McCormick Media Awards for Chicago High School Journalists

Don't miss Chicago's annual high school  journalism workshop and awards ceremony. This year, the event will be held on March 16, 2012 at the Chicago Cultural Center.

Register now and submit your students’ entries for a chance to compete in dozens of categories. The top student journalists will receive a $1,500 scholarship. Applications are due on Feb. 17.  SPAC is also accepting nominations for Principal of the Year.  

For registration and nomination information on The Scholastic Press Association of Chicago/McCormick Foundation High Schools Media Awards, visit http://spac-chicago.blogspot.com/. 

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Upcoming News Literacy Workshop: Demanding Quality

The News Literacy Project is partnering with the Neighborhood Writing Alliance on a session about how news literacy can empower consumers and inspire citizen journalism.

This free event is open to the public. E-mail rhudak@jot.org to RSVP.

February 13, 6-8 pm, Jane Addams Hull House @ 800 S. Halsted, Chicago IL

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Say What? Young Chicago Authors Report on Segregation in Chicago

Earlier this summer, Young Chicago Authors held its Say What Summer Institute summer wrap party at Navy Pier. Founded in 2002, Say What Magazine, a publication of Young Chicago Authors, gives teens the journalism tools and skills that they need to report, document and tell the stories that impact their lives and communities.

Students took on a reporting project with WBEZ's Vocalo.org discussing segregation in Chicago. You can view the work of the students here. We love seeing great content collaborations between youth journalism organizations and community news. Keep up the great work!

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Strengthening Community News in Chicago

This summer, the University of North Carolina’s “Business Models for Community News in a Digital Age” initiative produced three workshops for community and ethnic media in Chicago.

This initiative harnesses the skills of UNC professor Penny Abernathy and journalism students who helped small, rural North Carolina community newspaper develop an Internet presence and provide lessons learned for similar news organizations.

Like their counterparts across the country in urban and rural settings alike, smaller community and ethnic news organizations in Chicago have struggled to establish a digital strategy. From July to September, Abernathy hosted a series of  seminars at the Community Workshop that shared lessons learned from local Chicago news organizations including, Hi India, Extra and the Chicago Crusader. Missed the presentation? Download the PowerPoint slideshow and video from the seminar.

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Grantee Spotlight: The News Literacy Project on Empowering Teens Through News Literacy

At a brown bag lunch session for After School Matters staff on March 30, 2011, Peter Adams from The News Literacy Project offered an overview of the field of news literacy; explained why it is an essential part of developing empowered, responsible digital citizens; and offered some relevant ways that this content may be used in after school settings.

The area of news literacy has gained important attention in recent years as the news and information landscape continues to undergo rapid and radical changes. Ever since the rise of cable news networks, and the 24-hour news cycle, consumers have experienced an explosion of sources for information, especially on the Internet. But navigating these sources, and understanding the varying levels of bias and credibility that they employ, pose significant challenges for everyone.

As so-called “digital natives,” the current generation of young people arguably has more opportunities for meaningful civic engagement than any other, but it likely also faces unprecedented levels of misinformation and distortion as well. Learning to separate fact from fiction in the digital age is an essential skill set—one that can be incredibly empowering for rising citizens.

The News Literacy Project partners with schools and youth organizations to help students sort fact from fiction, evaluate information sources and learn why quality journalism is important to a healthy democracy.

To learn more about The News Literacy Project, click here.

Check out their blog for ideas on how to use news literacy in the classroom.

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