March 6-8Southern Interscholastic Press Association Convention, Columbia, S.C.

March 14NCSMAA and NCSMA Executive Council Meeting, Chapel Hill

March 18-20Columbia Scholastic Press Association Convention, New York City

April 16-19JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention, Phoenix

April 20Postmark Deadline for Newspaper, Newsmagazine and TV News entries for NCSMA’s Statewide Scholastic Media Contest

May 25Postmark Deadline for Yearbook and Literary Magazine entries for NCSMA’s Statewide Scholastic Media Contest

June 15-18NCSMI, Summer InstituteUNC-Chapel HillJuly 6-16JOMC 605, “Desktop Publishing and Design in the Secondary School,” UNC-Chapel Hill

July 19-25Chuck Stone Program for Diversity in Education and Media, UNC-Chapel Hill

Scoopthe

A publication of the North Carolina Scholastic Media Association

NCSMI advanced desktop publishing students complete design assignments. Charles Floyd, formerly of National Geographic and now adjunct instructor at UNC-CH, taught the class.

North Carolina scholastic journalism teachers and student media advisers are invited to apply for a Journalism Teaching Fellowship for summer 2009. These fellowships for in-state residents are valued at $1,230 per person.

The fellowships, provided by N.C. Scholastic Media Association, cover tuition, books and cam-pus lodging for one graduate-level course in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

The summer 2009 course will be JOMC 605, “Desktop Publishing and Design in the Second-ary School.”

Dates are July 6-16. Class will meet Monday through Thursday of those two weeks, allowing participants a long weekend break. The intensive course meets from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. each day. All course requirements are fulfilled during that

two-week period, with the exception of a final project — a unit of lesson plans — to be submit-ted via e-mail by July 23.

Instruction will be offered in InDesign, Pho-toshop, Illustrator and design fundamentals.

Priority postmark deadline is May 1, though some applications will be accepted after that date.

When you receive notification that you have been awarded a fellowship, you will be asked to submit a check for $200 to secure your spot. This check will be returned to you, however, the first day of class. This new policy protects the associa-tion from lost funds should teachers cancel at the last minute.

Questions?Contact the NCSMA office at ncsma@unc.

edu or toll-free at 1-800-562-6276.

Designed for advisers

Winter 2008Vol. XVII, No. 2

dates & deadlines

Free Indesign, Photoshop instruction offered to teachers

Photo by Stephen Solorzano

Winter 2008Page 2theScoop

Here are a few quick tips for advisers who are beginning to pull their hair out:

Attend a regional NCSMA workshop. I know that transporta-tion is an issue for many schools for a variety of reasons, but these workshops often bridge the gap between what you’re doing right now and what you’d like to learn over the summer at the Institute in Chapel Hill. Many feature sessions that are led by student presenters, and that makes them relevant to your kids. I’ve often said that my students, given the right circumstances, can learn as much from each other as they can from me.

Remember the value of a good feature story. I have spent many class periods trying to get my kids to stop injecting their opinion into their stories, especially the first few they submit while they’re still getting the hang of journalistic writing. I don’t let rookies write

editorials right away, so the feature story gives kids an outlet for their creativity by allowing

a small amount of persuasion to creep into their writing. It’s OK to let them say in a feature story that someone was really impressive at something they do without going to great lengths to cite who said so. The feature thus serves to fill the void between the straight news story and the editorial.

Remind kids that journalistic writing is not the same as academic

writing, nor is it the same as creative writ-ing. Again, it can fall somewhere in between. Although some students respond well to a newswriting formula in which the same set of questions is addressed in the same order of every story, many discover that aspects of their own unique personalities can reveal them-selves in their news coverage without sound-ing like something out of Def Jam Poetry.

Keep the fun in photography. After you’ve

beaten them to death with ethics, let them create a no-holds-barred photo illustration or two to accompany a story.

Stay in touch with your yearbook adviser and his or her yearbook rep. Many com-panies furnish cool graphic ideas that can be applied to newspapers, and yearbook advisers can certainly benefit from an occasional chat with the newspaper people.

Quit looking for creative ideas in the usual places. Have you seen a copy of Surfing magazine lately? I know that surfing has the benefit of being inherently gorgeous anyway, but boy can they package a story.

Oh, and don’t forget to say hello to the many good friends you have that you only see at workshops. Keep them in your thoughts; they are probably struggling to keep their hair in place just like you are.

Advice from adviser on winter stress

David JacksonNCSMAA President

Published four times a year by the North Carolina Scholastic Media Association, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, UNC-CH, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3365. Phone:(919)962-4639, (919)843-7730 or (888)562-6276email: ncsma@unc.eduInternet: www.ibiblio.org/ncsmaMonica Hill, NCSMA director Graham Russell and Mary Withers, editors

NCSMA Officers: President Hannah Van Doren, West Henderson High; Vice President Electronic Communication Nick Wolfe, T.C. Roberson High; Vice President Literary Magazine Kristen Gallagher, Providence High; Vice President Newspaper Nicole Mortimer, Ravenscroft School; Vice President Visual Communication Dave Schermbeck, Holly Springs High; Vice President Yearbook Tyler Toomey, Polk County High

NCSMAA Officers: President David Jackson, NW School of the Arts; President-elect Adrienne Hollifield, Charles D. Owen High; Immediate Past President Mark Harrison, T.C. Roberson High; Secretary Katherine Burch, Polk County High; Vice President Literary Magazine Marva Hutchinson, Providence Senior High; Vice President Newspaper Brenda Gorsuch, West Henderson High; Vice President Visual Communication Beth Lail, Statesville High; Vice President Yearbook Carol Eanes, Pender High; Task Force Chairwoman Sue Farlow, Asheboro High.

Reaching out Scoopthe

A publication of the North Carolina Scholastic Media Association

Winter 2008 Vol. XVII, No. 1Student president Hannah Van Doren in this issue of The Scoop does not merely acknowledge the current challenges facing student media. She offers some strategies for facing those challenges.

At all six of our fall regional workshops in October, advisers across the state discussed their concerns about declining adver-tising revenue and community support.

But then they shared with one another quite creative approaches for these challenging times.

We should continue this “con-versation.” Send us information on how your students are continuing to serve their campus communities, and we will post your suggestions on the NCSMA Web site.

$2,000 opportunityPlease, please, please encourage your stu-

dents to apply for the North Carolina High School Journalist of the Year scholarship. Portfolios should be postmarked by Feb. 15.

As a reminder, the top scholarship has increased from $500 to $2,000. Each of the two alternates will now receive $500 each.

Winners will receive these cash scholar-ships on June 18 during the closing awards

brunch of our Summer Institute. This is a wonderful opportunity for stu-

dents. I do hope you will encourage yours to apply.

The application is on page 5. For further information on the specific requirements, go to jea.org.

KudosNighthawk News of Kill Devil

Hills was a Pacemaker finalist through National Scholastic Press Association’s national newspaper con-test. The paper has also been named a Crown finalist through Columbia

Scholastic Press Association’s national news-paper contest. CSPA Crown winners will be announced March 20 in New York.

Westwind yearbook at West Henderson High was named a Crown finalist and also awaits that March 20 announcement. That yearbook was also a Best of Show winner at the fall National High School Journalism Convention in St. Louis. West Henderson’s Wingspan newspaper was also a Best of Show winner at that same convention.

NSPA yearbook and literary magazine Pacemaker nominees will be announced soon.

Monica HillNCSMA Director

Winter 2008 Page 3theScoop

news in brief

Start planning now for fall 2009 National High School Journalism Convention in Washington, D.C.

The JEA/NSPA fall 2009 National High School Journalism Convention will be in Washington, D.C. Nov. 12-15. Because of the close proximity to the state, many North Carolina schools usually attend this D.C. convention. Some advisers may choose to coordinate chartered buses as a cost ef-fective transportation option. If you wish to do so, please contact Monica Hill at 1-888-562-6276 or mihill@email.unc.edu.

CABJ High School Journalism Weekend Workshop seeks applicants

The Carolina Association of Black Journalists (CABJ) and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication encour-age students to apply for a three day event Feb. 27- March 1.

Juniors and seniors involved with school publications and media or interested in print and online journalism are invited to apply.

UNC faculty and area professionals will discuss careers in journalism and writing and producing skills. Participants will stay over-night on campus in the historic Carolina Inn. All expenses are paid, with the exception of a $50 application fee.

For more information visit www.jomc.unc.edu or www.unc.edu/student/orgs/cabj. You can also contact CABJ president Monique Newton at MLNewton@email.unc.edu.

Journalist of the Year winner to receive $2,000; portfolios must be postmarked by Feb. 15

Encourage your students to prepare port-folios for N.C. High School Journalist of the Year competition. Winners in the state competition will receive the Rachel Rivers-Coffey Scholarship and will be eligible for the National High School Journalist of the Year competition.

The overall winner will receive a $2,000 cash scholarship. The two alternates will receive $500 each.

High school seniors who have been involved with journalism for at least two years, have at least a 3.0 unweighted GPA, and plan to study journalism and mass com-munication in college and pursue either as a career are eligible to apply. Applicants must submit a portfolio, as well as an entry form, transcript, self-evaluation of one’s “journalis-tic life” and letters of recommendation.

Portfolios (see page 5) must be post-marked by Feb. 15. For more information on specific entry rules, visit the Journalism Education Association Web site, www.jea.org.

ESPN RISE Magazine recruiting high school reporters, photographer

ESPNRISE.com and ESPN RISE Magazine are looking for high school sports reporters and photographers.

The Blog Network on ESPNRISE.com features blogs and photos about teams, play-ers and trends from high schools across the country. Reporters will blog for ESPNRISE.com through a Fan Profile. They will work with ESPN RISE editors to brainstorm story ideas and interview questions, and editors will provide feedback about their stories and reporting.

The ESPN RISE Magazine, SchoolBeat, is distributed to 7,000 high schools across the country. For more information on ESPNRISE.com contact Julie Turner at 860-766-6152 or Julie.B.Turner@ESPN3.com.

For more information on ESPN RISE Magazine contact Noelle Crozier at 877-766-7894 or ncrozier@risemag.com.

North Carolina Press Club sponsors annual High School Communications Contest for state newspapers

The North Carolina Press Club’s High School Communications Contest offers student journalists the opportunity to earn statewide recognition. First-place winners advance to the High School Communications Contest of the National Federation of Press Women — approved for the National Advisory List of Contests and Activities by the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

Entries must be postmarked by March 14. For guidelines and entry forms, contact Suzy

Barile, contest director, at suzyb3@mind-spring.com.

Broadcast journalism education online resources available from Radio Television News Directors

The High School Broadcast Journalism (HSBJ), created by the Radio and Televi-sion News Directors Foundation (RTNDF), now offers a Web site providing information and discussion related to a student broadcast journalism.

The site has partnered with SchoolTube, a video and photo sharing site for student-produced videos.

Visit http://hsbj.org for more informa-tion.

Asian American Journalists announce J Camp 2009 scheduled for Boston

J Camp, a multicultural workshop for high school freshmen, sophomores and juniors will be Aug. 7-12 in Boston. The event is sponsored by the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA.)

Students with a strong interest in broad-casting, newspapers, magazines, photojour-nalism, or online media are encouraged to apply. All expenses will be provided.

For more information, contact Nao Vang at 415-346-2051 ext. 102 or programs@aaja.org.

Chuck Stone Program invites students to apply for summer 2009

The Chuck Stone Program for Diver-sity in Education and Media, sponsored by UNC-Chapel Hill School of Journalism and Mass Communication, is seeking applications from high school students who will be seniors in the 2009-2010 school year and who have expressed a career interest in journalism.

The Chuck Stone Program will recruit up to 20 rising seniors. The program aims to attract students of varying diversity, includ-ing but not limited to religion, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and gender. The High School Diversity Workshop includes classroom study, newsroom practice and pro-

See NEWS IN BRIEF, page 6

Winter 2008Page 4theScoop

Seeking economic relief for student publications December 2, 2008: Millions of people across the world stared at television screens, computer monitors, and newspaper pages in awe. It was official; America’s economy was declared to be “in a recession.” It was a day that everyone knew was coming for the last year, and many people had already felt the effects of a slumping economy. Among those industries that have experienced hardship during our country’s rough time has been the paper media; it is an industry that many believe is dying. It’s a terrifying thought to think that something that we all devote so much time toward,

something that even I am con-tributing to at this very moment could be a depleting fad. The newspaper has been one of the

most crucial sources of “getting the word out” since almost the begin-ning of our country; however, with the devel-opment of new technolo-gies, its glory days may be over. Most Americans now have easy access to computers and television, making it much more

efficient and inexpensive to turn to digital media. Some of your publications may be facing problems with advertising because of a lack of local businesses that are capable of contributing money due to

insufficient funds. Others of you may have had your budgets cut back by your school officials. Either way, my advice to you is this: Get creative! Traditional advertising may have worked well in the past for your publications, but during this recession it’s going to take a little bit more work to get the commu-nity to donate money. Talk to the local churches. Many of them have youth groups that would, more-than-likely, be very willing to support their students. Another option you may want to consider is extending the word throughout your student body. You may be surprised to find which students have parents who own businesses and would be

willing to support their child’s school newspaper. Of course, if you still find advertising to be insufficient in providing all of the funds for your publication, you can never go wrong with an old-fashioned fund-raiser (like a candy sale or a school dance). The important thing to remember is not to panic during these hard times. The American media have made it through plenty of economic crises before, and we’re not about to give up without a fight. Technology will continue to grow, and, while paper may seem obsolete on the surface, there is something much more personal and secure about the familiarity of a tangible pub-lication.

Hannah Van DorenNCSMA President

Don’t miss this year’s Institute.

Truth & Dare - June 15-18, 2009UNC-Chapel Hill

write★ ★

CHOICEN.C. SCHOLASTIC MEDIA INSTITUTE - JUNE 16-19, 2008fight for your right to write

N.C. Scholastic Media Institute - June 19-22, 2006

Page 5theScoop

JEA National High School Journalist Of The Year Official Entry FormChecklist:[ ] Official entry form[ ] Self-analytical evaluation of your “journalistic life,” using your most creative form.[ ] Action photo of you doing something journalistic--inter-viewing someone, taking a photograph, designing a page, doing a broadcast standup, or talking to your staff. Winners’ photos may be used in JEA publications.[ ] Official copy of your transcript[ ] 3-4 letters of recommendation from your adviser, other teachers who know your leadership and journalistic abilities and practitioners with whom you have worked. A letter from the principal is desirable but not absolutely necessary.[ ] Samples of your work carefully selected to show your qual-ity and diversity of reporting, writing, photography, design, broadcast, online media, etc.[ ] Self-addressed, padded, stamped envelope large enough to hold your portfolio

Preparing Your Portfolio:•Entry material should not exceed 46 one-sided pages or 23 two-sided pages, with application materials not to exceed an additional 10 pages. This includes the application, tran-script (opened), personal photo and self-analytical essay. •Plastic sheet protectors are acceptable. All letters should be opened and included as part of the 46 pages. •The pages should be inserted into a three-ring binder designed to hold 8 1/2 x 11-inch paper.• Some ideas to get started on the self-analytical evaluation: How do you feel about journalism? How did you get started in journalism? What have you contributed to journalism? What have you had to go through to achieve? What are your journalism plans for the future? The evaluation should be long enough for the judges to reach a decision as to your creative qualifications and short enough not to be redun-dant (and boring).•Samples of work should be carefully selected. Provide judges with a good cross section of your best work rather than everything ever produced. Date, name of publication and relevance should be on the page with each sample.•Include samples showing one or more of the following characteristics. They should be grouped according to what they represent, and these groupings should be labeled.1. Skilled and creative use of media content — wiring, production, photography, etc.2. Inquiring mind and investigative persistence resulting in in-depth studies of issues important to the local high school audience, high school students in general or society.3. Courageous and responsible handling of sensitive issues — local or societal — despite threat or imposure of censorship.4. Variety of journalistic experiences, each handled in a quality manner - newspaper, yearbook, broadcast, pho-tography, Web design, other design work, community and other outside-of-school journalism work, etc.• At least one issue of your newspaper or magazine or photocopies of relevant spreads from your yearbook (not the entire book) should be enclosed so the judges can see the context of your work. One audio or video tape should accompany an entry focusing on broadcast work. Time is limited to 15 minutes. The tape should be cued up to the work the judges should view or hear, and should have the entrant’s name on the tape case.•Photocopies of letters, clippings and art are acceptable; however, original prints of photographs should accompany entries based on published pictures.

Co-sponsored by Journalism Education Association and N.C. Scholastic Media Association

Go to jea.org/awards/journalist

Name _____________________________________________________________

Street Address ___________________________ Phone____________________

City, State, ZIP _____________________________________________________

Parent(s)/Guardian(s) Names ___________________________________________

E-mail ___________________________________________________________

School ____________________________________________________________

Street Address_____________________________ Phone __________________

City, State, ZIP _____________________________________________________

Adviser _______________________ Adviser E-mail ______________________

Principal ___________________________

Hometown Media 1. _____________________ 2. _______________________Street Address ___________________________ / ________________________City, State, ZIP __________________________ / ________________________

How long have you been involved in journalism? ______Positions Held (specify type of media such as yearbook, newspaper, literary magazine, radio, TV, online):Publication Name/Type Position Length of Time________________________________________ From ________ To ________________________________________________ From ________ To ________________________________________________ From ________ To ________________________________________________ From ________ To ________

On a separate sheet of paper, answer the following questions: • Has any of your work been used by the professional media? If yes, please explain.

• What aspect of journalism and mass communication is your career goal?

• Do you plan to enroll this year in a university journalism degree program?

• List colleges you are considering in order of preference. If you have definitely decid-ed which school you will attend, list only that college.

Send your portfolio to NCSMA, 284 Carroll Hall, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3365 postmarked by Feb. 15.

Winter 2008

Teacher’s name: __________________________________________School: _________________________________________________School address: ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________School phone: ______________________ Fax: _________________

Home address: ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________Home phone: ______________________ Cell: _________________

E-mail: _________________________________________________

Teacher’s Social Security Number: _________-_______-_________

I will be teaching journalism or advising one or more publications during the 2009-2010 school year at __________________________ High/Junior High/Middle School.Teacher’s signature: _______________________________________

I endorse __________________________ to receive one of the Journal-ism Education Fellowships to attend a summer session course JOMC 605 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Jour-nalism and Mass Communication.

Principal’s signature: ______________________________________ To complete your application, please attach to this form a letter in which you tell 1) how you became involved in journalism teaching and publication advising, 2) year(s) of overall and journalistic teaching expe-rience, 3) why you would like to take JOMC 605 – “Desktop Publishing and Design in the Secondary School” (July 6-16) and 4) how you believe that course may fit into your career as a journalism teacher/publication adviser. In addition, please send a copy of your resume or a list of experiences, interests and accomplishments. For priority selection, your application should be postmarked by May 1. To secure your in-state tuition fellowship, you will later be asked to submit a check for $200; this check will be returned to you the first day of class. Address application forms to:

Monica Hill, NCSMASchool of Journalism and Mass Communication284 Carroll Hall, CB# 3365, UNC-Chapel Hill

Please type or print clearly.

news in briefContinued from page 3

Page 6theScoop

NCSMA Journalism Education Fellowship Application

Winter 2008

fessional mentors. The summer workshop consists of a one-week reporting and writing program, culminating in the production of a newspaper, as well as TV studio production time.

The program will be July 19-25. Priority deadline for applications is June 1. For more information, go to jomc.unc.edu/stoneprogram.

Sunshine Day festivities set for March 18 in Charlotte

The Sunshine Center of the North Caroli-na Open Government Coalition has declared Wednesday, March 18 Sunshine Day across the state. The center will offer a workshop that day in Charlotte at the Levine Museum of the New South. High school journal-ism teachers and students are welcomed to register. For more information, go to www.ncopengov.org.

NAA Foundation offers grants to help student newspapers

The Newspaper Association of America Foundation invites applications from middle and high schools wishing to partner with pro-fessional newspapers in their communities and start, relaunch or revitalize student newspapers, whether online or in print.

Funding will be awarded to create or strengthen scholastic newspaper programs. The NAA Foundation especially welcomes grant applications from urban, rural or minority-majority schools.

Additional details and an application can be found on the NAA Foundation’s Web site at www.naafoundation.org.

Apply for NAHJ Scholarships

High school seniors can apply now for National Association of Hispanic Journalists scholarships. These scholarships are awarded annually to aspiring Latino journalists plan-ning to pursue careers in print, photo, broad-cast or online journalism. All applications are to be completed online. The deadline is April 6.

For more information, see www.nahj.org/educationalprograms/nahjscholarships.shtml.

Winter 2008

School of Journalism and Mass Communication

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

284 Carroll Hall, CB #3365Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3365

(919) 962-46391-888-562-6276

FAX: (919) 962-0620ncsma@unc.edu

www.ibiblio.org/ncsma

North Carolina Scholastic Media

Association

Inside this issue of The Scoop:Scoopthe

A publication of the North Carolina Scholastic Media Association

• State’s High School Journalist of the Year application for $2,000 scholarship • Adviser application for free InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator instruction • Sunshine Day scheduled for Charlotte

theScoop

❑ Newspaper ❑ Yearbook ❑ Magazine ❑ Electronic Comm. ❑ Photography

JEA/NCSMAA Membership, July 1, 2008 – June 30, 2009

___ $60 Combined JEA/NCSMAA Membership (results in $5 rebate to NCSMAA from JEA)___ $10 NCSMAA Membership Only ___ $50 JEA Membership Only

Enclosed check payable to NCSMA at School of Journalism and Mass Communication,UNC-Chapel Hill, CB#3365, 284 Carroll Hall, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3365

Street City

Street City

State ZIP Telephone

State ZIP Telephone Fax E-Mail

Media Advised:

Name:

Home Address:

School Address:

School:

Name of Publication(s):