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Journalism is a long-lasting representation of the 1st Amendment rights. Freedom of speech and expression has been deemed powerful when it comes to telling the truth to the public.
It is also an outlet for people to create beautiful things as they bring their dreams to reality, in all its forms.
The St. Agatha News School (TNS) has partnered with Phalanx Family Services and the Chicago Youth Service Corps (CYSC) through One Summer Chicago to provide on-the-job training to youth ages 14-24.
TNS intern journalists learn to write news stories that are published online. In addition, select articles are printed in the monthly Chicago Leader newspaper. Youth who successfully complete the program earn a press pass and are invited to attend TNS’s yearly graduation.
The program has many training opportunities. Whether operating a camera, interviewing community leaders, or writing news articles, TNS is a great opportunity.
One of The News School coaches, Sheena Robertson, shared her view on journalism. To her, it means “preparation and distribution of news and related commentary in a direct and truthful manner.”
Robertson said she was a “major bookworm” growing up. She enjoys reading and always went to the library to read a different genre.
In the 5th grade, she had three poems published in “Anthology of Poetry by Young Americans.” She joined TNS after her best friend told her that she “would make a great journalist.”
For Robertson, her best moments in the program are helping the youth gain confidence as writers and working with them to explore this profession.
Robertson enjoys the Cohort Project because it “helps us show the city what we can accomplish through CYSC. Coaching Chicago Youth how to be journalists allows us to help them become better writers while learning more about themselves and the community. They also learn to discover and relay the truth in every news article.
Our project documents what each Phalanx-employed team member is doing through the CYSC program. Interns conduct on-camera interviews, write articles to be published online and in the Chicago Leader print edition, and create a video of the process. The cohort is comprised of Entrepreneurs, Civic Engagement, and Journalism.”
Robertson said her future in journalism is one of a mystery but is looking forward to it. But, she added, “if the integrity of journalism stays truthful, I believe the future for journalism is bright.”
What better way to see the future of journalism is to observe it within the next generation.
Ogechi Onyewuchi is one of the interns at The News School.
She explains that journalism is a way of communicating with other people to present new information.
Onyewuchi also stated that it is a way of being informative and expressing issues within the communities.
She added that journalism has impacted her life as it is an outlet for her. It allowed her to find her voice through the program and to write her articles.
As a senior at Providence St. Mel High School, she takes journalism-related classes. Her interest in the subject also sparked an interest in reading other people’s views.
Journalism impacts people in every way, shape, or form. At the end of the day, the journalist still must get information out to the people.
Written by Darryl Johnson
Edited by Sheena Robertson
Sources:
Interview: Nov. 27, 2021, with Ogechi Onyewuchi
Interview: Nov. 29, 2021, with Sheena Robertson
Featured Image Courtesy of Fredrik Walloe’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Sheena Robertson – Used With permission
Inset Image Courtesy of TNS Photography – Used With permission
