The Blaze Copy Editor | 2025 WI Student Journalist of the Year
Law, Ethics and News Literacy
As a journalist, I know the most important part of being in a publication class is making sure everything is journalistically sound. Sometimes, it can be hard to tell right from wrong, which is why I like to refer back to my notes and use our "Resources" folder. When I took Photojournalism my sophomore year, I really paid attention to the privileges our first amendment right gave us. Now, I get to use those everyday when I write stories, captions, or design spreads.
Law
When the New Voices Assembly Bill 551 was being considered, I remember feeling so empowered. It was amazing to see that people actually cared about what kids like me had to say, and that they didn't want our work being censored. I remember Mrs. Corbett had the live WisconsinEye news coverage running through class. Other than the noise from the screen, the classroom was quiet. We were listening intently, because this affected us directly.
Watching the public hearing for New Voices in class.
Ethics
Ethics are a little bit of a different story. As a journalist, I realize my right to tell people's stories is a privilege given to me by the first amendment. I also realize that it's my responsibility to tell the story in nothing but the truth.
A Code of Ethics sheet that was handed out to my photojournalism class. I still refer back to this document.
I will also refer back to the SPLC website if I have any questions or if I'm unsure about something.
News Literacy
To me, News Literacy is about looking at what you've made and recognizing how you can make it better. My first story I ever wrote for the yearbook was my Girls Tennis story. While I thought it was good at the time, now I look back and realize how I didn't dig deep enough into the story. As I've gained more experience and more knowledge, I've also gained a broader perspective on story angles.
In my first transition paragraph, I wish I would've included more information about how to play tennis.
In my second transition paragraph, I wish I would've added more about how the girls pushed through.
In my introduction, I wish I had a stronger lead and a stronger angle for my story.
This is the Girls Tennis story I submitted for the 2023-2024 "On Our Way" yearbook.
I love to begin my stories with scene-setting. I feel like my readers deserve to know what it was like to be at that event.
Being able to end my stories with the lessons learned really ties the story together. It gives the story a clear and concise ending, something I'm always aiming for.
In my second transition paragraph I was able to give more background information on Gomez Martinez because I asked deeper questions.
This is the Orchestra story I submitted for the 2024-2025 "Who Knew? We Did." yearbook.