Article by AMANDA DAMON and CARLY LAPIDUS
Photos by ALANNA LEVINE
Video by RACHEL HIRSCHHEIMER
On Monday, November 17th, the Press Club of Long Island organized a panel of three professional journalists to visit Jericho High School’s New Media Communications Classes and provide insight into the world of professional journalism. The panel consisted of Mark Healey, Editor of www.rockawave.com, Jason Molinet, Online News Editor of the Breaking News Desk at “New York Daily News,” and Michael Lewis, sports writer for Newsday and Editor of www.bigapplesoccer.com.
Mark Healey’s online newspaper, The Wave, focuses entirely on Rockaway, Queens. Healey shared his experience covering the impact Super Storm Sandy had on that community, and he discussed his many other experiences as a journalist at the Associated Press. Jason Molinet shared that at the New York Daily News Breaking News Desk, there is a constant buzz in the newsroom. There is no start and finish; there is always a deadline because there is always a story to be written.
Although all three panelists have a background in sports journalism, unlike Healey and Molinet, Michael Lewis has remained consistent in his career as a Sports Reporter and Editor. The biggest piece of advice Lewis provided to the New Media Communications students was that rather than rooting for a team, root for your story. JerEcho’s Sports Section Editor, Giulia Milana, stated, “It was very interesting because the three of them either have been or are sports journalists. As someone who wants to be a sports journalist, it was very insightful and I enjoyed listening to them greatly.”
A common theme mentioned was the changes in journalism. As Mark Healey said, “Journalists today are like the film stars of the 1930s. You have to be able to do it all.” Just as film stars of the 1930s had to be excellent actors, singers, dancers, and comedians, a journalist today must be able to produce stories in all mediums and have a wide array of technical skills. All three journalists emphasized the importance of always being prepared, being willing to adapt to the modern technologic world, and knowing how to use social media. Jason Molinet went as far as to say, “The smartphone can do it all. It can be your whole tool kit.” Healey, Molinet, and Lewis all agreed that video news is the future of journalism. Yet, they stressed that despite all the new technology and media forms available, good writing is still the foundation of successful journalism, and reporters need passion to excel in the field. They advised us to respect our sources, maintain our integrity, and always report fairly.
JerEcho Executive Editor Sam Newman thoroughly enjoyed the event. He said, “It was interesting because we’ve never received information from real journalists, so it was reassuring to know that we’re doing something right.” Editor-in-Chief Taylor Kang was also happy to have experienced the panel discussion. She stated, “I thought that the panel was a fantastic opportunity for New Media students. The panelists not only shared thoughtful insights, but also offered advice that we can apply to our own burgeoning careers as students, and perhaps someday professional, journalists. They offered us a glimpse into the world of professional journalism, not necessarily a very glamorous or easy world to make it in, but an invaluable glimpse still.”
JerEcho reporters are thankful to have had this experience and hope to maintain future relations with the exceptional panel of journalists.
Excellent work! Great video and well-written article! Also, the pictures were of superb quality, while the captions were creative and informative! Keep it up!