At Last!
Eye-Opener
A teen shares how her newspaper experience has broadened her horizons.
By Hannah Miller
Someone in the audience speaks up: “So what happens to Carlos?”
Editor’s note: This is a condensed version of a presentation that the author gave to the NAA Foundation Board of Trustees in September 2005. A member of the Page One staff at the Tribune Chronicle in Warren, Ohio, she is a senior at Badger High School and a 2004 Youth Editorial Alliance Conference teen fellow.
I work in a warehouse during the summer. It’s a good job – the hours are flexible, the pay is (relatively) good, and I don’t have to do any heavy lifting. But that’s not really why I like it.
Before joining Page One, I would never have appreciated the 50-year-old grandfather who was genuinely upset when he lost his blue ink pen. Direct quote, barring a few expletives: “That pen’s been with me for a long time. I’m sure gonna miss it.” I wouldn’t have noticed the irony inherent in Butch: his burly, tattooed arms and gruff voice contrasting sharply with his gentle demeanor and easygoing chitchat.
As the only female, I’m often relegated to the role of confidante: This man’s hours are being cut and he’s worried about providing for his family; that man just grounded his teenage son for missing curfew. Pre-Page One, I would have been embarrassed by and uneasy about their humor and frankness. Post-Page One, I’m fascinated by their individual stories.
That’s why I think Page One and the Youth Editorial Alliance (YEA) Conference have been so beneficial. Certainly, I’m a far better writer than I was three years ago. Certainly, my interviews are conducted more professionally and efficiently, and with better results. But most important, I appreciate people, the beauty inherent in people and the story-worthiness of people far more than ever.
I joined Page One at my mother’s prodding. At the time, I was a little lost. As a part-time home-schooled student, I never seemed to fit in anywhere, and my mother thought it extremely important that I be “socialized.” And if that was her only objective, then it was certainly met. Not only are the Page One staffers a fantastic and inspiring group of young people, but the subjects of our stories encompass a wider range of people, events and places than I could have ever hoped to encounter on my own.
The older ladies at St. Patrick’s Church were horrified to read my article about Wiccans. (“They didn’t try to convert you, did they?” asked one in an appalled voice). I’ve enjoyed meeting a teen radio personality for a polka show, numerous foreign exchange students, skim boarders and teen mothers. Doing things I would never have done on my own has helped me be poised and polished with different people: from state representatives to school superintendents to journalism professionals.
Writing for Page One has forced me to think on my feet when an interview doesn’t take the expected direction and has pushed my comfort levels. More than once, my editor, Guy Coviello, has reduced me to tears when he wants to run a particularly unflattering quote and I want to avoid the inevitable flack from my school administrators.
Most of all, though, Page One has helped me to explore alternate viewpoints. I’m a Roman Catholic living on a family-run farm in a small, sheltered town with zero diversity and a very narrow view of what is or is not acceptable. The other Page One staffers, many of whom have much more developed opinions than I do on everything from religion to politics to public education, have forced me to defend and modify my beliefs. Page One has undoubtedly played a large role in expanding my horizons.
The 2004 YEA Conference was an amazing experience simply because of the strength of the other teen fellows. Meeting great teen writers from across the country with widely varying viewpoints was an experience that couldn’t be found anywhere else. It was like taking the diversity of the Page One staff and amplifying it a thousand times to include the perspectives of a Mormon, a Southern belle, an underground rocker and a male beach volleyball player.
But more important than the differences, cultural or otherwise, were our shared similarities. Not everyone was planning to pursue a career in journalism, but everyone had big plans for what they would be doing with their school year, their college education and their lives. It would be impossible to spend three days with such opinionated, intelligent and independent teens and not leave feeling re-energized and inspired.
Combine that with an excellent facilitator in award-winning scholastic journalism adviser Jack Kennedy, an opportunity to view the best issues of teen sections from across the country, and teen editors who genuinely cared what we had to say. Collaborating with another writer for the presentation to the editors was tough, as was articulating concerns and suggestions that the editors could use to improve their own sections, but there was nothing the least bit difficult about spending time at the Fort Lauderdale conference with a fantastic group of teens and editors. Anyone who doubts the merits of the next generation should meet those 12 other teens, who could alleviate any fears.
When I first started writing for Page One, I was seriously considering a journalism career, or at least as seriously as one can consider anything at age 15. As of now, I’m planning to pursue a degree in public administration in hopes of working for a nonprofit or social service agency one day.
Interaction with Page One, the Tribune Chronicle and YEA has illustrated how important the media will be in my career. No matter what organization I end up working for, harnessing the power of the media for fund-raising and community support will be imperative. Writing a clear, concise press release, speaking to the press, networking, collaborating with peers: Page One and the YEA Conference taught me to do those things, all of which will be vital in my career.
Through Page One, I have learned to meet deadlines (although Guy might beg to differ), follow a project from inception to completion, and merge different viewpoints. And while I haven’t quite mastered this yet, both Page One and the YEA Conference have given me a clearer understanding of when to acquiesce and when to press the point.
I have seen the success of the Tribune Chronicle’s Make-A-Difference Day efforts and have covered community events from art shows to anti-smoking summits to food drives, so I know what a boost good publicity can provide. Page One and the YEA Conference have shown me how to generate that good publicity, and those experiences will give me a leg up no matter where I go.
I probably wouldn’t have been stuck at Trumbull Vinyl Products lifting shingles, siding and shutters for the next 30 years even if my mother hadn’t bullied me into attending that first Page One meeting. I’m confident that Page One and the YEA Conference did far more than socialize me. Not only am I now a regular newspaper reader, I’m dependent on a print paper as a news source.
I’ve developed as a writer, a contributing member of society and an individual, and for that I am truly grateful to Guy, the Tribune Chronicle and the NAA Foundation.
Above photo by REBECCA BARNETT
