Oyster Bay High School journalism students visit Newsday, earn high praise from industry professiona
Students from Oyster Bay High School's multimedia journalism class got a rare behind-the-scenes look at a professional newsroom on Apr. 29, when they visited Newsday's headquarters for an immersive industry experience that included expert feedback, a Q&A session and a tour of the station's TV studio and control room.
The visit was part of a program designed specifically for high school students participating in journalism elective classes or extracurricular clubs. Prior to arriving at Newsday, students were given an assignment to produce a news segment on a topic of their choosing from sports and community news to arts and culture. Those segments were then reviewed by working professionals at Newsday's state-of-the-art broadcasting facilities.
Among the pieces critiqued was a news package produced by student James Ortiz for his writing and reporting class. Ortiz's story covered the rescue of Sebastian, a kindergartener at Theodore Roosevelt Elementary, who suffered a medical emergency during class and was saved by the quick response of the school staff. The news package left a lasting impression on the professionals in the room. Award-winning journalist and NewsdayTV weekday anchor Ken Buffa told Ortiz directly that his was the best student news package he had ever seen.
Three multimedia professionals participated in the critique and Q&A session: Buffa; Artie Mochi, a TV news producer recognized for his work on Newsday's long-form investigative journalism; and Joye Brown, a veteran Newsday columnist who joined the publication in 1983 and has served in a range of roles including reporter, editor, newsroom administrator and editorial writer.
After the critique, students had the opportunity to ask the professionals candid questions about life in the industry. Their questions reflected genuine curiosity about the demands of the profession, including how journalists manage long hours, what happens when breaking news strikes and what paths lead to a career in reporting.
The visit concluded with a tour of Newsday's broadcasting studio and control room, where students were encouraged to ask questions, explore the space and take pictures on set and in front of the green screen.
Students said they thoroughly enjoyed the experience and left with valuable insights into what a career in broadcast journalism looks like, from the creative demands of storytelling to the fast-moving reality of a working newsroom.
