The Record’s Youth In Journalism Workshop dives deep into purpose and skills behind the work

Another successful Youth in Journalism Workshop is in the books.

The workshop concluded on Friday, Aug. 9, after a week of sessions aimed to connect and guide journalism-curious young people.

Eight participants came from across Chicagoland to learn from The Record’s Editor in Chief Joe Coughlin and daily guest speakers. The group varied in their experiences with students ranging from incoming college seniors to rising high school juniors. 

The free program was open to ages 16-22, and all accepted students were given a $200 stipend to offset any travel costs or work hours potentially taken by the workshop.

Each day, Coughlin reviewed different journalism concepts, such as ethics, interview skills, communications law, and modern and future newsroom models. The workshop aimed to inform and enrich students’ understanding of the news industry.

“This workshop really furthered my appreciation for local journalism and introduced me to aspects of a career that I wasn’t familiar with! I not only gained the gifts of knowledge and insight but also the values of community and craft,” Jack Rosenthal, a rising senior at New Trier, wrote in an email.

The workshop also hosted four guest speakers in person and via Zoom. 

The first speaker was Colin Boyle, of Block Club Chicago. Boyle is a reporter and photojournalist for the fellow nonprofit newsroom and teaches a course on photojournalism in Northwestern’s Medill graduate program. As a young professional, Boyle spoke to advocating for yourself and reminded the students that they are more than just student journalists.

Tuesday’s speaker was NBC Chicago’s Patrick Fazio. The Wilmette resident anchors the weekend morning news and is an investigative reporter. Fazio detailed a story he was working on that very day and walked the class through how he had to adjust on the fly and get it on air by 4 p.m., just in time to speak at the workshop.

Day three started with a lesson on the Freedom of Information Act, which transitioned well into a Zoom session with Matt Topic, one of Chicago’s top FOIA lawyers. Topic told students about aiding in the release of the video that exposed more information on the murder of Laquan McDonald. 

The fourth speaker was J.A. Adande, who also joined the workshop via Zoom. Adande has written for L.A. Times, The Washington Post and Chicago Sun-Times and spent years as an on-air personality and reporter for with ESPN. Adande currently serves as the director of sports journalism for Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism and is a member of The Record’s Board of Directors. Adande was open with students regarding his work-life balance in the demanding, ever-changing industry. 

On the final day of the workshop, students had the opportunity to interact in a roundtable discussion with Coughlin and The Record’s Director of Development Ryan Osborn questions. Students asked about their early career experiences, and the group discussed job interviews and career tips.

Students also participated in an interview exercise, where Coughlin had the group interview him as he pretended to be different potential sources. The activity allowed students to learn how to ask open-ended questions and see how different tactics can be applied to different interviews. 

Following the workshop, the participants received an anonymous survey in which they could write their thoughts and potential feedback. One of the questions asked students what lesson they found the most useful.

“I thought the interview advice to be very valuable. I don’t hear people talk about that a lot and it was very helpful. This workshop also helped me think more about how there are stories everywhere,” wrote one participant.

Many participants also followed up with Coughlin after the workshop to share their thoughts and discuss the program’s impact.

“This workshop was very interesting and definitely encouraged me to look at the local news more,” wrote Sam Schmidt, an incoming sophomore at Dickinson College. 

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