THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 31, 1996 TAG: 9605310043
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SHARON GREENE, HIGH SCHOOL CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: 66 lines
YOU'VE SEEN their names and pictures in Friday Daily Breaks. You've read their advice columns for teens, their stories about life as a teenager.
They are the high school correspondents for The Virginian-Pilot's Teenology section and you could be one of them.
Five years ago, The Virginian-Pilot began looking for ways to increase readership of the paper and to reach a younger audience. The newspaper began a weekly section devoted to teen-agers and their concerns. Newspaper editors realized a staff of teen-agers would best address teen concerns.
``Being a correspondent can help you get a few steps ahead of others in life,'' said Lorraine Eaton, youth editor for The Virginian-Pilot.
Previously, correspondents were nominated by high school journalism teachers, but now anyone interested in writing can apply for the program.
Competition can be tough, though. Last year, there were 68 correspondents chosen from more than 150 applicants.
Christie Amberman was one of them. Christie, 18, is a senior at First Colonial High School in Virginia Beach and writes the College 101 column. She answers questions about scholarships, SATs and other college preparatory concerns.
``I read about applying in the paper,'' Christie said. ``I knew it would look good on college applications. I wanted to try and applied.''
Being a correspondent does have its perks.
Correspondents see their name - and sometimes their picture - in the paper. Quarterly workshops give them a chance to talk to other correspondents, get story ideas, and receive advice about interviewing and writing from experienced journalists who attend the meetings.
``It's really beneficial meeting reporters and having the opportunity to talk to them firsthand,'' said Ramin Fatehi, 17.
Another perk is that the correspondents' work allows readers a personal glimpse into teen life.
``There is this image in today's society that teens don't care, but then here we are giving our time to help one another,'' Christie said. ``It helps change people's misconceptions.''
There are also some not-as-pretty realities to being a high school correspondent. Correspondents are expected to have at least one story ``put to press'' each semester and they do the interviewing and research on their own. If correspondents have trouble with a story, they can contact the youth editor or other correspondents, but they are expected to come up with their own story ideas and manage their time to make deadline.
Being a correspondent can be time-consuming. Shannon Lester, 16, is a correspondent who just didn't have the time to be involved.
``Unfortunately, a lot of things sideswiped my obligations as a correspondent and I was never able to write a story,'' Shannon said.
Eaton said students must be aware of their schedules and obligations before signing on.
``The most important thing,'' Eaton said, ``is that serious correspondents get to know what it's like to be a real journalist.''
This means real deadlines, real interviews, and also real bylines and real clippings of stories which can look impressive on resumes.
``All in all, it is an invaluable experience,'' Christie said.``It gives young people a chance to try things out and gain a better sense of what they want out of life.'' ILLUSTRATION: Illustration
Virginian Pilot Correspondent Application
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