The Inkspot, Community’s journalism program, was awarded a $1,490 grant on Sept. 9 through the Illinois Press Foundation’s High School Journalism Grants Program. Sponsored by the Illinois Farm Bureau, the program awarded over $22,000 in total grants to 16 high schools across the state.
The grant enables the Inkspot to purchase a wireless video transmission system to enhance students’ multimedia and broadcasting capabilities.
The funds will allow the Inkspot to keep up with what Jeff Rogers, the executive director of the Illinois Press Foundation, calls “the evolving nature of journalism education.”
“Journalists do everything these days. There are few specialists,” Rogers said. “Just as the industry is changing at a rapid pace in newsrooms across the state, how students are learning about and practicing journalism in Illinois high schools is quickly evolving as well.”
The funds allow the Inkspot’s students to keep up with the changing face of journalism, allowing the program to improve its broadcast coverage and provide students additional hands-on learning experiences, allowing the Inkspot staff to develop in areas like play-by-play announcing, color commentary, sideline reporting, video editing and production and audio engineering.”
“Journalists at the high school level,” Rogers said, “are doing a lot of everything.”
Matt Wettersten, the Executive Director of Marketing, News and Communications at the Illinois Farm Bureau, said that this year saw the highest number of grant applicants since the bureau began sponsoring the program four years ago.
“That tells us two things,” Wettersten said, “the need for financial assistance is real. But also, the interest in our grant program and journalism at the high school level is growing.”
This is the second grant the Inkspot has received from the Illinois Press Foundation. In 2021, the program was awarded $1,500 to purchase camera and microphone equipment.
Inkspot receives grant to boost multimedia skills
Sep 10, 2024
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IF YOU SHARE THE INKSPOT'S PASSION for empowering Normal Community's aspiring journalists and equipping them with viable and valuable digital media skills, please consider contributing to our cause.
Your support plays a vital role in enabling the Inkspot to invest in top-tier equipment, maintain memberships in distinguished professional organizations such as the Journalism Education Association and National Scholastic Press Association, send our students to compete at state and national contests, and attend the National High School Journalism Convention.
Your generosity is the key to providing these students with a truly enriching educational experience. THANK YOU.