Words Can Kill
In High School, my true calling in journalism was broadcast. I loved every aspect of it and decided that's what I would focus on. I was accepted into our school's broadcast program Blue Jay Journal TV my junior year. During my senior year, I knew I wanted to produce even stronger material than I did my junior year. Right out of the gate, I brainstormed with fellow staff members about how we could best communicate the anti-bullying message for the annual Buddies Not Bullies PSA contest. It didn't take long, and the plan was set into motion. Teens today cannot escape bullies once they are in the safety of their homes. Ultimately, this PSA was selected as the First Place national winner by Buddies Not Bullies. This is a piece I also submitted for the Journalism Education Association's Write-off competition at the National High School Journalism Convention in Chicago. We earned an "Honorable Mention" rating from JEA for this production.
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Lights, Camera, Save! |
Think Before You Act |
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One of my first productions as a Blue Jay Journal TV staff member was this PSA for the Lights, Camera, Save! contest. Our team worked many hours in and out of school to produce this piece, which ended up being a First Place winner for our region. We were all surprised when First State Community Bank came to our classroom and not only told us we were winners, but handed us each $125 in prize money. Ironically, our PSA showed me as a character who doesn't understand the importance of saving money for the future.
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Still new to BJJTV, I was chosen early on during my junior year to participate in the Missouri Interscholastic Press Association's Broadcast PSA Challenge. Participating schools all over the state are emailed a topic and given two weeks to complete a PSA that fits the theme provided. I was humbled and honored that the team I was a part of was declared the First Place winner of this state-wide contest. This PSA also helped me communicate a message that teens need to hear: think before you act.
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Labels Do Not Define YouBuddies Not Bullies is an organization with roots in my hometown of Washington, Mo. During my first year on staff, the team I was on decided to focus on the labels that are placed upon people at a very young age. Our catch phrase "Labels Do Not Define You" is actually very near to my heart to this day. Video has the power to change minds and hearts. Being able to produce something with a deeper meaning was very rewarding. Finding out we took home Third Place in this national PSA contest was icing on the cake.
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Little Free Library PromoAs a returning member and future leader of BJJTV, I spent a summer day with three new incoming staff members and four returning staff members producing a promo for the Little Free Libraries in Washington, Mo. Surprisingly, the video upload on the BJJTV Facebook page went viral almost instantly with nearly 4,000 views! While this may not be an "award-winner," this taught me the value of teaching new staff members the ropes and just how fast something can spread on social media.
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