPA member media, with your log-in and password to access the site (the original email went out March 1). I am worried aboutchspaboard@gmail.com emails going to SPAM folders, so I also sent a snail mail first class letter to all advisers of CHSPA member media as a reminder. That was about 10 days ago.

2. Here is where you can find everything you need (in case my attachments have disappeared):

Our contest site = http://www.chspacontests.org/dm/ (this is where you log-in to upload PDFs)

Newspaper and Yearbook contest instructions are at http://www.chspaonline.org/contests/individual-student/

The contest entry forms (Word docs) are at http://www.chspaonline.org/contests/individual-student/

The video media entry form is also at http://www.chspaonline.org/contests/individual-student/

As video media adviser have been told, you don't actually upload files. Instead, you just paste the link to your online video site(s).

3. PLEASE don't wait until 11:30 p.m. next Thursday to try out the contest site. If you are having difficulties, let me know ASAP.

4. Reminder #1: each CHSPA member medium can enter each category ONCE. Please follow the naming conventions in the instructions. If you have an in-depth news entry that appeared on multiple pages, use the same naming convention as you did for columns.

5. Reminder #2: PLEASE keep clicking through the folders that appear on the contest site until you are inside YOUR folder (normally the name of your publication). THEN you can quickly upload all your files at once, or you can upload them one at a time.

6. Reminder #3: PLEASE remember to fill out the correct entry form for your medium, complete with student names. Upload that document to the contest site, as well.

Teacher of the Year

1. Nominations must be postmarked NLT March 31. I know most advisers prefer not to promote themselves, but at least consider passing on this information to an editor or your principal. They can take it from there, and it is relatively low stress.

2. You can download the nomination form at http://www.chspaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/TOY-nomination-form1.pdf

Administrator of the Year

1. Nominations must be postmarked NLT March 31. A supportive administrator is priceless in this business. Consider nominating a worthy administrator and acknowledging that person's valuable contributions to your program.

2. You can download the nomination for at http://www.chspaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/AOY-Nomination-form.pdf

A final note: Those who have experimented with the contest site have found that it works well, if the instructions are followed. Entry costs are covered by your membership dues, so consider one or more entries. I know it will take some valuable time, but the pay-off in May with possible awards will make that effort in the next week worthwhile. Far be it from me to worry... but as of this moment I see in yearbook: 1 3A school entered; 0 4A schools entered, and 4 5A schools entered; in newspaper I see 1 3A school entered, 5 4A schools entered, and 3 5A schools entered; and I have received one entry form thus far from video media. If you are wondering if your PDFs have been successfully uploaded, please log-in to the contest site and check your folder. You should be able to see everything you have submitted. If that doesn't satisfy you, please send me an email at either chspaboard@gmail.com or jpkjournalism@gmail.com and I will try to set your mind at ease.

Best wishes!

Jack Kennedy

CHSPA Executive Director

p.s. Hey, did you see that the AP Stylebook just this week changed "e-mail" to "email"? Time to update our own stylebooks, perhaps!

CHSPA Thursday Note - Feb. 10, 2011

2011-02-10T08:07:00.000-08:00

1. A final reminder regarding Capitol Hill Press Conference registration: please get your registration in by the Feb. 15 deadline. Contact Mimi Wahlfeldt at memo4mimi@comcast.net directly with specific questions, but I know she plans to send final directions, etc., to all registrants on Monday.

2. Another final reminder: Portfolios for the Greer or Benson Scholarships must be postmarked by Feb. 15. The procedures are the same for the two awards, with one exception: the Benson Scholarship simply requires a letter stating financial need to be added. All the forms and directions you need for this can be found at www.chspaonline.org, under the Scholarships tab.

3. Have you registered for the Denver Museum of Nature and Science special press conference for high school journalists on their "Real Pirates" exhibit? I am attaching a JPG of the back of the postcard you should have received from Heather Hope (former Littleton HS journalist) at the museum. And here is a link to an article on this exhibit in today's Denver Post, just to whet your appetite: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_17345705 The event will be March 12, but the registration deadline is Feb. 27.

4. TaRhonda Thomas, 9NEWS reporter and co-chair of the Colorado Association of Black Journalists, has asked for our help in publicizing this year's CABJ Scholarships, and it is a pleasure to do so. I have attached the directions and application forms to this e-mail, and hope you can encourage your African-American student journalists to check out this opportunity. There are two $1,000 awards and one $2,500 scholarship available.

5. Finally, Scholastic Journalism Week is Feb. 20-25, and everyone is encouraged to highlight the educational value (and, of course, the many successes) of your scholastic media program. One relatively low-stress but high-impact project to get your students involved in the week is to have them research and participate in the "TAO of Journalism" pledge (www.taoofjournalism.org/)

Kathy Schrier, long-time adviser from the state of Washington, writes: The TAO Pledge asks journalists to promise that they will be "Transparent" about who they are and how the story was developed; "Accountable" for, and willing to correct any errors; and "Open" to other points of view. This idea, introduced by the Washington News Council (www.wanewscouncil.org) with grant funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is gaining traction with media organizations around the world.

The Journalism Education Association has endorsed the TAO of Journalism Pledge as one way student media can instill trust in their programs and are encouraged to sign the Pledge on Wednesday of Scholastic Journalism Week (Feb. 23.) Why not invite school administrators to endorse it, and sign it as well? Taking the TAO Pledge might help counter administrative threats of prior review.

Any student media group who takes the TAO Pledge will be listed on the TAO of Journalism website with a link to their URL. They will receive a downloadable version of the TAO of Journalism Seal to post in their masthead. They will also receive, in the mail, a display version of the TAO of Journalism Pledge that can be posted as a public reminder of their commitment to ethical journalism.

BONUS for student media groups who take the TAO Pledge during Scholastic Journalism Week (Feb. 20-25, 2011): Temporary tattoos of the TAO of Journalism Seal for all staff members!

CHSPA Thursday Note - Feb. 3, 2011

2011-02-10T08:05:00.000-08:00

1. You and your students don't want to miss out on our annual reporting opportunity at the Capitol (and your students have a chance to enter their work -- print or video -- into a competition). Attached is a properly distributed version of the interactive PDF to register for the Capitol Hill Press Conference, which is only about two weeks off. Sorry about the confusion from last week. Just fill out the form, hit "Submit Form" in the upper right of the screen, and your registration will be sent to chspaboard@gmail.com if you have an Internet connection. If you have questions or problems with this, just e-mail. You can find all the information about this press conference at www.chspaonline.org

2. A final reminder: Quill & Scroll Writing and Photography National Contest entries must be postmarked NLT Saturday, Feb. 5. This is a terrific opportunity for your top writers and photographers to earn national recognition this school year!

3. We are now in the last month of two "Each One Reach One" campaigns. The first is our own, of course, where you as a CHSPA member have been mailed one free membership certificate per medium you advise. Please give a few minutes of thought to a colleague in your school or your district or across the state who might want to see what CHSPA can do for his or her medium advised. (Schools who were members in the 2009-10 school year are not eligible for this offer.) If you are wondering about just which schools and media are paid members, you can check out the master membership list online at http://www.chspaonline.org/about-2/membership/ This free membership is good for this school year, but the deal extends into 2011-12, during which schools with a FREE membership in 2010-11 can renew for half-price. That's a savings of $97.50 over two years as an incentive for folks to see just what being a member of one of the nation's top state journalism organizations can do for them.

If you are one of the nearly 70 Colorado members of JEA, you have a similar opportunity to reach out to advisers who have never been members of the Journalism Education Association. It works much like our state outreach.

These opportunities both expire after March 1, so don't delay.

Take care, and stay warm!
Jack Kennedy
CHSPA Executive Director
*All CHSPA Thursday Notes can be found on our blog: www.chspachat.blogspot.com
*Follow CHSPA on Facebook at "Colorado High School Press Association"
*Follow CHSPA on Twitter at #chspa
*Bookmark our website at www.chspaonline.org

CHSPA Thursday Note - Jan. 27, 2011

2011-01-27T13:27:00.000-08:00

1. Your school probably has a Quill and Scroll Charter, but all schools are welcome to enter their 2011 International Writing, Photo Contest. The postmark deadline for entries is Feb. 5 (no time to waste!), and you can download the entry forms and contest information from http://www.uiowa.edu/~quill-sc/contests/2011%20WP%20Contest%20form.pdf. The results are announced in April, and senior Gold Key winners can apply for Quill & Scroll Foundation scholarships. This contest is worth a look.

2. Seriously, your top student journalists really need to get cracking on their portfolios for the Greer/Benson Scholarships. We also think of the Greer as the Colorado High School Journalist of the Year, and our state winner goes on to national competition, in which JEA awards $5,000 to the national winner and six $2,000 runners-up checks. That's real money, and winners actually receive a check, on the spot. Go to http://www.chspaonline.org/scholarships/greer/ to learn more about this opportunity. I am attaching the entry form and instructions, as well. Deadline is FEBRUARY 15!

3. Registration information for the Capitol Hill Press Conference is on www.chspaonline.org. Another press conference opportunity is the "Real Pirates" day at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. You should have received a postcard from the museum on this.

4. I am attaching "Better Writing," the second of an occasional series on vocabulary and writing. If you are looking for some quick items for those spare moments in class, feel free to make use of anything you like.

I hope you can get outside tomorrow -- 60 degrees in January needs to be celebrated!

CHSPA Thursday Note - January 16, 2011

2011-01-21T08:27:00.000-08:00

1. Did you know that Scholastic Journalism Week is next month? You and your students can a) help the Facebook group created to help publicize the week by liking it at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Scholastic-Journalism-Week-2011/140844529305129, and you can find a link to a site that is offering cool items for sale with this year's SJW logo. The last week of February will be a great time to get your publications, broadcasts or websites some deserved recognition. Let us know if you have special events planned, and we will share with our members.

2. I hope you and some of your students are planning to attend our annual Capitol Hill Press Conference on Feb. 18. The interactive registration form is attached (and can be found on our website) - it must be e-mailed to chspaboard@gmail.com and memo4mimi@comcast.net not later than midnight Feb. 15. I am also attaching the event flyer, in case you missed it last week.

3. I hope you have received your Winter Mailing, complete with judging rubrics, Best of Colorado individual contest rules, etc. Please note that the costs of both All-Colorado critiques and Best of Colorado individual contests are included in your CHSPA membership. It is entirely up to you and your students as to whether the media you advise will enter any of our contests, but we sincerely hope you will consider doing so. I will send a link to each member adviser, along with log-in and passwords to allow you to upload Best of Colorado entries, in early March.

4. The CHSPA Board hopes there will be a record number of Dorothy Greer/Benson Scholarship portfolios this year, but the Feb. 15 deadline is looming. Last year's national winner in JEA's High School Journalist of the Year (our Greer winner is our entry in this competition) agreed to share her winning portfolio with all of us, and you can find it at http://issuu.com/jeanorcal/docs/herlihy_joy_portfolio. It's pretty amazing (and so is she!), but your student journalists need to see what a model portfolio looks like. Win or lose, compiling such an electronic portfolio (we need a printed version for judging this year -- JEA is contemplating making all portfolios electronic, but not this year) is a great exercise and could be a real help in applying for media jobs of all sorts. All the rules and forms for the Greer/Benson Scholarships can be found at www.chspaonline.org, under the Scholarships tab.

5. A quick follow-up to our previous reports on how journalism can be the best way to meet the national and Colorado core standards: check out this blog entry that featured a nationally known journalism adviser discussing how Journalism is the New English: http://mindshift.kqed.org/2011/01/why-every-student-should-learn-the-skills-of-a-journalist/

In the bleak midwinter, media advisers sometimes can get overwhelmed and even depressed. But know that what you do for education, for kids, is what all the policy makers far away should be trying to infuse into American education. You are WAYYYYYYY ahead of the curve!

CHSPA Thursday Note - January 9, 2011

2011-01-21T08:25:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! and good luck a) finishing a semester, or b) getting a new one off to a great start.

1. Our big winter mailing goes to the post office Friday afternoon, so look for it early next week. It contains a DVD from J-Day, judging rubrics for the media you advise, and initial instructions for our new individual contests. Of course, you can find copies of all those documents on www.chspaonline.org

2. Attached is a PDF of the flyer for the 2011 Capitol Hill Press Conference. We don't have a firm commitment from our new governor yet, but we are hopeful. We do guarantee an amazing experience at the Capitol. If you can possibly bring some students...

3. You will soon receive a postcard from the Denver Museum of Science and Nature for a very cool press experience in March, connected with their "Real Pirates" exhibit. We are co-sponsoring this event. And we will put that information on our site.

4. Don't forget to put those portfolios together for the Dorothy Greer (Colorado Journalist of the Year) Scholarship, or the Benson Scholarship. Portfolios must be postmarked by Feb. 15, and are good for both scholarships, with the Benson needing one additional item: a statement of financial need. Check out the Scholarships tab on www.chspaonline.org for all the application information and requirements for the portfolio.

5. Congratulations to Karen Wagner (Eaglecrest HS), Kathy Gustad (Brighton HS) and Anastasia Harrison (Ponderosa HS), all named by JEA as 2011 Rising Stars! Colorado tied California with three honorees, most of any state. The three will receive their awards at the Spring JEA/NSPA National Journalism Convention in Anaheim this April. Read more about the award at www.jea.org

6. Finally, I am attaching three PDFs of documents that have grown out of our December work session on journalism and the Common Core National Standards. They are only a start, but we hope you find them useful in marketing your program, in dealing with administrators and parents, and just plain reminding yourself of all the ways journalism is, indeed, the new English.

Enjoy your three-day weekend!

CHSPA Thursday Note - December 16, 2010

2011-01-21T08:23:00.000-08:00

It's the final CHSPA Thursday Note of 2010, and a final opportunity for me to wish you all a restful, peaceful holiday. But I also know that the coming two weeks will find most of you doing some thinking about the spring semester -- from how to move your publications to the next level, to how to avoid repeating the disastrous satire unit that baffled your sophomores. So if you find yourself sitting at the computer on a snowy late December morning, consider the following:

1. Don't wait too long on this one: it's my last reminder that the Mid-Year Photojournalism Contest entries are due on Monday, Dec. 20, by midnight. I have previously sent PDF attachments with the contest rules, and you can find them online at http://www.chspaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Flyer-for-contest.pdf

2. The CHSPA board has been busy all school year, and if you want to take a look at the minutes of the meetings, go to http://www.chspaonline.org/board-minutes/ Board members are always interested in your feedback on initiatives or just ideas you would like the organization to take a look at.

3. Ten online publications have sent their url's to us thus far, and you can check them out at http://www.chspaonline.org/member-sites/ I am certain there are many more online news sites out there, and encourage you to send your links to me so you can be added to our page.

4. CHSPA is still finding its way through the thickets of social media opportunties, but this winter break might be the time to "Like" Colorado High School Press Association (we are at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Colorado-High-School-Press-Association/147279875307660#!/pages/Colorado-High-School-Press-Association/147279875307660?v=wall if you would like to take a look at our page. The latest post there will let you know the color Pantone has decreed will be the color of the year in 2011. We also have a fledgling Twitter presence at http://twitter.com/#!/CHSPA, where you can find a quick link to Harrower's "Inside Reporting" online support site as our latest tweet. No pressure, but you might find something useful on one of our sites when you least expect it.

5. Our partners at the Colorado Press Association are proud to announce their summer 2011 internship programs for advisers and students. I have attached those PDFs for your consideration, though the application deadline is April 1, 2011. The new executive director of CPA is Samantha Johnston, and one of her goals is upgrade CPA's support of scholastic journalism. Look for new initiatives in the coming spring.

6. Many of you are members of JEA and participate in the JEA listserv, often sited as the number one resource JEA offers members. But most CHSPA members are not on the listserv. Am I pushing JEA membership? Well, yes. But times are tough and money is tight, and everyone feels deluged with information, and JEA just seems like MORE. What if somebody put together a sort of compilation of listserv items on, say, writing and editing, and shared that compilation from time to time? And what if the vocabulary and headline and general writing examples came with brief commentary and teaching tips..? Friends, the wait is over. I have attached issue 1 in an irregularly scheduled series that does those things. It is in Word format. Feel free to edit, delete, append, fold, spindle or mutilate. It won't change your life, but it might give you a class starter or two, or provide some material for editors to consider before the next deadline or posting. Again, if you have ten spare minutes this winter break, take a look.

7. Watch for the following in early January: a (we hope) concise yet compelling document that demonstrates how journalism education is a great way to support the new Common Core and Colorado English Language Arts standards. In that same envelope will be: 1) a mailing that will include copies of the new All-Colorado judging guides, a DVD with samples from many winners in the 2010 Sweepstakes awards, information on two future press conference/contest opportunities for your students: Governor's Day (February) and a chance to explore PIRATES at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science (March), and our final ad hoc contest of the school year, on editorial writing. Whew! That's a lot of stuff for a new year! And, of course you and your students will be able to find everything online at www.chspaonline.org as well.

Sorry about the length of this message, but CHSPA has a lot of stuff going on, and we want you in the loop.

CHSPA Thursday Note - December 9, 2010

2011-01-21T08:20:00.000-08:00

1. I sent notification of our ad hoc photojournalism contest last month, and just wanted to remind you of the Dec. 20 due date. I know everyone is busy with deadlines, preparation for finals, and the general busy-ness of the holidays, but this contest is a great opportunity for your photojournalists to show their talent and win a bit of recognition. I am attaching the flyer. All the information you need should be on that, but feel free to ask if you have questions.

2. In the spirit of holiday giving, I would like to encourage you to contact an adviser (in your school, your town, your area) whose medium has not been a CHSPA member in the past year with our "Each One Reach One" free membership certificate. This initiative is only for this school year, and is a chance for you to reach out to someone who is reluctant to join our scholastic journalism community. Our hope is that those advisers find value in CHSPA, and continue as members into the future. (For JEA members, you may have noticed an e-mail from Kelly Furnas with a JEA "Each One Reach One" certificate to give to advisers who have never been JEA members. That program is modeled on ours, but they are two separate programs. It's no coincidence that in tough times, organizations need to reach out more aggressively to serve their communities.)

3. Thanks to Carrie Faust, Karen Wagner, Darcy Hall, Mark Newton, Cheryl Crews, Adam Dawkins, Anastasia Harrison, and Jessica Leifheit, who worked Dec. 5-6 on a variety of ways to demonstrate how scholastic journalism supports not only the Colorado English Language Arts standards, but the national Common Core standards and various lists of 21st Century Skills. We are working on producing a document you can share with various audiences, from administrators and school board members, to parents, to students. Our goal is that you receive it in early January. It will be a working document, but perhaps a bit more ammunition for you in defending your program.

4. The CHSPA board meets Saturday morning at Ponderosa HS. Part of the agenda will be approving the final drafts of our new All-Colorado judging booklets, as well as the final lists of individual spring contests. Thanks to those who contributed ideas to improve those documents. Once approved, those documents will be posted on www.chspaonline.org, and contest details will be made available as they are complete. We know that change can be unnerving at times, but the board is committed to you knowing how your publications will be rated for the 2010-11 school year. The broad strokes of the All-Colorado standards are the same as those announced during J-Day (and which are currently on our site). If you haven't been able to squeeze in the time to examine those standards, that might be a great way to spend an hour or two over break.

My best wishes for a successful end to 2010!

CHSPA Thursday Note - November 18, 2010

2011-01-21T08:18:00.000-08:00

First of all, this is a great time to give thanks for all the talent, energy and generosity we enjoy in the Colorado scholastic journalism community.

Here are this week's reminders:

1. Thanks to those who have already provided valuable feedback on the proposed All-Colorado judging rubrics for newspaper and yearbook (found at http://www.chspaonline.org/contests/all-colorado/). A large number of suggestions have already been incorporated into the documents. If you have not yet had a chance to look them over, please note that the deadline for comments is Dec. 1. The CHSPA Board meets on Dec. 11 to approve the judging standards, so that you and your students will know how you will be evaluated.

2. Don't forget that 5 p.m. Friday is the deadline to apply to be part of the CHSPA Common Core Standards work session (you should have received an e-mail on Monday with all the details). The committee will be named by the CHSPA executive team (elected officers), and everyone will be notified next Monday, Nov. 22. Don't despair if the dates of Dec. 5 and 6 won't work for you. We expect this to be a process, and there will be additional opportunities to be part of this important discussion.

3. Cheryl Crews, journalism adviser at The Classical Academy in Colorado Springs, has volunteered to be the point person for an initiative to discuss best practices and general advice for advisers of literary magazines. If you are interested in sharing information, or have questions, please contact her at ccrews@asd20.org.

4. Finally, congratulations again to all the individuals and publications honored at last weekend's JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention in Kansas City. Earlier this week, I forgot to mention the following advisers, who were formally recognized as Certified Journalism Educators by JEA last Saturday: Elaine Grace (Monarch HS), Katy Gray (Moffat County HS - retired), Darcy Hall (Palisade HS), and Sage Rebuehr (Mountain Range HS). I salute their professionalism and demonstrated talent. If you are interested in finding out more about the JEA certification program, check out http://www.jea.org/certification/index.html.

May you and your families travel safely and enjoy a well-deserved break (even from e-mails such as this) next week.

CHSPA Thursday Note - November 4, 2010

2011-01-21T08:16:00.000-08:00

1. The results of two "ad hoc" contests (Fright Night news-feature writing and J-Day "Race in the Media" news writing) have been announced and you can read the winning entries on www.chspaonline.org. Our next contest will give photojournalists an opportunity to compete. The contest is based on the theme "connecting with the community," and the submission deadline is Dec. 20, so your photojournalists will have plenty of time to capture some great images and write great captions. You can download a PDF of the contest flyer from http://www.chspaonline.org/contests/mid-year-photojournalism-contest/

2. Still holding onto that "Each One Reach One" free membership certificate you received along with your membership certificate? Why not offer it to the new adviser in your area, or to one of the media in your own school, whose adviser just hasn't been able to bring herself to invest in a CHSPA membership? Most of our competitions are open only to CHSPA members.

3. The Colorado Press Women have announced the details of their annual high school journalism contests. You can read all about them and download a PDF of the entry form at http://www.chspaonline.org/contests/colorado-press-women-contests/ The contest deadline is March 1, so you and your students have plenty of time to get things together. CPW is not affiliated officially with CHSPA, but we have endorsed their contests for many years. A nice touch is that all judging is done by professionals, who provide brief comments on each entry.

4. Another great opportunity for your photojournalists:
The Colorado Sports Hall of Fame will hold an evening seminar for high school sports journalists and photojournalists Thursday, December 2 at 7 p.m.. This is part of Championship Saturday, the 4A and 5A Colorado high school football championships, The annual seminar will feature sports editors, broadcasters, writers and photographers discussing their careers in journalism in Colorado.

In addition to the seminar, the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame will sponsor a contest for the best high school student-produced picture from the current year. The winning photographer will receive the latest model professional digital camera, the Nikon D3100 and his school will receive a second such camera. In addition, the winning photographer will be given an assignment to cover for The Denver Post with possible publication. The winner will be announced at the close of the December 2 seminar. Sports photographs eligible for the contest should be taken during the current calendar year – from January 1, 2010, until the deadline for submission, November 26, 2010, and can be sent either as DVDs or prints to the seminar organizer’s office (Rich Clarkson and Associates LLC, 1099 18th Street, Suite 2840, Denver, Co. 80202) or submitted electronically to highschoolcontest@ncaaphotos.com.

5. Safe travels to all of you heading to Kansas City next week for the JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention. I will be wearing my "JEA hat" most of next week, so there will be no Thursday Update on Nov. 11. I'm sure everyone will survive. Look for updates on Colorado publications and individuals who are up for awards at the convention -- we will try to get the word out through our website, Facebook (Colorado High School Press Association), and Twitter (#CHSPA).

If you have not renewed your membership in CHSPA, you may be missing out on some great opportunities for your students, as you can see from the above. Please contact me if you have questions. We are currently at 154 member media, but have room for YOU!

CHSPA Thursday Note - October 29, 2010

2011-01-21T08:14:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the late reminder, but nominations for the CHSPA Medal of Merit are due November 1. You can find all the background information and a link to the PDF nomination form at http://www.chspaonline.org/awards/medal-of-merit/ If you are making a nomination, you must have it in the mail Monday.

Winners in the CHSPA/Elitch Gardens Fright Night Media Day news-feature writing contest are out today, and you can read about them on www.chspaonline.org, along with reading the first-place entry.

The winner of the J-Day Race Relations and the Media news writing contest will be announced Saturday. Again, check it out, and read the story, on www.chspaonline.org.

We had a successful Southern Colorado Media Day yesterday, with six schools and 35 individuals meeting at CSU-Pueblo for sessions on press rights and responsibilities, integrating the web with your publications, interviewing, increasing coverage, and photojournalism. Carrie Faust lead the coverage session, and Dianne Gum, our Outreach Coordinator, provided a variety of individual help to advisers and students. Many thanks to CSU-Pueblo Professors Richard Joyce and Leticia Steffen for all their help in helping us get this initial event organized. We hope to return next fall, providing an opportunity for our friends in southern Colorado a chance to participate in a valuable workshop.

One last reminder: when you get a few minutes, take a look at the All-Colorado judging rubrics as well as the list of possible individual contest categories the CHSPA board is proposing. All that information is on our website, under the Contest pulldown. We would love to hear your thoughts, and thanks to those who have already done this.

Best wishes for a fun Halloween!

CHSPA Thursday Note - October 7, 2010

2011-01-21T08:12:00.000-08:00

The state journalism conference next Thursday is obviously the major CHSPA initiative right now. We have nearly 1,400 folks registered, and I am putting confirmation material and parking passes (if ordered) in the mail today. I hope to see many of you at CSU in a week!

Final call for anyone interested in our Night Before activities, on Wednesday, Oct. 13. Pulitzer Prize winner Barry Gutierrez is our speaker that evening. There is a small photo contest, and pizza. It's free if you are attending J-Day, and only $5 if you are not. If this sounds good to you, just let Mimi Wahlfeldt know at memo4mimi@comcast.net and she will set you up.

Once the media you advise become paid members for 2010-11, you receive a membership certificate and a "free membership" certificate for you to give to any medium that was not a CHSPA member in 2009-10. This is our "Each One Reach One" campaign. Schools that have been reluctant to join CHSPA get an opportunity to see what our organization can do for them, this year for free. Each of those school media will then have the opportunity to renew their membership for half-price in 2011-12. This is a two-year outreach, and only you can actually make it work. I know the beginning of the year is tough, but as things settle into some sort of routine, consider contacting a local adviser and inviting him or her to join our state organization -- a gift from you.

Be sure to "Like" Colorado High School Press Association if you are on Facebook. And feel free to send your publication website url to me -- we have six links on www.chspaonline.org right now, and hope to add many more. Along those lines, I encourage you to put your newspaper, in particular, on the web so others can see what you are up to (I know mailing out papers is becoming less common due to costs). The simplest site (and it's free!) for this is www.issuu.com. All you need to do is set up an account (free!), and then you can upload your PDFs. No conversions necessary. THEN send me the link to your ISSUU page and I will be happy to post that on our website.

If you would like to check this out, click on http://www.issuu.com/therockrchs and you can see all nine issues from the paper I advised last year. Did I mention this was free?

Last thing: if you ARE still mailing out papers (or just feel generous), please consider putting me on your mailing list. Send your paper to Jack Kennedy, CHSPA Executive Director, 9253 Sori Lane, Highlands Ranch CO 80126.

Take heart. We're already almost 25 percent through the school year!

Moving between versions of InDesign - not easy, but you can do it

2010-09-03T07:45:00.000-07:00

One issue that comes up repeatedly when I speak with advisers and students during workshops is how to save what they work on in, say InDesign CS4, to what they have at school (perhaps CS3). In the past, I sadly had to say, "Well, print out a copy and you can quickly recreate."

But there is a way, I recently discovered, thanks to Tracy Sena on the JEA listserv, who responded to a post asking how to save from CS5 down to CS4. The short answer:

You have to use File>Export and choose InDesign Markup Language (IDML) -- there are several choices under "Save as type" -- and then open that file in CS4.

You might find that the INX (Adobe CS3 interchange) works best for saving "down" from CS4 to CS3.

The good news is that you can always open an older version of InDesign in the newer. The documents just convert and open as "Untitled."

My advice is to simply be aware that moving "down" a version almost always means something gets lost. After all, new versions comes with new options and upgraded code. We simply can't expect a cool effect from CS5 to suddenly work in CS3.

But for those who have students and advisers with different versions on their personal laptops (newer or older), compared to what they have at school, you can at least transfer the bulk of your InDesign work from computer to computer.

The best solution, of course, is to have the school buy some sort of site license that includes a number of laptops in the license, and then have users who need to work on InDesign at home get that newest version installed.

You may be interested in two special presentations by an Adobe trainer during J-Day. One presentation will be on general uses of InDesign, and one will focus on the new features of CS5. A great chance to ask questions of an expert.

Jack Kennedy, Excecutive Director

Latest Links (and vocabulary) from Bob Greenman

2010-09-01T10:58:00.000-07:00

Periodically, Robert Greenman, retired newspaper adviser and author from Brooklyn, shares links to stories from the New York Times, along with occasional vocabulary words in context from Times stories. He sends them to the JEA HELP listserv, which may by itself be a heck of good reason to join JEA.

As we begin a new school year, I thought I would share the headlines and links from his latest posting, along with his first vocabulary selection.

Want to know more about how to make use of either the links or the vocabulary? Contact me at chspaboard@gmail.com and I will be glad to discuss several ideas and approaches.

Jack Kennedy

Childhood: Athletes’ Concussions Have Doubled
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/31/health/research/31childhood.html

Formula to Grade Teachers’ Skill Gains in Use, and Critics
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/01/education/01teacher.html

Teenagers Charged in Harassment at Mosque (this is bound to happen elsewhere)
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/01/nyregion/01mosque.html

Returning to Classrooms, and to Severe Headaches
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/30/returning-to-classrooms-and-to-severe-headaches

Students, Welcome to College; Parents, Go Home
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/23/education/23college.html

As Private Tutoring Booms, Parents Look at the Returns
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/21/your-money/21wealth.html

Vocabulary passage (and not a bad way to keep informed on current events:

Don’t be too quick to dismiss the common bedbug as merely a pestiferous six-legged blood-sucker. Think of it, rather, as Cimex lectularius, international arthropod of mystery. In comparison to other insects that bite man, or even only walk across man’s food, nibble man’s crops or bite man’s farm animals, very little is known about the creature whose Latin name means — go figure — “bug of the bed.” Only a handful of entomologists specialize in it, and until recently it has been low on the government’s research agenda because it does not transmit disease. Most study grants come from the pesticide industry and ask only one question: What kills it? (Donald G.McNeil Jr.) 8/31/10

A timely publication for the start of the new school year

2010-08-19T10:39:00.000-07:00

Protocol for Free & Responsible Student News Media

The McCormick Foundation Civics Program is pleased to present Protocol for Free & Responsible Student News Media. The protocol was developed to help student journalists and school administrators build relationships that will foster responsible and free student news media in schools.

All too often student media fall victim to the inevitable tensions associated with schools’ perpetual balancing act between freedom and structure. The Protocol is our best effort to find balance between these two interests. It is a consensus document that student journalists, their advisers and school administrators can turn to repeatedly during times of both harmony and discord. When a controversy surrounding a student newspaper gathers headlines in the professional press or ends up in the courtroom, all parties lose. On the other hand, when adversaries become allies and contentious issues are resolved through thoughtful discussion, all parties win.

The above is from http://www.freedomproject.us/Education/Protocol.aspx where you can access the entire protocol. Thanks to Randy Swikle, an active member of the JEA Press Rights Commission, for his work on getting this put together.

Ever make a mistake?

2010-07-19T10:38:00.000-07:00

So do the professionals! This fascinating Poynter post can give you and your staff some ideas on beginning the conversation on what to do when we foul up (and everyone does!).

Note the references to the Fifth Estate vs. the Fourth Estate. Cool ideas.

Summer professional development ideas

2010-07-06T10:56:00.000-07:00

For advisers, the hectic nature of our job tends to limit the energy and time we have to develop new skills or even to hone the skills we possess. We would love to hear from members about what they do over the summer to grow as teachers and advisers.

Of course, CHSPA offers the State Advisers Workshop (SAW) at CSU July 7-9. Several yearbook publishers offer opportunities for advisers and staff. The Rethinking Your Publication workshop Aug 1-3 provides you and your student leaders a chance to approach your publication differently next year.

But there must be more. Please share your formal or informal ways to grow in our demanding profession.

And don't forget to take plenty of time to recharge.

Journalism now. What's next?

2010-03-24T15:55:00.000-07:00

Ah, spring time in Colorado. It’s a snow day from school as I sit writing this blog entry. That’s one sign of a Colorado spring. Others this year include watching the budget ax swing away in most districts at FTEs in the classroom, class cuts from next year’s schedules, and the always fun chess game of trying to protect my advance journalism class from running in the same period as required core classes. In a blog post on this site last month, CHSPA Executive Director Clarissa Crozier offered advice on protecting journalism programs from the spring ritual of budget cuts, especially in Year One-post RMN (Rocky Mountain News). In fact, my inner ear can hear some principal somewhere saying, “Hey, if the Rocky can die, so can this high school’s paper. What future is there in journalism anyway?” That’s certainly a legitimate question to ask. The answer may be that high school publication programs are pathways to more than just reporting in print or on TV.

This weekend former Littleton High School newspaper editor Heather Hope will guide our students through a press conference in her role as the public relations manager at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Last week, I read an article in the YourHub section of The Denver Post written by Brandon Edelman, currently the public relations coordinator at Denver’s Senior Resource Center and formerly the sports editor for the Pirateer newspaper that I advise. And at least two to three times a week, I talk to my daughter Shannon Fern, a former Chatfield Senior High yearbook editor, about what she is working on for her clients in her role as a public relations account director for the Communication Strategy Group in Cherry Creek.

While careers in print and broadcast journalism may be challenging now, former scholastic journalists are finding rewarding and successful careers in public relations. So before administrators are quick to scratch journalism from next year’s schedule, perhaps they should consider that high school publication programs foster success in many related fields, and especially in public relations as these former editors verify in the following Q&A.

Q: What led you from high school journalism to a career in PR?

Hope: I enjoyed the writing, planning, and teamwork of being part of the newspaper staff during all four years of high school. I went on to major in technical journalism and public relations at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, where I was a features reporter for the Rocky Mountain Collegian newspaper. I enjoy written and verbal communication and was particularly impressed by access to information that journalists often receive. In high school and college I was able to speak to interesting people, get various perspectives on different topics, and attend unique events because of my role on the newspaper staff.

Fern: I hadn't intended to land in PR, but I am thrilled that I did. In high school, I loved to write and was a yearbook editor for Chatfield Sr. High School. When I headed off to college [Trinity University, TX], I planned to major in communications with the intention of entering a career in journalism. My freshman year, I took a marketing class as an elective, and was fascinated by it. The class spurred me to change direction, add business administration with a marketing concentration as an additional major, and change my career direction to sports marketing. One internship and four sports/recreation marketing jobs later, I realized that although I loved the campaign planning, community outreach and message development aspects of marketing, I missed the creativity of writing. I knew that PR would allow me to do all of these. I also knew that working on the same campaigns over and over easily bored me. For this reason, I looked for a position at an agency. Today, I manage two large accounts for our agency and assist colleagues with others. My work ranges from writing press releases to posting Twitter updates, to ghostwriting articles and research papers, to strategic planning, to event planning and political campaign messaging. And that's just scratching the surface.

Q: How did high school journalism help prepare you for your current position?

Hope: I learned so many lessons because of high school journalism! We were given tremendous freedom and opportunity, so I learned a lot about project management, teambuilding, and leadership. I was writing a ton – headlines, subheads, photo captions, editorials, feature stories, sports stories, news stories, ad copy – and I really honed my writing and editing skills as a result of the experience. I learned small things as well, like the importance of fact checking, seeking multiple sources, and meeting deadlines. When I reflect on high school and college, being on the Lion's Roar newspaper staff was one of my top experiences.

Fern: My position as a yearbook editor taught me how to manage projects with moving parts. Yearbooks have a string of deadlines – and if they're not met, the book isn't produced. As an account director, I'm constantly juggling projects and deadlines for multiple clients. I have to ensure that work done by myself and others is completed on time and up to the standards my client needs. Yearbook helped me learn how to plan deadlines and work with colleagues to ensure that their work fits within my framework.

Q: With traditional journalism careers facing cuts and diminished opportunities, does PR offer greater opportunities for careers and career growth?

Hope: Absolutely! Journalists are turning to careers in public relations and communication because traditional media outlets are experiencing budget cuts, staff reductions, consolidation and even closure. The changing media landscape means that traditional journalists and public relations professionals both need to position themselves for continual change. Combining the fundamental skills of solid writing, editing, and project/people management with the important understanding of communication theory, psychology and sociology – and now adding understanding of social media and technology is key. Both fields are seeing dramatic change; however, excellent communication skills will always be in demand.

Fern: I believe so. With shrinking newsrooms and the growth of social media, PR has undergone a transformation in the past five years. It's no longer simply about pitching stories to reporters. It's about understanding which individuals have the most impact on your business, learning where they communicate, and engaging them with relevant content. Yes – agencies are still hiring employees to do traditional PR activities such as pitching and press release writing, but future opportunities really exist in the social media/new media realm. More and more, agencies are looking for employees to manage Twitter and Facebook campaigns, write website content, run webinars, develop e-newsletters, popularize online videos, become content editors on websites like ehow.com or everydayheath.com, and more.

Q: What advice would you give to students who might consider PR as a future career?

Hope: Students who are interested in public relations should spend a lot of time reading and writing, as those basic communication skills are so critical. They should seek internships in public relations and communication, and do informational interviews with current professionals to better understand the industry.

Fern: First, learn to write well. Even though PR has changed direction, you will still spend a significant amount of time writing in a number of different styles, including press releases, white papers, website content, bylines (ghostwritten articles), award submissions, media pitches, newsletter articles, etc. You'll also write for a number of different audiences. Be as ready to write a simple press release for consumer audiences as you are a complex article for a publication aimed at medical professionals. Additionally, because newsrooms are shrinking, many traditional news outlets now accept "citizen journalism" pieces. A good example is the Denver Post's YourHub.com. If a story you wrote on behalf of your client is written well and with journalistic integrity, it runs a significantly better chance of being featured on the website's main page or in the print version. Also, many bloggers will run content you send them as-is, as long as it's written well.
Second, learn about search engine optimization. Simply put, Google determines where your client's website will appear in search results and you can impact their standing. In the new media world, it's important to know.

Sheila Jones
CHSPA historian

Museum Press Conference

2010-03-20T00:49:00.000-07:00

DMSN blog from Dianne Gum, CHSPA Outreach Coordinator

Last week I had the privilege of touring the Body Worlds exhibit at the Denver Museum of Science and Nature, and I am so excited about the educational opportunity our students will have at next week’s exclusive press conference.

Personalizing learning and making information relevant to a student’s life is definitely a technique that teachers use to make an educational experience successful. Consequently I’d like to strongly suggest some “pre-press conference” activities for all journalism students attending the March 27^th event.

Have students list 5 relatives and friends who have heart and body health challenges. Perhaps Grandpa Bob has a pacemaker, Uncle Art has an artificial hip, Aunt Matilda is obese, Friend Jason has bad knees from athletic activities, or Friend Jane has asthma and respiratory problems. As the students tour the exhibit, ask them to find specific information and specimens regarding the health challenges on their list. Not only will they have some insight to discuss with their family and friends, but they will also have some specific examples to use as they write an article about the exhibit. Obviously a side benefit might be an awareness of the genetic factor of health issues that some of our students may personally face during their lives. Maybe the students could evaluate the experience in terms of “I already knew about __________, but I didn’t know/realize _____________ until I saw the exhibit.”

Since the students will be touring the exhibit at 7:30 am before their conference with museum personnel, encourage them to anticipate some “why”, “how”, and “what” questions that they may want to ask. If you are a museum member, you have received the magazine with exhibit information that you can use as a resource for your students. If not, you can encourage them to visit the websites “dmns.org” or www.bodyworlds.com to familiarize themselves with the content and the facility layout. As I wandered through the exhibit, I wondered about: How did they obtain these 200 human specimens? Who wrote the information cards? What kind of containers were needed to ship the exhibit? Why was Denver chosen for the exhibit? How did they make the whole-body plastinates and translucent body slices?

Another opportunity for some of the students can be learning about possible journalism-related careers. Two Colorado high school and university graduates are working in PR positions related to the exhibit and will be present at the press conference. They are willing to visit with students who may be exploring possible careers if they pursue a journalism degree after high school. We teachers know that a journalism education can open many doors for our students, but sometimes they see increased value when they actually interact with the “working professionals”.

I’ll close by saying THANKS to all of the people who have made this press-conference opportunity a reality. I am excited for the students and advisers who will experience the event, and I know the resulting writing in periodicals and on-line publications will prove that learning took place at the Denver Museum and that it was shared with many school communities around Colorado.

Bringing Back Momentum

2010-03-13T08:03:00.000-08:00

It always seems like this time of the year brings what I call the third quarter slump. I see my students start to slack off and make simple mistakes that they would not have done early in the school year. Students are starting to feel the pressure of state testing, AP testing, graduation, and who knows what else. In the midst of all of this, they still have responsibilities to the paper or yearbook. I need to bring back momentum.

Admittedly, my students' last issue was nowhere near their best, but I was still relieved to get it to the presses and move on. Last weekend, I pondered their state and came up with a plan of attack to combat the lack of direction, and on Tuesday, I implemented the plan. My staff had brainstormed a 20-page issue, filled with stories that had worth and a couple of maestroed sections. What I knew needed to change most was communication. The students felt as though everything could be accomplished without talking to one another.

Tuesday that changed. Section by section, I pulled everyone involved in that section, including the EIC and the graphics editor, to plan it out together. The section editor went through story by story to develop the pages, determine alternative story forms, identify necessary graphics, and design a mock-up of the pages. The entire group was involved in talking out the section, and ultimately the editor made the decisions. I sat and listened in, asking questions when necessary, but refrained from saying too much.

By the end of the period, each section held a worthwhile, informative planning session, and everyone knew what they were going to do. No one looks lost, the editor appears to be in charge, the photographers are aware of their assignments, and I saw them come back together as a team. For the first time this semester, my students look excited about their part in the paper and feel like they have the ability to do a good job. But I know it can't stop with the meetings we had then. The goal for the rest of the year: weekly section check-ins. As long as there is communication, the publication shouldn't fall apart...I hope.

Protecting Student Newspapers

2010-02-17T15:46:00.000-08:00

Combine a tough economic time with a changing demographic that has forced professional newspapers to reduce staff, close printing facilities and even shut down the newspaper, and it creates a mix that is affecting even student newspapers.

Recent responses from CHSPA members show that some papers are healthy and not facing a loss of students or finances. On the other end of the spectrum are papers that are available only online because of the financial challenges. And some school publications are in jeopardy due to decreasing numbers of students registering for journalism.

There may be issues that are affecting the student newspaper where you teach and advise. The only thing that is a constant is that student newspapers, like their professional counterparts, are in transition.

So what can advisers do to protect their program and student numbers?

Ensure you are providing students with solid writing skills. A solid educational foundation for students will give parents and administrators confidence in what you are doing and garner their support.
Help your students provide a public forum that is a vital communication link in the building and community.
Motivate and encourage your students so when they share with friends, they naturally promote your exciting and rewarding program.
Get re-energized so you are a positive and contagious presence in the classroom.
Provide staff development for students. Help them gain knowledge outside the classroom, experience unique opportunities, mix with publication students from other schools (and states), and catch the journalistic fever – a love of new ideas and excitement in presenting them to their local audience. Even in tough economic times, staff development needs to be offered.

How can advisers provide these things? The more interested and excited you are the more it will rub off on your students, so …

Attend the CHSPA Summer Adviser Workshop to gather new ideas, hone your own skills and reignite excitement for advising student publications. Bring your questions and share them with attendees and instructors.
Take your students to CHSPA activities. The next event is a Museum of Nature & Science press conference and exhibit on Saturday, March 27. Information is in CHSPA Newsline http://www.chspaonline.org and at http://www.blacktie-colorado.com/rsvp/privateeventdetails.cfm?id=2054A5DFC7)
Attend a national convention. Take students! It is not too late to plan to attend the JEA/NSPA Convention in Portland this April http://www.jea.org
Plan something fun and meaningful for Scholastic Journalism Week, Feb. 25-29. JEA has ideas on their Web site.
Get involved with your Colorado High School Press Association: attend a Board meeting, check the Web site often so you are aware of the things we are doing and offering, and participate in as many of the events as you can.
Network with advisers and journalists in your local area, region, state and beyond.
Join the CHSPA and JEA list-serves and peruse the topics and ideas once a week. Set up your e-mail to move all of these messages to a special IN BOX so you can browse them when it is convenient.
Join CHSPA as we celebrate recognition for our Friends of Scholastic Journalism and Medal of Merit honorees AND raise scholarship dollars to help several students a year with a college scholarship.

There is hope even in the dreary month of February with a state and national economy that certainly could be better! And, spring break is just around the corner.

If you have additional ideas for your counterparts in other schools, be sure to leave a comment and share them!! Together, we can keep our newspapers safe and healthy!

Clarissa Crozier
CHSPA executive director

Student Media Opportunities Await High School Seniors

2010-01-26T09:42:00.000-08:00

For all students considering a career in journalism but not quite sure it’s the way to go, let me invite you to tour Student Media at Colorado State University.

CSU has the finest Student Media department in the state and provides incredible opportunities for students to enhance their undergraduate experience through education, training and hands-on, real-life media and business applications. I know what you’re thinking - of course I would say that it’s the finest, I work here, but consider this:

• Student Media has been the heart of communication for the CSU community for over a century. In one single building, students can experience newspaper, magazine, radio, television, multi-media, photography, design and business and management practices.

• The Rocky Mountain Collegian is the only student daily newspaper in the state of Colorado.

• CTV is an emmy-award winning television station with a history of placing graduates in broadcast positions throughout the country.

• KCSU’s 24/7 fm station provides a unique opportunity for students to learn about radio in a fun and professionally inspired environment and is home to nationally recognized DJs.

• In 2009 College Avenue magazine was awarded first place by the Society of Professional Journalists for Best Student Magazine.

The list of accolades is too long for this blog but that’s not the point I want to make anyway. The point is, come visit Student Media to see if furthering your education in journalism is a match for you. CSU doesn’t have to be your college of choice (although we would love it if it was) to take advantage of my offer. Call, email or just drop in and we will give you and your family the royal tour. I can be reached at 970-491-1146 or kim.blumhardt@colostate.edu.

Did I mention we offer a stipend for incoming freshman?

High school seniors interested in continuing their journalism careers in college could earn a $600 stipend by applying to work for one of Colorado State University's Student Media - KCSU-FM radio, Colorado State Student Television, and the Rocky Mountain Collegian newspaper. Download the application from the Student Media web site.

www.studentmediacorp.com

Check us out:
www.collegian.com

www.collegeavenuemag.com

www.ctv11.com

www.kcsufm.com

Kim Blumhardt
Advertising Director, Rocky Mountain Student Media Corp
(Rocky Mountain Collegian, College Ave, KSCU, CTV)
CSU Educational Liaison, Colorado High School Press Association
CSU Lory Student Center, Box 13, Fort Collins, CO 80523
970-491-1146; fax 970-491-1690
kim.blumhardt@colostate.edu

Capitol Hill Press Conference

2010-01-17T18:43:00.001-08:00

It is about a month until the press conference and I am excited to line up the guests of honor. The Old Supreme Court Chamber has been reserved for months for our event on Friday, February 19, 2010.

We are at quite an exciting time in our state government, which should lead to interesting possibilities for our students and the event. Governor Ritter declined our request to speak over a month ago and his camp has also declined. This opens up a huge opportunity for other law-makers, or potential law-makers, to share their views with our students. My hope is to have more than one featured speaker, one from each side of the aisle, in order to give students a chance to write a balanced political report based on each speaker's information.

The registration forms are already on the CHSPA website. Keep checking back to the website and listserv for updated speaker information.

Darcy Hall
Capitol Hill Press Conference Coordinator

CHSPA is the Answer

2009-12-15T07:01:00.000-08:00

I believe that knowledge about leadership and management is the ultimate benefit many of our students learn through their publication experiences. Equally important to their learning of journalism knowledge and desktop publishing skills is their experience of organization and human interaction.

Fortunately we publication advisers can be strong in some of these areas and weaker in others and still give our students an excellent scholastic journalism experience. Team leaders are told to always staff their weaker side. For journalism educators CHSPA is the answer for strengthening our weaknesses. CHSPA offers human interactions with networking, resources, and workshops for knowledge and skills. Even though management styles vary with individuals, tips for time management, staff organization, and effective grading can be beneficial and appreciated by most members. Using our CHSPA listserve to share the tips is valuable for everyone.

Dianne Gum
Outreach Coordinator

Students Work Through Ethical Question

2009-12-13T15:37:00.000-08:00

Sometimes student editors, regardless of their experience, come across questions of ethics that are difficult to resolve – even with their adviser’s help.

My students were in such a spot when controversy over a story about teen pregnancy unexpectedly erupted a week before publication. The principal, who was given advance word of the story, suddenly became upset when she learned that names and photographs were to be used.

The newspaper staff had had several discussions about the use of names and photographs, and had even considered using pseudonyms at first, but the teens at the focus of the story had been so forthcoming and so eager to talk, and freely offered their names for the story, that using fake names no longer seemed a necessary precaution. The pregnancies were not a secret to anyone at the school, the editors reasoned; the teens were several months pregnant and were attending classes and activities, and made no attempt to hide their bulging bellies.

The principal said she was worried about the teens making such a decision; she said she thought they might not understand the implications of their honesty, that their futures might be adversely affected. She said she would have to talk to the superintendent, to see how she wanted the editors to handle the story. The school had taken a hit in the community newspapers last year over its handling of an assembly about Internet safety, she said, and she didn’t want the student newspaper to make similar mistakes. (Students’ images were linked unfairly to promiscuous behavior by a visiting speaker, and the school had to answer to the students’ families who had threatened lawsuits.)

The mention of talking to the superintendent for guidance, which sounded a lot like permission, made me uncomfortable, to say the least. I advised the students to review their reporting … were they responsible and fair? Were they violating any privacy laws? Ethically, were they taking advantage of the teens in any way? What was their purpose in writing the story? Did they think the story, when it hit the high school in print, would cause significant disruption?

My staff, I am proud to say, is smart about these things. They know their rights as student journalists, and they are diligent about avoiding harm. I sat and listened as they reviewed the process of the story, and discussed the merits of telling the story in print.

The editor in chief was a bit spooked by the principal’s concern, however, and began to rethink the decision.

The reporters defended their positions, citing First Amendment rights and the rights of the student press. They felt the story lost some of its credibility without the names and photos, they said. They even suggested that the newspaper would be judging the pregnant teens if it did not use their names after it had been given permission to do so.

“Do we have the right to decide what’s right for them?” they asked.

Even as the students discussed the situation, the principal was meeting with the superintendent and the school’s legal representation. I was called back down to the office to chat about “journalistic responsibility.” The principal and superintendent had underlined and highlighted several items in school publication policy that they thought gave them the right to restrict distribution of the paper if responsible journalism was not being achieved.

I reminded her of the students’ rights, and assured her that the students were acting responsibly, that no invasion of privacy had occurred. I assured her the school could not be successfully sued over this story, that the school newspaper had been established as an open forum for student discussion. She wasn’t convinced however, and told me that she wanted the student editors to get signed release forms from parents to run the story.

When I advised the students of her request, the students were shaken a bit, but regained their focus quickly. They knew they didn’t have to comply, but they were worried about what might happen if they didn’t. Again they sat down around the oval table in the library outside of the newspaper production lab to mull over their options.

They hadn’t meant to cause such a controversy, they said. I reminded them that it was the administration causing the controversy, not them.

I listened as their discussion progressed from fear to anger and then back again. They admitted to feeling pushed around and distrusted. When the dust settled, the important thing, they decided, was getting the story in print. It was an important story, and they had worked hard to get it right.

They decided to check in again with the parents and the teens they had interviewed to discuss the controversy. They would ask the students and their parents to sign an “acknowledgment form,” stating that they knew about the story’s content and were aware that student names and photos were to appear in print.

They decided they would keep the forms in the newspaper office, however.

I congratulated them on their decision, although I knew it wasn’t perfect for all involved. It was, however, a fantastic learning experience, especially for me.

My lesson? Let the kids handle everything. They get it, big time.

The paper publishes tomorrow – Dec. 14. And if there’s any more controversy, the student editors are ready to handle it.

“We’ve got it Ms. Jones,” one of the reporters said. “No worries.”

Jill Jones

Newspaper Sweepstakes Coordinator

End of Semester Dilemma

2009-12-06T23:09:00.000-08:00

So recently, my newspaper staff finished our final issue for the semester. There were still two weeks left before finals week, and I needed to figure out what we could do.

Obviously, there were plenty of options: give them two weeks off, discuss how this semester has gone thus far, give them an in class project, etc. I didn’t just want to give them time off, because that wasn’t necessary, they could still be completing journalistic activities or doing something to further their experience in journalism. Discussing the semester is part of their final, so that was out, and giving them a project meant that they would more than likely just treat it as busy work and not wholeheartedly approach it with the same appreciation I would expect them to.

So, what to do for two weeks? Well, I met with my editors and we talked about all of the various topics that needed to be improved on staff. After this discussion, I decided that the most effective topic was for us to talk about what it means to be a journalist.

My students had been going through the motions of creating a newspaper: brainstorming, getting story assignments, interviewing, writing and revising multiple drafts, laying out pages and repeating the process. The key was they were going through the motions, not really thinking about what they were doing, just getting into the habit of maintaining the same system. My students weren’t being journalists, they were just completing an assignment at the end of the day.

In order to get them to start thinking more like journalists, I decided to use the movie Shattered Glass as a starting point. My staff watched the movie, researched the true story of Stephen Glass, watched the 60 Minutes Interview with the real Stephen Glass, and had a discussion of what his story means for journalists today. Now the staff is researching other journalists who committed similar errors in judgment like Glass did, as well as coming up with presentations on what it really means to be a journalist.

This project has generated a wealth of discussion among staff members and has created more awareness than I could have gotten from a project or even getting them to rewrite articles that they didn’t think they had written well. Good luck with your own end of the semester, whether that be working on a project or completing the final issue of the semester.

-Anastasia Harrison

Photojournalism/Maestro Contests Coordinator

Another Successful Journalism Day

2009-10-18T11:30:00.000-07:00

Journalism is NOT dead. Forget the media moans that it is. If it is, Colorado’s high school media, over 1,200 of them at Journalism Day at Colorado State University, were certainly not singing the blues as they rocked Lory Student Center with dancing in the aisles and cheers of victory October 15, when they attended the “Journalism Rocks!” workshop sessions and won well-deserved Sweepstakes awards for newspaper, yearbook, and broadcast media.

New technologies, new ideas, new knowledge energized the almost eight decades old event, even for a veteran like me who has been attending Journalism Day for over 20 years.

“Get out your cell phones,” CHSPA president Carrie Faust commanded the students—not to relinquish them to the over 100+ teachers dotting the audience, but to use them to register their approval or disapproval of sessions by texting feedback to the CHSPA organizers. “Cool!” said the kid closest to me, as he nimbly entered the login number onto his cell.

Featured speaker and retired yearbook adviser Kathy Daly played to the day’s theme with a menu of songs, including Elvis’s “Jailhouse Rock” and the Hues Corporations’ “Rock the Boat.” With the kids on their feet (and some advisers too), twirling and shaking to the music, Daly got down with some journalism ethics lessons. Teamwork, creativity, and quality also became part of her hit parade of song-inspired advice to the young journalists who gyrated with abandon or simply tapped their toes.

Some of the new technologies were like mythical sirens drawing me to sessions. Bradley Wilson from North Carolina State University displayed Soundslides, a software program that combines still photos with digital sounds to quickly create slideshow stories to launch on websites. The ease with which they can be created offers great opportunities for photographers and writers alike. I’ve always regretted that my school’s paper never has enough room for the hundreds of photos we don’t get to use. This idea really pumped me up.

Speaking of up, “Up, Up, and Away,” could have been CHSPA’s Dianne Gum’s theme song for her session on teleconferencing. Linked to a reporter in Colorado Springs, session attendees could cash in live on the “Balloon boy” story that had the nation riveted to their TVs. After all, we were in Ft. Collins. Way to be where the action is!

From using Google docs, to the latest trends in yearbook or newspaper design, to schools new into broadcast journalism, the day had something for everyone. If you weren’t there, you definitely missed a great show.

Sheila Jones
CHSPA Public Relations/Historian

Attending J-Day

2009-10-10T07:54:00.000-07:00

J-Day is less than a week away, and if your students are anything like mine, they are excited and ready to go. J-Day offers a world of opportunities for journalism students to come out and become more involved and in tune with what this field has to offer. This is a great time for students to go and gain more insight into their publication since everyone is up and running right now. Newspapers have most likely published their first issue and yearbooks are coming up on their first deadline. While many publications might think they have everything set in stone, there are still ways for every publication and every student journalist to become better. Whether it is writing, design, captions, headlines, photography skills, or leadership, J-Day provides the sessions that will meet your students needs.

If you haven't registered, it isn't too late, and if you have some students who decide they would like go after all, send in their registration as soon as possible. I look forward to seeing you and your students on Thursday!

Brainstorming for Publications

2009-09-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

So really, I have Kathy Gaber out at Montrose High School to thank for this, and life as a newspaper adviser has become so much better since I instituted her practice of Idea Notebooks in my newspaper classroom. My classroom is a mess of cut up magazines and newspapers, but I can overlook the mess since the first brainstorm was the most insightful and painless process I have had since I started four years ago.

Many of us are at the point or past the point of brainstorming story ideas for newspaper, and yearbook publications have already established their layouts for the year, but coverage and ideas have to continue for the entire year.

What I have done, and feel free to modify to fit your program:

Every student has a comp book that they can decorate as they see fit. Inside the book, I have had students create sections to reflect those in our publication, along with a general design section. Students are working on their notebooks during any downtime in the class, cutting out articles and design concepts to paste into their comp book. Next to the clipping, the students briefly reflect on what they like about the clipping and the ideas they have for their assignments and publication as a whole. Students have been turning them in every two weeks for a quick grade check, and then they keep the notebooks in the room to share with one another.

I cannot tell you how refreshing the ideas have been, how clever the students have become, and how aware they now are of alternative story forms. Good luck with your own brainstorms throughout the year.

—Karen Wagner, CHSPA VP

Welcome Back!

2009-08-19T10:18:00.000-07:00

I hope this finds all of you well-rested and set for the new school year. Part of what CHSPA is striving to do for our advisers this year is to make sure we provide a forum for discussion in addition to the adviser email listserv. Members of the CHSPA Board will be posting regularly to this blog, discussing issues that many of us are dealing with during the year. We invite you to participate in this blog, add to the discussion, provide outside information, or simply just check in to see what is going on.

Good luck on the new school year!

Karen Wagner
CHSPA Vice President

Hello and Welcome!

2008-06-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

This blog has the potential to connect the many scholastic media advisers of Colorado in a way not possible even five years ago. I hope you will visit often and take the opportunity to ask questions, post answers and generally stay in touch.

Jack Kennedy
CHSPA Curriculum Chair/JEA President