Edison High’s diversity of electives increases, with the addition of the new course, Journalism and Media, taught by English teacher and Garden State Scholastic Press Association Board Member Ms. Diane Frey. Students in grades 9-12 can take this full-year 5 credit course, in which students aim to improve in several key areas: versatility in news-style writing, awareness of purpose, communication and interviewing skills, and professional use of social media.
While Journalism and Media is a full-year course focused on various types of news writing, students take Journalism and Media alongside their required English class.
The Journalism and Media class enables students to improve their writing skills while still having fun. Frey is often flexible with the topics students write about, allowing students to pursue their interests with various types of writing assignments they get such as news, features, satire, opinion, sports as well as digital conversion projects.
“Journalism and Media has improved my writing skills significantly thanks to Ms. Frey’s various teaching techniques and detailed feedback,” said Aleena Perez ‘27.
The potential for professional preparation is also present.
“A girl on my volleyball team who majors in media and communications told me that the Journalism and Media class was preparing me well for college because the assignments we get are similar, which helps me feel more confident going into college,” said Kyla Davis ‘24, an EHS senior planning on studying media and communications at Georgian Court University in September.
In addition to writing, students do presentations and interviews, which all aim to enhance their public speaking presence and confidence. Students also learn important professional skills such as composing emails, writing a professional profile, reaching out to contacts, and using social media professionally.
“Any student who is going into a field that will emphasize communication can benefit from this course, including business, education, and many more careers. The experience helps students stand out on paper,” said Frey.
Students also develop various skills other than writing and public speaking, such as determining fake news and being a good consumer of news, both skills needed in modern life.
“Since it is a new class, our teacher is learning along with us which allows us to connect and communicate with one another. Ms. Frey is the kind of teacher that genuinely cares about her students,” said Kyla Davis ‘24.
Frey taught this class years ago upon her arrival to the Edison District, but after going on maternity leave in 2001, an English teacher replaced her and the elective was eliminated by the time she returned.
“Recent years brought about a revitalization of interest, primarily driven by the success of our school newspaper, The Eagle’s Eye. As our newspaper grew in strength and numbers, students requested the reinstatement of Journalism as an elective,” said the Supervisor of English in Edison, Ms. Harriet Sideris.
The curriculum from decades ago required revision, as there have been many changes to how news is consumed in a changing digital age.
“ J.P. Stevens teacher Viviana Barbitta and I worked together on a summer project to develop and revise the curriculum from at least two decades ago, and we meet periodically to generate ideas and activities for the class,” said Frey.
Continued student interest in the course could lead to many great opportunities such as the development of a second year Journalism class, Journalism II, and the creation of a Broadcasting class. However, these additions depend on the interest expressed by students.
“Looking ahead, I hope to collaborate with the Career and Technical Education Department Supervisor and the Journalism teachers across both high schools to further develop the program,” said Sideris. “This expansion would aim at better preparing students for potential careers in Communications and Journalism.”
“I recommend this elective to everyone, especially people who want to improve their writing skills while having fun,” said JAM student Alesandra Mendez ‘27.