EDITING, TEAMWORK, AND LEADERSHIP

With the various group activities and discussions our news team has that help bolster productivity in our newsroom, the pitch is one of the beginning steps to our process as well as a crucial part of writing an article that fits the necessary criteria for relevant articles. I often interject my thoughts and ideas that I think will help define certain components, enrich, or expand on my fellow journalist's work. For example, during this particular pitch session, I had suggested to my editor in chief that in her article on about derealization that she add some history facing views on mental health, specifically pertaining to derealization (if she could find any,) and to talk about how that affects how people react to mental health issues socially. This is an example of my active and enthusiastic participation in our newswriting process. Not only does handing out different ideas allow for group collaboration, but it also helps students that may be struggling with their story.

In the less than 2 short years of my becoming a journalist, I have realized that knowing how to edit a story, whether it be your own or your fellow staff members, is just as important as knowing how to write a story. I have checked many articles during my time in The Pinion, reviewing them for simple things such as grammar mistakes, syntax, spelling mistakes, etc. This is protocol for every single article written for our newspaper Editing a story is about the 4 step of the writing process after pitches, reporting and drafting.  In addition to that, I also aid my fellow writers in things such as the overall structure, the information presented in the quotes and how to present them thoughtfully, if they need certain pieces of information or not, etc. I know that a quote is supposed to evoke emotion or include necessary information for the article for example, so I try to look out for this while editing. When our team has editing sessions, I make sure to keep it a more fun, engaging conversation rather than just dry criticism so students are more open to receiving these suggestions in a productive way for their writing and for the MHS newspaper. When my articles are analyzed for mistakes, I find it to be an informative experience. I see the tinier details that I need to fix or get better at during each editing session. Seeing where I can improve each time I write a piece allows me to keep up coherence, accuracy, and originality throughout my writing and it provides valuable practice for me when giving other students feedback. Looking back at some of my original works being edited, such as the Maui Fire article, I see tremendous growth within myself as a writer and a journalist. S138-Malia Manuel - Learning Journey Slideshow Template - Google Slides