Behind the scenes of journalism

OPINION

Christian Guevara

Chronicle Reporter

Twenty weeks down and eight website stories in, the Crimson Chronicle has taught me more about my school, community, classmates, myself, and the hard work journalists put in to create a story. 

Before joining the journalism class, I did not think it would have benefited me in the numerous ways it has. I’ve developed a range of core journalistic skills including researching, investigating, interviewing, reporting, and writing. 

When I first started, I did not realize the high technicality that comes with journalism, as you have to think about a topic, research it, check for credibility, interview people and lastly write your story. After the pandemic hit, The Crimson Chronicle was no longer capable of being a physical newspaper, so we took it online where we’ve been able to expand our technical skills with podcasts. 

I learned journalism is truly about the people. It is about meeting new faces, even through a computer screen, getting to know who they are and what they like. In writing for a high school newspaper, most stories are school-related topics, so you will become familiar with the faculty at Hollywood. Another thing I picked up on is you must focus on the topic and not your emotions. As a reporter, you will report some things you might not agree with or care for, but it is your job to get the news and factual information out. There come times when you may be able to let your heart spill over a movie review, but when reporting the girl’s volleyball game, keep it to yourself. 

Journalism has been an outlet for myself and many other students to express themselves and be the voice on the latest news. 

To anyone interested in joining journalism, you should take advantage of this opportunity as you will be fully engaged with the school, and you’ll have an amazing teacher to guide you through it all. 

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