Journalism in the Age of Fake Facts — theme of the press club’s annual high school journalism boot camp — is almost here. But there’s no complicated registration procedure. Just contact SFPPC President Antonia Ehlers and let her know you are coming. Email her at: aehlers@serrahs.com
The event is set for Saturday, May 13, at City College of San Francisco.
This year’s event merges two other longtime club services to journalism education, high school journalism contests and scholarships totaling $2,000.
The contest awards are for work by journalism students throughout the Bay Area. Part of these will be presented during a morning event, then concluded after the boot camp. Two scholarships for $1,000 each will be presented at day’s end. The event runs from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The first half of contest winners will be announced during ceremonies commencing at 11:30 a.m. The boot camp begins at 1 p. m. with a keynote speaker, followed by workshops at 2 and 3 p.m. Scholarship recipients will be announced at 4 p.m. with the final half of contest winners presented to conclude the event.
The keynote speaker is Kaylee Fagan, a journalism major from San Francisco State University who has developed a fake news web series recently presented at the National Collegiate Press Convention in March.
The workshops are:
• News and Feature Photography — Jessica Lifland —Photojournalist and CCSF teacher Jessica Lifland will reveal the basics for getting “the shot” during unfolding news events and feature opportunities. Learn from a pro. 2 to 2:50 p.m.
• Breaking News — Learn the essentials of reporting breaking news and conveying information to readers in real time with San Francisco Chronicle reporter Kimberly Veklerov. Get the tips and tools you need to cover anything from natural disasters to election results. 2 to 2:50 p.m.
• Feature Writing — Storytelling for all media, telegraph to Twitter, presented by Bill Parks, Ohlone College journalism professor, magazine journalist and former newspaper editor and reporter. 2 to 2:50 p.m.
• Social Media in Local Journalism — Social media is more than just Facebook, and in the rapidly changing digital landscape, it can be tough to balance the cutting edge in it with a local newspaper and TV media demographic. Come dip your toes with Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, veteran political columnist and beat reporter, into some of the best practices in local news social media. — 2 to 2:50 p.m.
• Writing and Publishing Books — Mark Shaw, the author of 25 books including his most recent, “The Reporter Who Knew Too Much,” describes the writing and publishing process. Students will learn how to decide on a book topic, research it, complete a manuscript, and then begin the process to becoming published whether the book’s genre is fiction or non-fiction. 2 to 2:50 p.m.
• Panel Discussion: Combating Fake News and Alternate Facts — How can we sort facts from fiction and stay informed by accurate sources? 2 to 2:50 p.m.
Panelists are:
Kayla Figard, teen librarian in San Mateo County and award-winning former college journalist
Jonathan Freedman, Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial writer and CCSF writing teacher
Jon Orlin, Emmy and Peabody award-winning former CNN Producer
Peter Scheer, Former Executive Director, First Amendment Coalition
Moderator: Carla De Luca Worfolk, Emmy award-winning former CNN Producer and filmmaker
• Student Investigations — Dave Price, editor of The Daily Post, will give examples of investigative reporting projects students can undertake at their schools. He will provide copies of investigative stories that other student newspapers have published and a list of resources for reporters. Dave also will discuss the rights and responsibilities of student journalists. 3 to 3:50 p.m.
• Transition to College and Careers in Journalism — Antonia Ehlers, freelance journalist and director of media at Serra High School, Ed Remitz, journalist and retired journalism professor, and Joe Wirt,
administrator of the California Press Foundation and the Journalism Association of Community Colleges, show how to make the transition from high school to a college journalism/communications program. You
also will explore career options in a variety of fields for college grads who major in journalism and/or communications. Parents are welcome! 3 to 3:50 p.m.
• Video News Production — KimChi Tyler is a former CNN producer with a history of delivering under high-pressure deadlines. Kiet Do is an award-winning TV reporter at KPIX 5, a CBS News affiliate. In 2006, he won an Emmy for his reporting on stories about urban expansion. In 2004, he was named “Best Reporter” by the New Mexico Broadcaster’s Association. 3 to 3:50 p.m.
• Making a Documentary — How do you take a documentary idea and make it a reality? Learn about how documentaries are developed and produced, and succeeding as an independent filmmaker from Carla De
Luca Worfolk, Emmy award-winning former CNN producer and director/writer. 3 to 3:50 p.m.
• Local News — Jane Northrop, veteran reporter for the Pacifica Tribune, discusses why local news is so important for the local community. Jane discusses what’s going on in city government, police and fire stories, and local schools. 3 to 3:50 p.m.
• Sports Writing — Daniel Brown, an award-winning sports writer for the San Jose Mercury News, discusses how to capture the action on the field (and the personalities off of it.) A 20-year veteran of Bay Area press boxes, Brown provides tips on covering games from high schools through the pros. 3 to 3:50 p.m.
• Think Fast: Making Great Design in Record Time — You’re ready to design the paper, and half your stories fall through. Or: it’s the middle of production day and a huge front-page-worthy story breaks.
Think fast! K. R. Nava, a UC Berkeley student with credits at National Geographic, NBC and Bloomberg TV, will arm you with tips for making great design on deadline. 3 to 3:50 p.m.
“The High School Boot Camp is an excellent way for students to learn about many aspects of the news business by attending interesting workshops and listening to exceptional guest speakers,” said Antonia
Ehlers, president for the San Francisco Peninsula Press Club. “The energy is high, as young journalists network with students from other Bay Area public and private high schools while learning new skills from the experts.”