Sacred Heart puts news online

Kaitlyn Anness
The Daily Journal
Vineland, N.J.

October 31, 2009

Journalism students at Sacred Heart High School have launched themselves into the 21st century of journalism. This year, the class has created The Lion's Lair, an online newspaper.

Lisa Alessandrini's journalism class has decided to transfer all of their work to the Web. The class previously published Visions, a print newspaper, four times per year. Now, the class updates their Web site once a week and has published five online issues.

Last year, Alessandrini searched for supplemental lesson plans to boost the journalism curriculum. She found the American Society of News Editors High School Journal Initiative. The program provides free Web hosting for high school newspapers, as well as news training and scholarship opportunities.

Alessandrini said the print edition would sometimes have out-of-date news, due to the small number of issues. But now, the students can post their articles weekly and can focus on current events.

"What they like about it is that it is current," Alessandrini said.

Alessandrini said that not only is the school saving money, it is moving the journalism program forward.

Students are adjusting to a more demanding curriculum, but see the value in learning about the online world.

"It gives me more of an idea of what it is going to be like when I go into journalism," said Emily Barlas, a senior and editor-in-chief of the newspaper.

Barlas is responsible for reading all student articles before they are put on the Web site, and said she often spends time after school going through the editing process.

El Etter, senior co-editor, said he would like to enter a sports broadcasting career and feels he is going in the right direction by taking Alessandrini's class.

"I know the basics of online, but we are ahead of the curve now," Etter said.

The class will begin posting podcasts and videos on the site shortly. Alessandrini said it is a work in progress.

"Part of teaching about media is talking about the changes in media. This speaks to that," she said. "But, I am learning with them."

Copyright 2009 The Daily Journal, Vineland, NJ. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.