Elon School of Communications represented at national high school journalism conference

Seven faculty and staff from Elon University’s School of Communications participated in the Journalism Education Association/National Scholastic Press Association National High School Journalism Convention Nov. 12-15 in Orlando, Florida. More than 6,100 students and advisers attended the conference.

Colin Donohue, coordinator of student media and an instructor in the School of Communications, and Tommy Kopetskie, communications manager for the school, ran a sponsorship table Nov. 12-13. They talked to several high school students and advisers about the school and the university.

They were joined at the convention by Bryan Baker, Naeemah Clark, Ben Hannam, Daniel Haygood and Max Negin, all of whom offered sessions that covered a variety of topics. Below are their descriptions from the program.

Baker, coordinator of video projects, presented two sessions about video interviews and audio.

• Shooting the interview
  “We will discuss proper methods involved with shooting a video interview. Topics will include preproduction, exposure, framing, lighting, sound and post-production. We also will discuss different equipment options.”
• Creative sound for digital media
  “Explore the world of digital audio and how sound is used to tell stories in the fields of journalism and cinema. Topics will include storytelling, tracking, mixing, dynamics, sound effects, foley and ADR.”

Clark, an associate professor, discussed failure as it relates to developing leadership skills.

• Celebrating failure on the path to leadership
  “While student journalists develop professional skills in their classes, there is little discussion of what happens when they suffer real-life setbacks. In this interactive session, students will learn how envisioning success, celebrating disappointments, and utilizing failures will make them resilient and effective leaders.”

Hannam, an associate professor, led a discussion about escaping design comfort zones.

• Creativity versus logic in graphic design
  “Have you ever been told that you to think ‘outside the box?’ This session demystifies what it means to think outside the box, identifying when you’re being creative and providing examples of how thinking outside the box applies to the graphic design profession.”

Haygood, an associate professor, presented sessions about branding and unique advertising techniques.

• Creativity in Advertising
  “The ad space is sold. The deadline is looming. Do you have time to do more than place a logo and company address inside a box? Absolutely! We will examine several creative ads and discuss seven design principles to make your advertising more attractive and readable.”
• Branding Your Publication or Online News Site
  “How is your newspaper, magazine, yearbook, online news site perceived at your school? Attend this session to learn more about branding your school media.”

Negin, an assistant professor, talked about breaking into the sports journalism field and quickly setting up interviews.

• Finding Your First Job in Sportscasting
  “Soon, you will be looking for that first sports internship and job. The world of sportscasting is vibrant, but how will you break in? This session will explore some strategies that have worked for folks who have made the leap into the professional sportscasting ranks.”
• Art of the Interview
  “Have 15 minutes with an important subject? What simple techniques can you use to set up an aesthetically pleasing interview? This session will explore the basic of setting up an interview. We’ll look at examples and demonstrate how a single light can transform your interview.”

About the National High School Journalism Convention

The convention is an annual gathering of high school journalists and advisers. It features hundreds of practical and professional learning sessions in addition to write-off contests and Pacemaker awards. The educational experiences are geared toward all media types—newspaper, online, broadcast, yearbook and magazine—and include topics useful to both students and advisers.