The Brightside: SDHS Decatur News Network Gets New Studio
BERLIN, Md. – Some students have to wait until college to get dive deep into the world of media, whether journalism or film-making. However, the Decatur News Network at Stephen Decatur High School had a recent upgrade to their classroom that’s giving students a head start. “The class isn’t just the morning announcements, that’s just a 10-minute segment of our day, we have so much that we learn and do,” says senior, Eva Luzier.
Decatur News Network or DNN gives students some hands-on experience while shaping future journalists, videographers, and filmmakers. “We focus on more than just that, it’s more than just a personality it’s what is a story, how do we tell that story,” says teacher and DNN news director, Dj Thompson. He adds, “We always hear that term fake news out there so how can we be better journalists is one thing I always ask.”
DNN has been a program in the works since the late 80s, slowly growing each year. Recently, the board of education stepped in and help fund the program, giving the class some new tech, and a new set. “Now with the new upgrade we’re able to stream live onto YouTube so everyone in the community will be able to watch the morning announcements,” says Thompson.
Students like senior Luzier, who has taken the class three times says, they’re trying to make the most of it. Whether making a news package about school parking lot woes, reporting on sports, or even creating a PSA on domestic violence in teen relationships. Luzier and other students say the possibilities are seemingly endless. “I just get to talk about things that I personally feel a way about. And it’s nice because I get to express myself and I have a place to talk in this school and I have a voice so that’s nice,” says Luzier.
Students who take the class work on elements of broadcast journalism, documentaries, human interest stories, and even hard-hitting news. Which we’re told can spark an interest in the field for students like Luzier who says, it’s teachers like Mr. Thompson that are helping to shape her future goals. “I’ve noticed I’ve always learned better in an environment where the teacher is passionate and having such a passionate teacher makes the program so much better because he wants us to do better and he wants us to learn and he wants us to have all the knowledge we possibly can,” says Luzier.
Luzier also tells 47 ABC, this year she gets to work on a human interest story which is something she’s been anxiously waiting for. After a former student went on to college to pursue journalism, she feels she can do it too. She says, “They were like wow I’ve never met a student that had this kind of experience before, and it’s because she had this program so I hope I’m the same way too.”
Now with a working soundboard, cameras, monitors, and up-to-date tech, we’re told the program can grow exponentially, giving students the best opportunity for greatness. “For years we’ve been kind of battling old technology not being able to do as much and now we can actually put it out there on the platform and say this is who we are not only as a school but as a community,” says Thompson.
Thompson also tells us, with the addition of their studio, they’re working to get additional cameras, and eventually an internet radio station so students can get the full spectrum of the broadcasting experience.
