What Students Say They Learned About Community Journalism

Students in my Upward/TRiO "Community Journalism class" had a final in-class speed essay to write entitled, "What I have Learned about Community Journalism."

Here are some selected statements from their essays:

* "I learned that community journalism takes time, patience and a certain knowledge of your community. You can't just start writing things in your local newspaper. You need to learn what to write about, where to get the information, how to get it, why you write about and who to write about. You also have to learn the Code of Ethics, which many practicing journalists don't even know exists." -- Grant Mroz

* "I love to write but news and gossip has never really interested me. But this class has opened my eyes to other things -- like fighting back and getting involved. Don't like things they way they are? Stop complaining and do something about it. Voice your opinion, because it is our constitutional right. Tired of corruption in politics? Dig up the dirt, reveal the evidence and expose them." - Laken Herd

* "As a member of this class the one thing I will take away is the importance of knowing who, what, when, where, why and how." - Jessica Light

* "Doing community journalism right means being honest because the work is very important to the community." - Darla Vance

* "Community journalism is a standard of journalism that provides important news events going on within that community ... and it is hard work." - Sam Cunningham

* "My knowledge of community journalism has greatly expanded. It is the art of journalism that requires the journalist to be ethical and honest." - Brooke Iler

* "I learned that community journalism is a lot harder than I thought. I also now realize that journalism is not for me." - Tyler Bueno

* "I have learned that here is much more to journalism than just getting the stories and publishing them." - Dianna Ruedlinger

It was a good group of students and they learned alot in five short weeks. Next week I'll post some of the feedback these students received when they asked area editors about community journalism. And no, I won't be posting the names of the editors that were nice enough to respond.