Local Students learn that News Matters
Boston Globe sponsors annual Media Matters Conference for middle and highschoolers
By Nanette L. Cormier
Middle School students learn first-hand what it takes to become journalists at the
2008 Media Matters conference.
Can a photo tell a story better than words can? Yes, if it’s the right image.
How do you write about something that your community would rather you didn’t? By sitting in front of your computer and taking the risk.
How do you get the “right stuff” in an interview, but not offend the person you are interviewing? By listening well, being both casual and bold, and asking the right questions at the right time.
Those were just a few of the hundreds of lessons learned by over 700 middle and high school teachers and students at the 4th annual Media Matters Writing Conference, co-sponsored by the Boston Globe Foundation and the University of Massachusetts Boston on November 6 and 7.
A wealth of inspiration and experience was on hand for the budding journalists, including Boston Globe Spotlight Team founder Steve Kurkjian, Boston Globe political cartoonist Dan Wasserman, , editor of L.A. Youth Donna Myrow, WBZ Nightside radio host (and Boston State College alumnus) Dan Rea, Phantom Gourmet Senior Producer Eric Sherman, and WBUR Only a Game host Bill Littlefield.
Barack Obama had won the presidential election only two days earlier and the Campus Center ballroom was brimming with the attitude that anything is possible. Participants were more convinced than ever that limitless possibility exists for those who believe their voice matters and are willing to use the media to make it heard.
In the shadow of the John F. Kennedy Library, students from across Massachusetts honed their observational and reporting skills by examining a middle school report card and photo of the former president at their age. It was not lost on them that Kennedy, who became one of the 20th century’s greatest orators, earned a “C” in English.
Boston Globe Foundation Executive Director Leah P. Bailey said that the success of the high school conference each year led the Foundation to expand to include a full day for middle schoolers. Norah Connolly, a 7th grader from Arlington, benefited. Viewing giant images from the “Big Picture,” a feature of Boston.com, made her think about photography differently. She and her fellow middle schoolers arrived at a fresh understanding of the difference between a You Tube video clip and a still photo: “A video comes and goes, but a photo creates a memory that stays with you,” Connolly said. Regine Senatos added that photos “get through to you” as she recalled a series workshop leader Alan Taylor showed on families dealing with cancer.
“For many participants this is their first experience on a university campus,” said UMass Boston’s Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management, Kathleen Teehan. “This is a tremendous chance not only to inspire students but also to show them the wealth of learning and opportunity that college and UMass Boston offer.”
To learn more about how your corporation or foundation can partner with UMass Boston, contact Ellen Fleming, director of corporate and foundation relations at 617-287-5327.