It is said that “Today’s journalism is virtually unrecognisable from that of even a decade ago.” This ever changing media landscape can be challenging considering the educational enrichment of our boys, who are required to effectively find and use information, in addition to assessing credibility and relevance of information and media in all formats. How can they find, discern and make sense of divergent perspectives when traditional journalism practices are no longer? Students from my Year 10 Journalism class took to addressing these issues in a TED-style presentation at the end of Term 2. In particular, how a subject like Journalism helps develop their knowledge of fundamental journalism practices, and specifically, the need for such a subject to be taught in schools. There were lots of presentations which got the audience thinking, including, The Damaging Effects of Tabloid Journalism, Why Should Journalism Be Taught at Newington? and Why Should We Trust Journalists?

These thought-provoking (and sometimes entertaining) “TED Talks” allowed students to report on current issues through a range of media. Some developed their own blogs, some re-produced video content, others researched their topics further using academic journal articles, all for the purpose of presenting for an audience. Through this activity, they discovered what tools would best help organise and communicate new knowledge or creative expression. Students stretched their critical thinking skills, allowing for further growth of their English literacy and independent learning practices.

Students have enjoyed exploring the nature of Journalism through this elective this year, and are excited by investigating further into the “what”, “when”, “who”, and “where” of important current events. A lifelong skill is communication, and in particular, students who participated in these presentations felt that Journalism allows them to communicate effectively and creatively with traditional, new and emerging media, including digital storytelling and publishing tools.

Mrs Lily Young
Teacher Librarian