There’s no telling what the journalism world will look like in 25 years.
But if people still value in-depth reporting, fact checking and good storytelling, the students who are studying with Barbara McLachlan at Durango High School and putting out the monthly El Diablo school newspaper have gotten a good head start at a career in the rapidly changing field.
Every few years, McLachlan takes her students on a trip to the Columbia University Scholastic Press Convention. She wants them to see both the larger world of journalism and visit a big city.
By day, they went to the conference, listening to speakers addressing topics from online publication and layout to ethics and covering breaking news. Columbia’s journalism school, for the nonjournalists among my readers (which I imagine is most of you), is generally ranked among the Top 10 j-schools in the country. Of course, since the journalism school is in the Pulitzer Building, that set a few dreams of future glory dancing in their heads.
By late afternoon each day, the students were free to go museum-hopping, shop for prom dresses, play tourist, enjoy the wide variety of the Big Apple’s restaurants and attend the Broadway musical “Matilda.”
The latter was McLachlan’s favorite part of the trip, not only because the production was excellent, but because her excited students handled the experience with maturity.
The students raise the money for the trip by soliciting donations, running a food cart during Demon Time selling both donated and homemade treats as well as holding a couple of fundraisers at Wendy’s. (When I went through the drive-through to get my salad Thursday night, there was a poster asking me to mention El Diablo so they would get a donation from my visit. I had to laugh at the timing, and of course I mentioned the newspaper.)
Priscilla Blevins, whose daughter Kaylee is one of El Diablo’s editors, assisted McLachlan with the chaperoning duties.
Other students on the trip included Katie Pannell, Haakon Sigurslid, Amelia Wigton, Laura Mummery, Logan Graham, Lydia Thompson, Emma Costello, Kelsey Pool, Sheila Prentice, Emma Russell, Elle Rathbun, Brooke Kniffin, Sarah Barney, Abigail Jackson, Elise Tidwell, Mikayla Montoya and Shaylah Wood. (I’ve listed them in order, left to right, starting in the back row for those attempting to match names with faces. Kaylee is third from the left in that row, and McLachlan is at the left in the front row.)
HHH
Deciding whether they want chocolate, red velvet, vanilla or lemon cake – or maybe apple pie – for their birthdays are Doug Shand, Nika Patterson, Josh Poole, Kyle Cheesewright, Judy Fairchild, Caroline Kinser, Betsy Clark, Connor Collins, Emil Nagy, Tracy Cornutt, Allison Barker, Stella Best, Rachel Overington, Cheryle Brandsma, Rebecca Awe, Ivey Patton, Mary Gilley, Jeffrey Wince, Elaine Hartnett, Lillian Krause, Parker Perkerwicz, Donna Alsdurf, Suzanne Washburn, Michael Benner, Angelia Cook and Dean Brown.
Special greetings go to Rosemary Krass, who no longer lives here but remains a faithful reader.
HHH
Ballantine Communications Inc., may seem like a small fish in the big pond of the world of journalism, but that hasn’t stopped board member Elizabeth Ballantine from being elected the president of the InterAmerican Press Association.
Founded in the early 1940s, the organization advocates for freedom of the press, holds conferences for its 1,400 members from throughout the Western Hemisphere where they meet with world leaders and gives awards for excellence in journalism.
(Once again, I just happen to have stories on related themes, journalism in this case, in the same column. I swear I don’t plan it that way, but it just keeps happening.)
Last week the association met in Barbados – rough gig – where she had a chance to discuss the status of freedom of the press in the Caribbean with Prime Minister Freundel J. Stuart. (Herald opinion page editor Bill Roberts has also been attending the meetings for several years.) If you’re wondering about the status in the Americas, it’s becoming more dangerous for journalists, and a number of governments are working to muzzle the press in their countries.
Ecuador, which I had always considered a bastion of stability (compared to many other Latin American countries, at least), recently passed the Communication Law, the kind of Draconian press law I’d expect from hard-core dictatorships.
If freedom of the press is an important value for you, there are all kinds of examples of how the law is being used to bludgeon the press in Ecuador at www.sipiapa.org on the association’s website. Here’s one example:
Since its enactment, the newspaper Extra has been fined for giving “morbid treatment” to two car accidents with the headlines “From the meeting to the grave,” and “She went to heaven with the title of graduate.” The newspaper refused to “rectify” the headlines because the headlines were not deceitful, and the ajudication process is full of defects. The court ordered it to pay 10 percent of receipts for a three-month period. If Extra appeals and loses, the fine will double.
HHH
On March 29, I wrote about Michael Kuss’ bad fall down some stairs that broke a vertebra in his neck. Here’s an update, and the news is mostly good.
His surgery went well, and Kuss is now at Craig Hospital for rehabilitation. (My dad, Charlie Butler, was there for his traumatic brain injury, and that place is a gem all Coloradans should brag about.)
Kuss is quite weak, using his hands but without much coordination yet. He is expected to be in a neck brace for several months, but doctors are guardedly predicting he’ll make a full recovery. They expect him to be there for intensive therapy until at least the end of the month.
His wife, Janet, is staying in his room with him, and sons Jeff and Eric have been there. (Jeff, a Marine aviator, took leave from his deployment in the Middle East. Eric is in the process of moving back to Durango from Los Angeles.)
The cards and notes they have received have been greatly appreciated. If you’d like to help keep up the support, the new mailing address is 3425 So. Clarkson, Englewood, CO 80110.
HHH
Spring has sprung for the anniversary of Alfredo and Nadine Ontiveros.
HHH
neighbors@durangoherald.com
