Summer 2015, Vol. 48, #4

Click here to purchase the Summer 2015, Vol. 48, #4 issue of the JEA magazine.

Photo by Will McKay, Davenport (Iowa) Central High School

• Painting with Light: The word “photography,” when translated from its Greek origins, means “drawing with light.” Photographer Will McKay uses his skills to play with light during his outdoor adventures in the Midwest. | By Will McKay
• The Little Things: Modeled on a session he has taught at numerous conventions, a veteran adviser offers tips on everything from coverage — keep a quote register; to design — strive for consistency; and the staff — think of the editor as a coach. | By Jon Reese, CJE
  • Airport interaction reveals how students learned at the convention | By Howard Spanogle
• Freedom of Information: On the presumption that most government documents belong to the public and a presumption of openness, Freedom of Information laws provide a mechanism for individuals to obtain those records.  | by Stan Zoller, MJE
  • FOI overview
  • Teaching students to use FOI requests
  • Tips for requesting records
  • Public records scavenger hunt
• Bearing News, Rock Bridge High School (Columbia, Missouri): This award-winning student-produced website makes extensive use of in-depth articles on a wide variety of topics.
• Pirate Fishing: Reporter Juliana Ruhfus turned an investigative piece she wrote on illegal fishing in Sierra Leone for Al Jazeera into an interactive simulation of investigative reporting. | By Anna Ferdinand
• ‘HONY’ in the Classroom: In 2010, Brandon Stanton started a unique reporting endeavor about New York City — a blog and Facebook site that now has millions of viewers. Since then, the “Humans of New York” has been turned into a variety of classroom assignments from feature writing to introductory photojournalism. | by Megan Fromm, CJE

Fall 2014, Vol. 48, #3

Click here to purchase the Spring 2015, Vol. 48, #3 issue of the JEA magazine.

Photo by Matt Garnett, Argyle High School (Texas)

• Trello: Communicating effectively is one of the major keys to producing a timely, visually appealing publication. Based on a project management system originated by Toyota, Trello, using “boards” and “cards” to represent projects and tasks, helps students communicate. | By Danielle Ryan, MJE
• Southwest Shadow, Southwest Career and Technical Academy (Las Vegas):
• This award-winning student-produced website makes extensive use of social media outlets, including Facebook, Twitter, Vine, Instagram and Tumblr.
• Word of the Year: Originating from an abbreviation of vapor or vaporize, the Oxford Dictionaries word of the year is vape — to inhale and exhale the vapor produced by an electronic cigarette or similar device.
• Covering the School Board: The actions of the school board impact every student, every staff member and every faculty member. The votes of the elected (or appointed) officials can change the direction of the district. But few student newspapers cover what the board does — or doesn’t do. | By Mia Karr
  • Don’t be bored | by Tucker Blythe
  • Be the eyes and ears of the community | by Don Rogers
  • Covering board election | by Mary Stapp
  • News that really matters | by Emily Burlson
  • The education beat | by Bradley Wilson, MJE
  • School board-related story ideas | by Jay Goldman
• To Russia with Love: Traveling to Russia for the wedding of a former student, a journalism instructor practices journalism skills and documents the experience. | By Terry Nelson
• Color of the Year: Each year Pantone designates a color of the year that will inevitably appear in everything from clothing to lipstick. For 2015, the company designated Marsala, an earthy wine red.

Winter 2014, Vol. 48, #2

Click here to purchase the Winter 2014, Vol. 48, #2 issue of the JEA magazine.

Photo by Cassy Rokusek, West Fargo High School (N.D.)

• Pinterest: Pinterest is a free website that allows users to upload, save, sort and manage images (pins) through collections (pinboards). Staffs are using it to retain everything from design ideas to instructional information. | By Carson Taylor
• The Roundup, Brophy College Preparatory (Phoenix): Veteran staff members at this private school have established a tradition of excellence that is evident in this print and online publication.
• iPhone Stories: A series of one-page handouts highlighting useful apps with tips for making better use of the iPhone.
  • iPhone storytelling | By Michelle Balmeo, CJE
  • The iPhone camera | By Michelle Balmeo, CJE
  • Taking old-style photos | By Bradley Wilson, MJE
• Food with Style: When the AP Stylebook came out in 2011, it included an expanded section of food guidelines. Now, that section includes more than 500 entries to help reporters write better and more comprehensive food reviews and feature stories related to restaurants. | By Howard Spanogle and Bradley Wilson, MJE
• Guidelines with help refine literary palette
• Writing food reviews
• Stylebook updates related to food
• Food review rubric
• Stylebook updates: food
• Advice from the pros
  • State Names: A springtime change in the AP Stylebook regarding when to spell out names generated confusion, discussion and additional changes.
  • Stylebook Updates: Every year, the editors update the AP Stylebook. View some of the updates and a student exercise.
  • The Jaggies: Knowing how to properly sample and size an image for use in print — and what those error messages mean — can help designers avoid poor reproduction quality of photos. | By Bradley Wilson, MJE

Fall 2014, Vol. 48, #1

Click here to purchase the Fall 2014, Vol. 48, #1 issue of the JEA magazine.

Photo by Skylar Cook, Francis Howell High School (St. Charles, Mo.)

• The Power of One: Magazine and yearbook staffs are using in-depth personality profiles and high-quality portraits to produce show-stopping spreads that are often centered around one individual. | By Bradley Wilson, MJE
• The Talon, Argyle High School (Texas): This staff integrates SmugMug, Instagram and other social media not only to sell photos but to produce content students want and need to see.
• Using Drones: With the cost of a drone coming below $1,000, photojournalists are finding ways to use this new technology — despite evolving FAA regulations. | By Drew Loker
• Holding a Camera: One of the fundamental things for a beginning photographer to learn is how to hold a camera.
• Harness the Power of the Internet: To attract an audience in the 21st century, journalists need to be their own entrepreneurs and promote themselves and their work online, where their potential audience is.
  • 10 steps to generate publicity | By Mark Grabowski
  • Google Analytics overflow | By Mark Grabowski
  • Teaching methods and tips | By Mark Grabowski
  • Exercise | By Bradley Wilson, MJE
• Mary Beth Tinker: In February 1969 the Supreme Court ruled that wearing of armbands in public school, as a form of symbolic protest, is within the constitutional rights of students. Mary Beth Tinker was at the heart of the case — Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District | By Sean Cassidy with James Kenney