Students, Teachers Participate In Journalism Workshop at NIC

More than 130 students and teachers from 11 regional high schools attended the annual Thrills and Skills Journalism Workshop at North Idaho College October 22, 2009.

Twelve sessions were presented by professionals from the Coeur d'Alene Press, Spokesman-Review and Inlander newspapers and public relations spokesmen from the Coeur d'Alene Library, Kootenai County Sheriff's Department, Kootenai Electric and NIC. Topics included interviewing, arts and entertainment, news writing, page design, photojournalism, advertising, feature writing, public relations, opinion writing, sports journalism, multimedia and covering cops and courts.

The high school students brought their newspapers to exchange with each other and to enter in the Best of Show competition. The Tamarack of Libby, Mont., won first place for general excellence followed by The Viking Voice of Coeur d'Alene High School and The Falcon Focus of Sprague, Wash. Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy's Illuminati won top photo with the Viking Voice winning second and third. Best design went to the Viking Voice with second to The Shield of Priest River Lamanna High School. The sizes of the schools and their news staffs and the division of work between the students and teachers were considered in the Best of Show results.

Other participating schools included Kellogg, St. Maries, Mullan, Lake City and Timberlake high schools.