Reporting
and
Writing
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This piece was my first article as a staff reporter for Ka Leo. I chose to write this article because as a long-time participant of the theater program, I wanted to share about the revival of the program. But because this was my first article, I struggled with the writing process such as finding the right angle, implementing AP style into my writing, as well as planning and conducting interviews. This article also presented its challenges because the piece not only focused on the actresses but also the program itself. I had to organize this article in a way that allowed for the story to show the struggle of the drama program over the span of COVID-19 but also highlight the actresses. Interviewing three of the actresses and then weaving the information into the article was a task that was not easy. The three girls offered different perspectives, all ranging in different ages and theater experience and their experience with the pandemic. However, their varying perspective added dimension to the story, highlighting the differences and the similarities between each of the actresses.
Talking to some of the seniors from the class of 2023, a common thing that was mentioned was that they never truly got a normal year of high school until their senior year. Personally, I had my share of how the pandemic affected my life, but I had never taken into consideration how it affected others. I hoped that writing this article would convey the struggles the class of 2023 experienced but also the feeling of finally getting the normal experience they missed out on. This article presented its challenges because even though I had a plentiful amount of information from my student interviews, I also had to incorporate research. This was an aspect of journalism I had not previously experienced before writing this. I found myself unsure of how to fit in the research. As a result, I used research to explain certain behaviors that were described in my student interviews. For instance, in a student interview, it was mentioned that upon returning back to school, students didn’t know how to act. I was able to back up this statement with research, explaining how the lack of structure that school had provided before the pandemic resulted in students lacking in behavioral discipline.
Taking note of the constant presence of music not only in my life but also those around me, I wanted to dive into how music affects individuals, specifically their brains. This article was very research-heavy. I struggled with doing research because I wanted to make sure I was using credible and academic sources so that I could use correct information in the article. I was advised to not just use research for the article but rather to find someone to interview who was knowledgeable in this area. Fortunately, I was taking a college psychology class at the time, and my professor was willing to help me. I integrated the information into the article, connecting my sources and my interview information throughout the article.
Sadfishing: Teens caught up in rising trend (NEWS)
-2024 HHSJA Investigative Reporting 2nd place-
The topic of sadfishing was brought to my attention through my journalism adviser. I had no idea what sadfishing was prior to writing this article, but after a quick online search, I was able to get the gist of what it was. Sadfishing is when social media users post in order to amplify their emotions to receive sympathy. However, this topic was a difficult one to write about because it could be mistaken as attention-seeking; there's a line between trying to get attention through attention-seeking and trying to get sympathy and help through sadfishing. Approaching this article with caution meant being unsure of the angle I wanted to take and what information I wanted to include in the article. I gathered so much information, with all my research and from an interview, that I found myself having to chip away at the information, determining what was most important and what could be left out. I decided to use a student interview to introduce the topic so that it would humanize the complex topic. I then followed up with information about the topic and resources to help teens who were struggling to find help.
A lot of my time on social media is spent looking for book recommendations. But, one thing I wish these recommendations included was the why–why do these people like the book and what made them want to keep reading. I decided to write my own recommendations that included the reasons why I enjoyed them. This article was a different style of writing than usual because it didn't require any interviews or research. It was a new experience for me because instead of reporting stories, I was able to share my thoughts and opinions.
Subsequent to Ka Leo’s win as Best In State High School Newspaper, a fellow editor and I wanted to report on the win. We didn’t want to only talk about Ka Leo’s win but rather highlight the hard work of the staff as they faced obstacles throughout the year. This was the first article I co-wrote with someone so exploring that was a new experience but also one I was able to learn from. The process required a lot of communication between us and collaboration throughout the entirety of the writing process.
The return of former principal Dr. Brandy Ann Sato to Sacred Hearts Academy prompted me to think about the other alumnae who serve as staff and administrators. I chose to highlight their experiences as students while exemplifying their feelings about coming back to the Academy. A challenge I faced with this article was scheduling interviews. My interviewees preferred in-person interviews, so I had to schedule these interviews to fit into their busy schedules. However, I found these in-person interviews to be beneficial because they gave me a lot of information and encapsulated the personality of the alumnae.
I spend a lot of time on Instagram, clicking through stories, but one caught my attention. It was about the potential loss of statewide Learning Centers due to budgets being cut. Although this did not directly affect me, I wanted to help bring awareness to the situation. I interviewed three girls from Mililani High School’s performing arts program. I found this to be daunting because I typically only interview people I know directly, and I didn’t know two of these girls. I also struggled with the writing process because I wanted to make sure I was sharing their stories in the right way. However, once I was able to sit down and comb through all my information, I was able to write an article that included both statistical information on the situation and vibrant quotes from the student interviews.
Last year, as a junior, I sat through numerous college prep sessions that were offered through our counselor. A fellow editor and I decided to do a podcast about the sessions, with the goal of creating a useful resource for other students to refer back to. This was a different experience for me as a journalist because I had only ever written stories. I had to learn how to create a podcast, from outlining to filming and editing everything together to make it cohesive. The experience was difficult for me because it was my first time exploring what it meant to be a journalist beyond just writing articles. Experiencing a different form of journalism was difficult because it was a whole different process from what I was used to. Editing audio clips together is something I have never done, especially to this degree. However, I was able to work with the other editor I worked on the podcast with to find where we wanted to cut the audio and what we wanted to keep. Being able to obtain experience in a different form of journalism is important for me as a storyteller because I am not only broadening my expertise but I can now turn to other methods to tell a story in a new way.