Leadership & Team Building
Staff Role
As Multimedia Editor, I oversee all digital content creation. During my time as an editor, I've dedicated myself to support my staff as they cultivated the skills for multimedia production.
In addition to my responsibility regarding multimedia, I also assist with editing written stories and mentor new staff.
My favorite way to mentor is by working alongside a student on a shared project. Sometimes we tell the story together by writing one story or producing one video. Other times, we will work on the same topic and create separate products, such as a written story and/or a video or podcast. I guide them throughout the process by conducting interviews together and reviewing information together and provide feedback and support throughout the creation process.
My favorite part about being an editor is working closely with my staff and watching fellow staff members gain confidence and continue to grow as student journalists.
Leading by Example & Motivating Staff Members
I take pride in my leadership position and focus on leading by example. I take it upon myself to inspire and encourage my staff to venture into elements of multimedia no matter the form. Over the years of being on staff, the desire to produce more multimedia content became a priority. My first year as Multimedia Editor I created as much video content as possible to showcase and inspire the staff. By challenging myself, I also ventured into podcasting when our school was unexpectedly closed in March, which led to me finding a love for audio and creating my podcast series, "TenMinuteTalks."
Below is coverage of adoption within our community. I brainstormed this in March and it finally came to fruition in November, which is National Adoption Awareness. I created a podcast episode, wrote one story, co-wrote another and recruited other Pitt Media staff to create graphics and another story. Our collaboration was rewarded with a Best of SNO distinction.
The Many Faces of Adoption at PHS
In honor of National Adoption Awareness Month, members of the Pitt Media staff created a specialty coverage piece on adoption at Pittsburg High School. This multimedia piece consists of several stories, a video and a podcast episode. Enjoy.
About:
I first decided to create an adoption coverage piece in March of 2020 after acknowledging that there is a large number of adopted individuals and those that have adopted within our school. I began by planning on how many stories I thought were necessary, including the best mode to tell each story. This resulted in a video, podcast, graphics and multiple stories.
When the in-depth coverage piece was posted, we received overwhelming positive feedback. This piece is what I am proud of most and it helped me continue to grow as a multimedia journalist.
As a result of our hard work, this piece has inspired multiple staff members to venture into different forms of multimedia.
Because of my love for multimedia, I like to spend my time motivating staffers to find diverse ways to tell stories. Whether it be by photography, videography or podcasting, I like to promote that our job as journalists is to inform the public and give others a voice.
While I like to showcase my work to my staff, I also enjoy reposting their work onto my social media. I take pride in my staff's work and by sharing their accomplishments, I can allow others to consume it. Below are multiple posts that I have uploaded through social media to showcase their work.
Diversity & Representation
As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, celebrating diversity is something I always encourage for my staff. We have a large amount of diversity at Pittsburg High School and I believe that we as a staff are able to create content to engage that community. I created a presentation and project to challenge staffers to focus on diversity by introducing the "Not Like Me" project.
Prior to the beginning of winter break, I had a long conversation with my adviser about the lack of diversity on our staff and creating more coverage that represented the diversity within our school. She and I decided that the "Not Like Me" stories would be a way to break this cycle and give students outside of staff a chance to share their stories and use their voices.
I spent the course of my winter break preparing a presentation in hopes of inspiring staffers to tell a story by any mode that was outside of their comfort zone.
How to tell a story
As an editor, I take it upon myself to teach others. After a student asked how to write a story, I wanted to help her in the best way possible. I wanted to teach her both to process before, during and after writing.
Below is a video of me instructing a staffer on how to tell a story and the process to take before they begin writing.
Team Bonding
A critical component to having a connected staff is by creating as many opportunities as possible to bond. As I always say, the Pitt Media staff is a family. With members from all different backgrounds and experiences, we spend as much time getting to know each other as possible. Whether it's by getting to know each other by playing games, brainstorming or working on a project, we've been able to create a strong, close and connected staff.