Blog 3

The Circuit of Cypress Bay High School looks quite professional. The masthead (pointing out its award winning status) and sub-categories look like something USA Today or CNN would have, and I was quite impressed. Their link to the print edition is something I think we should replicate. The Circuit also has a multimedia editor who posts plentiful videos, which gave more insight into student life than a story would. It gave a glimpse of day-to-day student life as it happened, which I think is important for a student newspaper to give.

The Rider of Legacy High School was definitely one of my favorites in terms of user friendliness. I also liked their “Personalities” section that allowed readers to attach faces to the names of staff writers and editors. It helped me connect with that paper instantly, despite the fact that I do not go to Manvel. The Rider also separates the negative and positive opinions. I found that a handy tool.

Silver Chips also struck me by its user-friendliness. Its site map breaks down nearly every category. The newspaper covers national and international issues, especially politics. As someone who avidly reads political news, I absolutely loved that feature of obtaining world news from a student perspective. It also had a play-by-play coverage of the 2012 Election as it happened. The news stories (and all others on the site) were well written, but I could honestly say the same of all three.

“Uncovering Addiction” by Kaitlyn Lemke and Jackie Gehling.
This story was hard-hitting, emotional, and realistic. With heroin use on the rise in America, coverage of how it affects students and the young, not just those with wealth or fame, could easily bring someone to tears.

Homelessness affects students, while school system offers support: Students struggle with unusual living circumstances” by Hannah Conkin

This story was also hard-hitting. The topic is not something I saw covered often.