By ERIC COOP
MHS Journalism Advisor
Bobcats nation, Pebbles is back!
After a multi-year hiatus, Marshalltown High School’s newspaper is making a return with a twist. It will be published digitally instead of in print.
This is for many reasons. First, the cost of newsprint and ink is prohibitively expensive. Secondly, generations following Gen-X tend to get their news from digital sources instead of from print. Thirdly, by publishing digitally, journalism students can provide timely, accurate, and current news the way the younger generations prefer to receive it.
In short, the new program is preparing the next generation of journalists today and providing them a way to be seen and noticed.
Currently, we have a staff of approximately 20 student-journalists who are learning the basics of journalism. These topics range from basic journalistic writing to journalistic photography. They also are learning about journalistic ethics and issues in journalism such as the growing news deserts in America. In short, they are gaining the basic skills necessary to report news effectively and efficiently while getting the opportunity to inform you, our reader.
So what does this mean for the staff and students at MHS? It means that we’ll be looking at and reporting on stories and information that impacts our school. We’ll be learning about clubs and activities that are crucial to students’ lives and how that affects them. We’ll also be informing the public about activities and events at MHS so they are aware of the great activities and events we provide for our students and how MHS is an important part of the greater Marshalltown community.
Another important activity that our students will participate in will be covering a public meeting while enrolled in the journalism class. While this won’t be published in Pebbles, it gives our staff an opportunity to experience one of the essential duties of journalism - being the eyes and ears of the community while reporting what is occurring with their (and your) governmental bodies in Marshall County.
It has taken a few weeks to front-load all the information our students need to be successful in journalism. However, we are excited to share our stories with you, the public. More than that, we are proud to be Marshalltown Bobcats. We are proud to resurrect Pebbles, a publication that many Bobcat alumni remember fondly.
We are Marshalltown. We are Bobcats. We Embrace the Lead!