- Wayland Student Press
Wayland Student Press Network (WSPN) is the online news medium of
Wayland High School inWayland, Massachusetts . It has received attention from media bloggers. Its mission is to help unite the school community by raising awareness of various student activities. WSPN serves the Wayland community as a student-run news medium. It goes beyond written articles, adding broadcasting, video clips, photo galleries, blogs, cartoons. Students can choose to participate a great deal or only once in a while. No experience in online publishing is necessary.In less than a year, the Wayland Student Press Network (WSPN) has grown from just an idea to winning the
National Pacemaker Award , a prestigious student journalism award in the country.Awards
Overall Staff Awards, 2007-2008
"Online Pacemaker"
Wayland Student Press was one of five scholastic journalism Web sites nationwide that received the Online Pacemaker award. The Pacemaker, given for overall staff achievement, is the NSPA’s most prestigious all-staff award.
Media Attention
Within weeks of first publication, WSPN was receiving accolades from outside sources. Mathew Ingram, a technology writer with The Globe and Mail in Toronto, praised the technological advancements of WSPN.
“A small-town high school – Wayland High in Wayland, Massachusetts – (is) doing things with their school newspaper’s Web site that more big-city papers should do, including a smart use of video, blog-style format and great design.”
He further added, “A bunch of 16-year-olds, and they are out-producing many larger newspapers put out by a giant staff. Pretty powerful stuff.”
Paul Conley, who held senior positions at CNN and Bloomberg News, brings up a question to other journalists through his blog.
“Take a look at the future: a news site run by high school kids. Not college kids. Not pros. Take a look and ask yourself honestly, ‘What are these kids doing on this site that I can’t do at my publication?’”
Howard Owens of [http://www.gatehousemedia.com/ GateHouse Media] also wrote about WSPN on his website.
[http://www.wickedlocal.com/wayland/ Wayland Town Crier] also wrote an [http://www.wickedlocal.com/wayland/news/education/x688585156 article about WSPN] .
On April 19, Wayland Student Press, a student-run news medium of Wayland High School in Wayland, Mass., received a National Online Pacemaker Award, given by the National Scholastic Press Association, which was established on 1921.
Grant
WSPN obtained a grant from the Wayland Public Schools Foundation [http://www.waylandpublicschoolsfoundation.org/grants.htm] to purchase necessary computers, and video and digital cameras. Students write articles, opinion pieces, conduct interviews and create videos for the Web site. Students have tuned in to view the site and to send in online comments on a wide range of subjects, from praise for student productions to lively debate about the upcoming elections.
Usage
Parents and faculty members visit the Web site regularly. The site has become a centralized location for students and teachers alike to raise and ponder important issues related to school climate, which directly addresses the core values of the school’s mission statement to “create a climate where risk-taking is safeguarded, open expression is encouraged, and free association is protected,” as well as “to advance our students’ growth into principled, informed and capable citizens who will help guide a democracy that follows humanitarian principles in the global forum.”
Students are gaining experience in journalism issues including writing, editing, interviewing, video and podcasting, as well as First Amendment concerns.
Facts
*Wayland High School does not have a journalism course.
*Wayland Student Press and WSPN.tv are part of the same student organization; they are different branches of the group.
*WSPN is made and operated by students, for students.
*WSPN is not associated with any other paper publications or broadcasting channels.
*WSPN websites and graphics are completely custom designed and its CMS (Content Management System) is customized and re-written.
Access
Wayland Student Press Network can be accessed through three different Web sites – www.wspnlive.com [http://www.wspnlive.com] is the main Web site, which provides news articles, commentaries, podcasts, galleries and more; www.wspn.tv [http://www.wspn.tv] serves as a video database of WSPN; and www.wspnondiet.com [http://www.wspnondiet.com] is a portal Web site that links all updates from WSPN in a single list and allows students to debate on various issues.
External links
* [http://www.wickedlocal.com/wayland/news/education/x688585156 Wayland Town Crier Article]
* [http://studentpress.org/nspa/winners/opm08.html 2008 NSPA Online Pacemaker Finalists]
* [http://studentpress.org/nspa/index.html National Scholastic Press Association/Associated Collegiate Press]
* [http://www.wayland.k12.ma.us/high_school/ Wayland High School]
* [http://www.wayland.k12.ma.us/ Wayland Public Schools]
* [http://www.waylandpublicschoolsfoundation.org/ Wayland Public Schools Foundation]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
