LEADERSHIP

I have made my closest friends through this program. Many of them have graduated and moved on to bigger journalism opportunities. I am extremely grateful for the people I have met through MV Media. You never realize how quickly you become close with people on a journalism staff until you take a step back and understand that you are all friends because of a common interest, a common goal and a common passion for journalism. Through my past leaders and my own trial-and-error, I have opened my eyes to the world of journalism. MV Media also has given me the opportunity to have some of the most fun I’ve ever had.

LEADING & LEARNING

Becoming a leader in this program was at first very intimidating but altogether rewarding. Being a good leader has many components, a major one being communication. Communicating with people is by far the best way to work efficiently. Working on such a large staff calls for different outlets of communication to be constantly available and consistently organized. 

GROUP ME– In the program, my phone is constantly blowing up with texts from several group messages solely devised for the purpose of journalism. Everyday I communicate with my coeditors and my staff members about deadlines, opportunities and coverage ideas.

TRELLO– In MVM we use Trello to keep track of our chronological coverage ideas for the yearbook and to plan out our newsmagazines. It has proven to be the most effective way for events to be seen by staff members and for editors to know what goes in the yearbook. 

GOOGLE DRIVE– My Google Drive is the most organized bit of chaos in my life. Somehow I have tons of folders yet I know where everything is. Each student has a Google Drive account and I have found this most beneficial when needing to contact a staff member. We use it to communicate about upcoming deadlines, various pieces of content and editing papers. 

Being in charge also means knowing that, since we put so much time into working, there must be time for entertainment to get everyone engaged. 

WORK NIGHTS– We typically organize work nights for big deadlines such as Fall Sports content for the yearbook or getting the newsmagazine sent on time. It has proved to be the most fun and rewarding way for staff members to have one-on-one time with editors, work on anything with the outlets we have available in the newsroom and to simultaneously have some pizza parties. 

360 COVERAGE– The 360 Coverage night is dedicated to getting new staff members engaged in the program. Leading the new students around the press box, locker rooms and working the field is very effective. I was assigned to lead staff members that night whether it is running SD cards up to the press box, checking the content placed on a live blog, or teaching them the settings on a camera. It is a fun night where everyone can participate in something whether that is just eating dinner with us beforehand or taking a memorable photo. 

5280 Magazine– One of the best events organized by MV Media that I have been a part of this year was going to 5280 Magazine. I enjoyed meeting with the head copy editor of 5280 Magazine. It was unique to have one-on-one time with a professional. She explained what it was like to work at one of the largest magazine companies in the state, how she worked her way up to a lead position from a fact checking intern and gave us pointers for our own magazine at Vista. It was inspiring to be in contact with someone who started in a similar position as I did. 

The majority of what we do happens during the school day. A large part of my leadership role happens when I interact with the staff members. 

EXPERIENCE– I can't explain the memorable things we do in our newsroom. From homemade pancakes cooked on a hot plate from the science rooms, to quick dance party gatherings in between finals, to learning the ins and outs of our programs, every day is something new. The experiences I've had with working in MVM have taught me about who I am, introduced me to my best friends and helped me figure out what career path I am willing to pursue. I have learned that some of the best moments in my journalism career are sitting down at a computer working on the yearbook. I strive to give my current staff members the same special moments in the classroom as I had through guidance and trial-and-error. (A large portion of my own experiences, including a photo collage can be found on the next page, team bonding) 

LEARNING– I began my journalistic learning process from Newt and my former editors. I remember feeling so helplessly lost in the beginning of my journalism career, but with guidance and the trial-and-error process, I found my way. I try to bring the same process of learning to the current staff members and help them engage in the same process as I did. I recognize that different people have different learning styles so I try to get to know the staff members and create a connection with them to understand which way works best for them. 

TEACHING– Being a leader of something as large as MV Media was intimidating at first. I thought leading people would be something professional where I just stood at the front of the room. I now know that reassuring staff members and answering questions comes hand-in-hand with walking around and getting to know the people you work with. With teaching comes responsibility. I make it my job to be someone people can count on and to be an outlet of knowledge and experience. I have learned from my former editors that the friendships you make in the newsroom will outlast the days of high school.