Deadline…a word typically heard by SLCC journalism students. Whether it’s writing a piece on the meter maid, or the understanding of LGBT, deadline is always drilled into students’ heads.
Opinion pieces, arts & entertainment, to around campus, SLCC journalism students are getting the experience of a lifetime. Preparing them for the next chapter of journalism, Rob Branch, instructor of Journalism 1, is getting students closer and closer to this intense field.
“Journalism is a fascinating field. It’s never the same every day. It’s almost impossible to get boring,” Branch said.
A day in the life of Branch’s class consists of proposals, editing and sharing experience stories. Branch goes as far as putting on his old police gear and creating a fake murder on campus for his students to experience all the situations journalists face. In these exercises, he teaches the students the importance of asking the right questions to get the story. Journalism 1 stresses the importance of using correct and reliable sources, eye-catching openings and not showing bias in pieces.
The Globe, SLCC’s very own independent newspaper is every journalism student’s goal. Besides being graded on just their pieces, these students have to work to get into The Globe by writing pieces that will attract students, and are both informative and entertaining to read. Getting your story finished, edited and sent to The Globe by deadline is a typical Thursday and Friday for journalism students. After pushing that “send” button on the computer, the students’ fate is sealed. Then they wait for the following Wednesday to see if their story made the paper. If so, the journalism students consider it a good week.
In order for the pieces to be published in The Globe, they have to make it through Editor-in-Chief Ceville Bailey.
“Secretly I have a crush on her, but she’s intimidating when it comes to getting your stories into The Globe,” Mikey Jacobson, a student in Branch’s Journalism 1 class said.
Bailey makes all the final decisions as to what does and doesn’t go into the paper. As Editor-in-Chief, Bailey cracks down on spelling, fragments and the relevance of stories.
With the help of teachers like Branch and having your article’s life on jury by Bailey, Journalism students are getting the training and experience that can take them very far in the journalism field.
Branch says the most important part of journalism is, “Having the ability to write.”
With his help, along with help from The Globe‘s staff, these students are getting a boatload of information, knowledge and experience.
“If journalism even sounds interesting to you, take it. This class has taught me more than just how to write a good story,” Griffen Merrill, another Journalism 1 student said.
The SLCC Mass Communication Center gives students opportunities of a lifetime and a better understanding of how to get the right story.