Journalism workshop set for June 21-24

MOSCOW — Students wanting to write and produce news for the web or print will gain hands-on experience at the annual University of Idaho High School Journalism Workshop this summer.

The workshop, June 21-24, will cover what makes news, how to write in news style, news production with video and still cameras, design across media platforms, professional use of social media, media ethics and more. The workshop is sponsored by the School of Journalism and Mass Media in UI’s College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences.

A separate workshop will be held June 20-24 for high school teachers who teach journalism, video, design or magazine classes, focusing on best practices and effective teaching methods, as well as legal and ethical issues.

“We want students to learn to be reporters, which today includes knowing how to use social media and write for the web as well as ask great questions and handle technology,” said Rebecca Tallent, workshop director and an associate professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Media. “Design is another important element because the media must be able to catch people’s eye in a time of information overload. People experimenting with web and page design using today’s ideas are actually about five years out of date.”

This year marks the 16th year JAMM has sponsored the workshop, and the first time design has been added as a track to complement print and broadcast news.

The workshop is $300 for high school students ages 16 to 18. The workshop is also open to incoming college freshmen who want to explore journalism as a possible major, Tallent said. The fee includes housing, meals and materials for the workshop.

“For students wanting to explore media fields and gain hands-on experience, and for teachers wanting the most up-to-date help in teaching media-related classes, the UI JAMM journalism workshops can’t be beat,” said Patricia Hart, interim director of JAMM.

The workshop application can be downloaded at www.uidaho.edu/class/jamm/news/jamm-workshop. Students must also provide a letter of reference from a teacher and a sample of their writing. In the application, students need to select the news, broadcast or design track. A limited number of scholarships are available. To apply for a scholarship, students must write a letter of need and send it to Tallent at rtallent@uidaho.edu.

The teacher workshop is also $300, and instructors may also register for continuing education credits available at the university rate. The teachers’ sections will include pedagogy as well as journalism basics and hands-on reporting experiences. To apply, teachers need to send a letter of interest to Tallent at rtallent@uidaho.edu.

Deadline for all applications is Monday, May 2, 2016.