In brief: Students from Jersey’s School Council Network visited Highlands College this week for interactive sessions with JEP Junior editor Christie Bailey. The sessions aimed to help young Islanders aged eight to 18 understand how journalism works and to shape the future of the monthly publication.
Young Voices in the Newsroom
It is not every day that a group of school councillors gets to play journalist, but that is exactly what happened at Highlands College on Wednesday, when Christie Bailey, editor of JEP Junior, led a series of sessions for newly elected school councillors attending the School Council Network.
The Jersey Evening Post reports that pupils aged eight to 18 were walked through the decisions journalists make when choosing and writing stories, before being given the chance to have a go themselves. Older students also had the opportunity to quiz Miss Bailey about a career in journalism. She serves as news editor at All Island Media, the parent company of the JEP and its sister publication Bailiwick Express.
The sessions encouraged participants to consider how the subjects that matter to them, both within their schools and across Jersey more broadly, could be turned into stories for JEP Junior.
Enthusiasm Over Apathy
The initiative pushes back against a familiar narrative. Miss Bailey said: “We often hear that young people are disengaged, but these pupils were full of enthusiasm and clearly cared about what was happening in their schools and across the Island.”
She drew a direct line between the skills school councillors already use and those required in journalism: “School councillors already have an important role in listening to others and asking questions, and those skills are just as valuable in journalism. I wanted them to see that a story can start with something they have noticed or a question they think deserves an answer.”
Miss Bailey added that she is looking forward to seeing the pupils’ ideas and stories appear in future editions of JEP Junior.
About JEP Junior
JEP Junior is published on the first Tuesday of each month and is included inside the regular newspaper. The next edition is due on Tuesday 3 November. Readers or young Islanders with a story idea can contact the editor directly at christie@allisland.media.
Source: Jersey Evening Post
