8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY DECEMBER 12-18, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com 831 Here’s a newspaper in Monterey County you’ve probably never read. York School, a private school and nonprofit, has a voluntary one- or two-yearlong class that prepares students for the world of journalism. The students there—about 20 of them—work on the school paper, The York Oracle, which was first published a year ago. All this under the leadership of Humanities Department Chair Candi Deschamps. “She is not demanding at all and she likes controversy,” says one of the students, Jayden Isabella, who is considering becoming a sports photojournalist. “We pitch to her and she will only make your idea better.” He and a few other students think seriously about working in media. Some ask more questions than others. Some are less journalism-curious, or simply shy, though it’s impressive how engaged many of the students are when it comes to this journalism class. They call themselves “a club.” “This is not like math or English,” says another student. The class is voluntary and can be selected from among many other options at York School, letting students hone their biggest talents. To date, two issues of The York Oracle have been published—the second in May 2024. Right now the group is wrapping up the third issue that should be available this month. Some students have already started writing their pieces. One can get a copy of the paper via York School, and it might be worth your attention. The second issue was devoted to such subjects as a school play (a review of Ride the Cyclone, produced by York’s Art Department), as well as highlights and interviews of favorite teachers. Fortunately, in the York community, sources support the media team and don’t say “no comment.” Readers can also find reviews of sports events (such as the boy’s volleyball team’s successes) or a detailed history of the school. The club says the second issue was easier to put together than the first, because of the gained experience. Until now school-centered, the students want to open up the paper to the community and cover local issues, a bit of a more ambitious form of journalism that would force the students to learn basic reporting skills. Sofia Teresa Mejia Contreras, for example, wrote a culture piece about the Barbie movie, and its influence on her generation of women. Ava Hoffmeister is writing about the Black student union at York. “I look forward to another year and another issue,” she says. She is also known for her funny horoscopes for the paper. Deschamps is the editor, who tries to make her students work with journalistic integrity. “We avoid anonymous sources,” she says. She notes the new issue has more serious and potentially touchy subjects, such as an article on the school’s budget. She also presses her students to build a big picture and not focus on only one angle. Asked for the minuses of working in the media, the young journalists are not unaware. “It takes a lot of initiative,” admits one student. They also realize that “nobody is in the middle anymore,” meaning the political preferences of their potential readers. They know about the state of journalism in the 21st century and about the disappearance of local media nationwide, which is contributing to a crisis of distrust in newspapers. That said, students at York School consume media themselves, from sources beyond social media. Many of them mention local radio stations; others prefer NPR or The New York Times. They are curious about the journalism experience and the first question they ask is: Did you want to be a journalist your whole life? If you can, try to get a copy of the new issue. While right now the club doesn’t print many copies, demand can change that. Archival issues are available online at york.org. Let’s see the world through these young people’s minds. After all, they will be the ones who will be informing us about issues and events in the coming decades. New News York School is preparing the future of journalism through a new student-led publication. By Agata Pop˛eda The student staff at York School’s newspaper, The York Oracle, is led by Humanities Department Chair Candi Deschamps (third from right). The third issue is expected to be published this month. “This is not like math or English.” TALES FROM THE AREA CODE AGATA POPEDA SHOP. EAT. STAY. LOCAL Find local businesses at montereychamber.com/list SHOP SMALL shop local this holiday season!
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==