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July 19 – July 30

For two weeks we’ll feature five  outstanding stories from the 2009-2010 school year.  

The best way to teach writing, interviewing and all the technical aspects of shooting and editing is to get students out of your classroom, studio or the school and get them into your community doing stories.

If your class is still doing announcements only, work this summer on a plan to get the students out doing stories. You can start by talking to the people planning upcoming events. Interview one club adviser and officer a week – anything to get your students doing stories out of the studio.  

Over the next two weeks we’re offering five stories – all from Missouri high schools – to get ideas for you program. We’ll run them twice, Monday through Friday

Monday and Tuesday feature Central High School’s regular Everybody Has a Story segments.  On Monday it’s the story of a student who loves anime card games. On Tuesday, a student who loves music.

The Everybody Has A Story approach has been perfected by CBSNewsman Steve Hartman and videographer Les Rose. Steve throws a dart at a map of U.S. to find a city. He heads to that city and finds a phone book, closes his eyes, opens the book and at random puts his finger on a name. That’s the interview.

You can choose the names of students from the school directory or lists of student ID numbers. This is a great way to get new faces in your broadcasts. Have your staffers (working in teams) interview that student and find out what he or she does for fun, for a job. Does he have to take care of younger siblings right after school to let her mother work? Is she crazy about video games or shopping? Is he a black belt in karate? Students should do a quick interviews – no video. Then have the students develop their questions and plan their shoots. Interview teachers, parents, clergy – anyone who can flesh out the story.

These should be video-rich stories. Not just stagnant interviews. Go with the student to show what he or she does. The babysitter? Show him going home, coming in the door, taking care of the little brother. Interview the parents about how important this is. Ask him if he feels he is missing out on after-school activities.                                                           

On Wednesday here’s a strong story from Washington High School about physical therapy using horseback riding. Notice the number of interviews and the camera shots.

Thursday’ report from Ladue Horton Watkins High School shows how breaking news – the Haitian earthquake – can have students working to find video. This was part of a student documentary that was to be shown that week at a fundraiser for Haitian Relief.

Friday we go to one of the country’s best high school broadcast journalism programs, Hillcrest High School, to show a local trend in students smoking incense. This story ran last February and I’m just seeing this teen trend story this summer on my local TV news.

Archives of our Best of 2010 Videos and Commentary are on the HSBJ Blog.    

 carolk@rtdnf.org

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