A NewsHound’s Guide to Student Journalism, Edition 1.1

Covering the basics of media arts values and practice, this revised edition of the acclaimed graphic textbook offers cub reporters a primer on the drama, adventure and ethical conundrums that make journalism rewarding and fun. Using ripped-from-the-headlines examples, the authors challenge students to engage with the big issues. The stories revolve around a diverse newspaper staff at an urban high school who find themselves in a series of teachable moments. Packed with reporting exercises and fundamentals of the craft, woven into engaging narratives, each comic also gives readers a look at the real-life event that inspired the tale.

Brooklyn-based Katina Paron, MJE, has been creating byline opportunities for teens for 30 years. She has worked on scholastic initiatives with Medill School of Journalism and Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and has led teen journalism programs for The Trace, Inside Climate News, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and more.

Javier Güelfi is an Argentine-born and -based cartoonist, illustrator and graphic designer. He has worked for companies and NGOs including Netflix, BuzzFeed, Univision, Unicef and many local and international media outlets.

Katina Paron and Javier Güelfi
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 206
Bibliographic Info: bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2024
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9585-3
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5358-7
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments   x
1. Deep Throat: Digging into Investigative Journalism   1
Verification 3
Interviewing Tips 5
Sources 7
Notetaking 11
The Journalistic Takeaway: Verifying Tips 15
The Story Behind the Story: Watergate 16
Classroom Activities 17
2. Too Close for Comfort: Understanding Conflicts of Interests   19
What Is News? 22
Localizing News 24
Question Writing 26
Ask “Why?” Before Writing “I” 29
The Journalistic Takeaway: Earn Trust with Transparency 32
The Story Behind the Story: ESPN & League of Denial 33
Classroom Activities 34
3. New Rules for a New Journalism: Journalism in the 21st Century   37
Social Media 39
Anatomy of a News Story 43
Leads 46
Quotations 51
Surveys and Polls 53
The Journalistic Takeaway: Audience Participation in News Gathering 56
The Story Behind the Story: Crowd Sourcing in Reporting 57
Classroom Activities 58
4. The Power of Journalism: Making a Difference and Making a Change   61
Newswriting 65
Word Choice 67
Say Cheese! 70
The Journalistic Takeaway: Challenge Your Creativity 74
The Story Behind the Story: ­Solution-Based Journalism 75
Classroom Activities 76
5. Follow the Shuttlecock: The Value of Independent Sources  79
How to Stay Out of Trouble 81
How to Avoid Copyright Infringement 82
Make Your Opinion Count 86
Using Data in News Stories 89
The Journalistic Takeaway: You Can’t Always Believe What People Tell You 91
The Story Behind the Story: Words Can Be Weapons of Mass Destruction 92
Classroom Activities 93
6. The Folly of Blair Jayson: Resisting the Pull of Plagiarism   97
Copy Flow 100
Editorial Checklist 101
Fact-checking 104
What Is Plagiarism? 107
The Journalistic Takeaway: Facts Are Where It’s At 110
The Story Behind the Story: Infamous Perpetrators of Plagiarism 111
Classroom Activities 112
7. It Can’t All Be Broccoli: Enterprise and Feature Reporting   113
Pitches 115
Food Writing 118
Reviews 121
Sports Features 124
How to Write a ­How-​to Story 127
The Journalistic Takeaway: Be Relevant and Responsible 129
The Story Behind the Story: Taking a Personal Look at Race 130
Classroom Activities 131
8. All Together Now: Group Reporting   133
Editorial Meetings 136
Angles 139
The Journalistic Takeaway: Be Willing to Shake Up the Status Quo 142
The Story Behind the Story: The Maestro Concept 143
Classroom Activities 144
9. The First Amendment and You   147
Student Journalism in the Courts 150
Ethics 153
What Does Censorship Look Like? 156
The Journalistic Takeaway: Don’t be Rash 159
The Story Behind the Story: The Ongoing Impact of Free Speech Court Cases 160
Classroom Activities 162
10. But Wait! There’s More   163
The History of Journalism Timeline 164
Headlines 166
Covering Events and Speeches 169
“Be” Verbs 172
Incorporating Sources 174
Use of Sources: A Checklist for Reporters & Editors 177
Online Sources for Copyright-Free Images and Music 180
Know Your Rights: Copyright and Fair Use 181
Using Open Records to Get Your Story 182
Style Guides for Inclusivity 185
Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics 187
Internet Sources by Chapter   189
Bibliography   191
Index   193

• “valuable resource that can support student journalists in speaking truth to power… Relevant to both secondary and postsecondary students looking to take up student journalism’s noble cause… a copy of this book should be available at every education institution in the United States.”—H-Net Reviews
• From the previous edition:
• “Journalism is the only profession protected by the Constitution, and this fantastic guide helps budding reporters understand their special role in society. …top-notch treatment of journalism basics and spot-on writing activities… Particularly powerful are chapters on First Amendment rights and social media’s influence on journalism… A thorough and engaging resource”—Booklist
• “A comprehensive instruction manual for student journalists…. Paron and Güelfi combine informative lessons on contemporary journalism strategies and lists of resources with fictional and real-world examples to apply lessons to practical situations. Perhaps the most innovative element is the incorporation of graphic novel-style stories for each chapter…. These relatable and at times humorous depictions cover a series of issues that student journalists in the United States could realistically face…. The engaging content has the potential to draw in student readers and empower them to conduct quality student journalism…a pedagogical masterpiece. The use of not only stories, but creative comics with believable, diverse characters in realistic situations makes the learning experience considerably more engaging. The exercises at the end of each chapter allow readers to practice their journalism skills…valuable…phenomenal”—H-Net Reviews
• “Graphic textbook that offers cub reporters a primer on the drama, adventure and ethical conundrums that make journalism rewarding and fun. Packed with reporting exercises and fundamentals of the craft, woven into engaging narratives, each comic also gives readers a look at the real-life event that inspired the tale…should be a part of every community, college, and university library.”—Midwest Book Review
• “This guide is perfect for social studies, civics, journalism, comics, language arts, and writing classes from 8th grade through university. Teachers will find this to be a virtual curriculum full of classroom activities, discussion topics, and research.”—Tim Smyth, History Comics and Comics in Education
• “A NewsHound’s Guide to Student Journalism is a fantastic, real-world text that educates students through clever scenarios that truly show how scholastic media operates. Of texts I’ve seen and used, this one is head-and-shoulders above the rest.”—Tom Gayda, MJE, 2018 National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year
• “More than ever, we need journalism education that is accessible and serves a diverse audience. A NewsHound’s Guide to Student Journalism hits the mark on both.”—Sarah Bartlett, Dean, Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY