Reign's World

In my group’s pop-up newsroom, we wanted to give students the opportunity to share what news matters to them. Our “Your Voice Matters” sign and interactive poster drew students in. Though it’s likely that the free chocolate chip cookies and chips helped.

Melia and I took the lead on getting students to start a conversation. We started by asking if they wanted free snacks. Once they approached, we asked them to sign our poster, then tell us anything they wanted about news on campus.  

As journalism students, we wanted to know what would make students feel more inclined to read the school’s publications. A lot of the subjects suggested were interesting.  

One student shared that he skateboards to and from campus, from a Jack in the Box downtown. He wanted to see stories about students who skate, bike or take public transportation to campus.  

We encountered a graduate student who was a conservationist. She told us about a spot on campus where she bird watches. This student also suggested more wildlife and conservationist stories.  

Jenny and Taylor captured the names of each student who took time to speak with us. They also helped in taking pictures and rounding up students from the nearby The Habit Burger Grill truck.

Overall, the experience taught me to be more appreciative of the community aspect of journalism. It’s easy for reporters to go to a location and cover a hot story. However, taking time to listen to our communities on what they think is relevant is just as important.  

Our team worked well together, each of us playing an important role in the project. I even have some story ideas I can now pitch in my magazine class.