How Journalism Class Functions

Dear Achona, 

What is newspaper class like?

Dear anonymous,

Newspaper, unlike our core electives, functions more so as a business than a traditional class. Class periods are broken into three-day cycles in which students select a story idea (for example, a breakdown of a recent political event or a review of a local restaurant) one day; edit their stories (fine-tune any grammatical errors or gather more quotes) the next; and publish their final products last. Of course, our newspaper is not solely composed of written articles. Staffers often film videos, record podcasts, or contribute to our social media pages (follow us @achona.online on Instagram) as well. Given our block schedule, staffers publish stories weekly.

The class may initially feel foreign and demanding (I know), but I promise you, newspaper journalism is worth it. I have learned so much while on staff (how to work with a deadline and compose compelling writing), and I wouldn’t trade any of my “stress” for the world— or at least another elective.