Although this may not be how myself or any other students anticipated this year ending, I have still learned a great deal throughout this year in the Honors Journalism course at Pennridge High School. Journalism is an important class to take because it teaches skills that are valuable inside and out of the classroom, and shows students about the world of sharing information with others.

In the beginning of this course, I learned a great deal of traditional journalism and how to craft an article. We focused on formatting our news reporting, “flit-j” and correct titles, and how to ensure that the resources we were using are valid and contain correct information. Additionally, we learned about the history of journalism, completing group and individual projects on the first journalists and their struggles and triumphs with printed news. One such unit that I found to be interesting was muckrakers, specifically our “famous muckraker” assignment in which we were given a historic person who is known for implementing change. My figure was Charlotte Perkins Gilman, whom I had previously never heard of. She was a writer, feminist, and advocate for mental health, and reading her short story “The Yellow-Wall Paper” was extremely enlightening.

Besides the obvious educational earnings I gained from the Journalism course, I also grew as a student and person. Taking the course has helped me with one of my biggest struggles: close-mindedness. It could often be a challenge for me to see things from the point of view of others, especially when they do not align with my own. Journalism has taught me lots about recognizing different perspectives, and realizing the importance of making sure said perspectives are equally represented when telling a story. Good journalists are not biased; they do not present a story how they want others to see it or allow their own ideas to impact the news they are reporting, they tell it like it is. Using this knowledge in my own life has helped me to be honest, genuine, and more open to the feelings and beliefs of others.

Overall, the Journalism course at Pennridge is one of the best classes the school has to offer; I would highly recommend it to any incoming seniors for the many benefits it will provide them, throughout their educational career and lives.