At Queens Preparatory Academy, student journalists are always happy to improve their writing. Moreover, it’s even better when they interact with other high school journalists while doing so.
On Saturday, December 9, 2023, QPA student journalists attended the Fall Journalism Workshop at Benjamin N. Cardozo High School in Bayside, Queens. The event was sponsored by the Journalism Education Association and the National Scholastic Press Association.
At this event, students were able to learn from professionals recognized for their achievements in the field.
Workshops highlighted broadcasting, writing and photography skills, and students claimed they learned a lot. QPA student journalist Fazil Mohamed learned that a key factor in writing articles is being willing to take chances and experiment with new ideas. “It gave me inspiration to make my articles better,” he said.
Chidindu Onyekatu said, “It helped me become more conscious of my writing and inspired me to try something different.” They also learned how to incorporate social media into their pieces and enhance their storytelling skills.
The photography workshop introduced techniques students could use to make their work more interesting. According to Fazil, they sat at round tables and “got to experiment” and “spend time taking interesting pictures using [their] surroundings.”
However, a major highlight for students was meeting two New York State politicians: Senator John C. Liu (16th Senate District) and Assemblyman Ed Braunstein (District 26), who stopped by to encourage students to keep reporting and writing. During his presentation, Senator Liu encouraged students to uphold integrity in journalism. Additionally, Braunstein made it clear that journalism holds politicians accountable and is a necessary part of our society.
QPA student journalists enjoyed the event. They found it informative, impactful, and appreciate the opportunity to partake in this learning experience.
