The Governor’s Scholars Program offers these students a chance to learn about what it means to be a journalist in the 21st Century. We cover topics ranging from newspaper survival, multimedia, broadcast journalism, photojournalism and investigative reporting and ethics. They get to go see WAVE tv, the Courier-Journal and a printing press.
These 18 incoming seniors do not walk into this class with a lot of experience. For many it is the first time they have attempted to report a story, write it and take pictures for it. The following stories are their ideas and interviews. I “tweeked” their final versions, but tried to let their voice be the one that is heard.
They went out and interviewed their peers, allowing great insight into the diversity of this program. As a faculty in my second year with GSP, I was pleased with the ideas and the curiosity of these students. In some cases their ideas made me laugh and in others, one is reminded of terrible moments in history and the challenges some students overcome to be here.
The ideas were as diverse as GSP. And isn’t that what makes this program work? Its this diversity and the scholars’ willingness to embrace it that make me excited to share the first GSP Journalism Blog with you.
Jeanie Adams-Smith
Associate Professor
Photojournalism
Western Kentucky University