Omaha South High School’s student newspaper, The Tooter, has been around for more than 100 years with a long tradition of sharing the good and the bad, the fun and the love South O has to offer.
South High School offers several journalism classes for students interested in exploring the life of a newspaper reporter. Students can begin in photojournalism, where they will learn the skills needed to pursue a career in the field, from capturing stories through images to mastering the technical skills and rules needed to succeed. During the second, third and fourth years, students can find out whether journalism is right for them. In these three years, students will learn how to interview people and capture their stories in articles that will be published in The Tooter with the help of journalism teacher Deana Colón.
Journalism is not only about publishing stories; it is also about understanding the impact of storytelling, hearing where people come from and their journeys, uncovering the truth, giving voices to those who need it, and making an impact in the community.
Sophomore Estrella Castro is in her second year of journalism. She said she joined journalism because she wants to be a lawyer in the future.
“I knew it would help me strengthen my communication and research skills,” she said. The most important lesson Castro has learned is to speak up and step out of her comfort zone, whether that means interviewing someone or completing a challenging assignment.
Castro said her favorite part of journalism is the flexibility. “I enjoy having creative freedom, whether I’m writing an article or creating a presentation,” she said. Castro has continued with journalism because of how much it has taught her. As a freshman, she said, “I took photojournalism and really enjoyed working with cameras and creating collages on the computer.” Castro looks forward to continuing her journey in journalism and the new things it has to offer.
Alan Hernandez, a sophomore in his second year of journalism, said he never imagined himself in a journalism class.
“I didn’t pick journalism; they put it in my schedule, but once I started the class, I actually enjoyed it and learned a lot,” Hernandez said. He said he hopes to continue in the journalism pathway.
One thing Hernandez has learned is to not believe everything he sees on the internet and to always tell the truth — two key principles in journalism. “My favorite part of journalism was using the cameras in my first year of photojournalism, along with the process of creating and writing articles,” he said.
Hernandez said he has continued to take journalism because he greatly enjoyed digital journalism last year. “I decided to continue and can’t wait to write more articles while learning more about what journalism has to offer,” he said. Hernandez has published two stories, going on three, and is excited to see what’s in store.
Journalism is a powerful way to express yourself and help others explore their identities through storytelling. It shines a light on corruption and injustice and promotes important information many people need to hear. Although journalism is not all good, it has upsides and downsides, like any career. Reporting with transparency, taking accountability, and having the responsibility to share news with the public outweigh the negatives.
Journalism breaks the silence; it is a powerful and meaningful tool.
