reviving high school journalism

A group was started in early 2013 to work at reviving journalism at the high school level. The group
was founded to increase student participation in journalism at South Dakota high schools and decrease the
negative perception of journalism.

The group, naming themselves Journalism Summit, includes SDSU, BHS and USD staff, high school
journalism teachers, the SD High School Activities Association, SD Newspaper Association and professionals
in the field of journalism.
The Summit group came up with a program to:
Educate member newspapers on what they can do to work with local schools including working
with administrators and advisers as well as students.
Develop a turnkey basic journalism curriculum for students and advisers.
Create an ad campaign for high school journalism that targets three distinct audiences students,
administrators and the general public.

From this, the name #JournalismIs was created after a class in the Journalism and Mass Communication
Department developed a project for the campaign. The Summit group plans to work with North Dakota
educators to promote the campaign as well. In the near future, the Summit group will roll out the plan of
reviving high school journalism in South Dakota.

Summit group plans:

Educate member newspapers on what they can do to

work with local schools including working with
administrators and advisers as well as students.

Develop a turnkey basic journalism curriculum

for students and advisers.

Members of this group created a turkey journalism curriculum for students

and advisers to use. This includes information relating to journalism including
course textbooks, websites and additional resources.

Members of the Summit group

presented their ideas at the South
Dakota Newspaper Association
Annual Convention held in April
2013 in Rapid City. This was the first
time the SDNA also met with the
North Dakota Newspaper Association
members.

Newspapers personnel from both

states were very excited about the
program and getting to know more. In the photo, SDNA President Charley Najacht
offers closing comments on his year as leader of the association.

Create an ad campaign for high school journalism that

targets three distinct audiences
students, administrators and the general public.

Posters created by
BHSU students.
These will be
displayed at high
schools across
South Dakota.

#JournalismIs project created by Journalism

and Mass Communication Department
students. Includes a plan for the revival of
journalism in high schools and a website for
the SD High School Press Association.