On Wednesday, October 20, student journalists from Everett Middle School’s newspaper, Straight-Up News, took time off from their own deadlines to visit the offices of the San Francisco Chronicle. Mr. Algones and his class of seventh-grade reporters, were invited to gain first-hand knowledge on the inner workings of a major news publication. With assistant managing editor Frank Mina as their guide, the class was lucky enough to sit in on the morning editorial meeting to hear editors pitch articles on topics ranging from the upcoming midterm elections and new piercing fads to— most exciting— the Giants in the playoffs! Giants fever was a common theme for the trip, as the students later created their own fan-tastic front-page headlines using the Chronicle template. They also tested their own interviewing skills, as they grilled several employees including the managing editor Stephen Proctor, a designer, and reporters with hard-hitting questions.
Many thanks to Frank Mina, who organized and led the team of inquisitive Straight-Up News reporters through the bowels of the Chronicle. Equipped with some great advice and a clear picture of how a newspaper comes together, the students returned to Everett ready to crank out their own journalistic masterpieces. This issue will hit the presses in late November, but you can stop by the Pirate Store to pick up the most recent copy of Straight-Up News today!
