Huckleberries Online

Lewiston High Paper Still Going Strong

Posted by DFO

Feb. 20, 2009 7:36 a.m. • 7 comments

Item: Lewiston High’s Bengal Purr still hot off the presses/Kerri Sandaine, Lewiston Tribune

More Info: While many high schools no longer offer journalism or publish student newspapers, Lewiston is still pumping out the Purr every four to six weeks. The award-winning paper has been in existence since 1927, when it was established by the student council. … The Purr’s circulation is 1,500 for seven regular issues, and 3,500 for special Golden Throne and homecoming editions, Shannon said. About 15 students write stories, take photographs, edit copy, sell advertising, design graphics and put together pages. The seniors on the staff handle most of the writing.

Question: What would you tell a high school student who is considering a career in journalism, in light of the current woeful financial shape of the news media?

Seven comments on this post so far. Add yours!

nic on February 20 at 7:53 a.m.
Get creative. News media needs inovation.
hmoffsuite on February 20 at 7:58 a.m.
Be objective and not prone to bias.
hollykb on February 20 at 8:52 a.m.
Don’t do it! I don’t need more competitors for jobs!!
moscow_minidoka on February 20 at 9:13 a.m.
I would encourage any high school student to participate in their student newspapers in high school and college. I no longer work in the newspaper industry, but I did for 8 years - and my college experiences were responsible for my walking right into a good job in Seattle at a specialty industry newspaper.

Newspapers may be suffering right now, but journalism need not be a victim. Newspaper work is good training - go for it! Who knows where it might lead you?

My co-editor from high school is now a mother of three who does technical writing from her home in Utah. Of my friends and compatriots from my college days, I know that the former news editor is now the legislature reporter for the Olympian, one production designer is now an architect in Seattle, another is a graphic designer for a university in Oregon, and another news reporter is a website designer + reporter at my old employer in Seattle.

So i say - GO FOR IT! It’s good experience, whether it’s your career or not. Life would be much less rich if we all decided on one surefire career and let that determine our life.

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About this blog

D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.