St. Norbert Times taking on the ACP Spring College Media Conference in San Francisco
Four St. Norbert Times members headed into March with a goal: to improve a little student-run newspaper in the company of hundreds of aspiring college journalists.
The St. Norbert Times attended the ACP Spring National College Media Conference in 2024 under editor-in-chief Gracelyn Giese. The conference brings together scores of college journalists and professional reporters for workshops on reporting, editing, content creation and the future of news. When the possibility of returning came up last fall, her enthusiasm made the decision feel obvious: the Times needed to go again, and it was my duty to organize the trip a second time.
Upcoming St. Norbert Times social media manager, freshman Lillian Gyrion, sophomore entertainment editor Siena Chimenti, freshman editor-in-chief-to-be Natalya Chick, and I, third-year senior editor-in-chief Natalia Gladysz, flew together to California to learn from people with real experience in reporting and journalism (and to fulfill what I viewed as an obligation to the group).
With several sessions spanning between March 5 and 7 led by passionate professional journalists and experienced student writers, we picked up all kinds of new information and terms (or at least gained some exposure to them… this was the first we ever explored mobile graphics, and we sure didn’t know the basics!).
Aside from the knowledge gained, valuable overarching messages were received from the sessions. “I learned that using your voice matters, and there’s always a story around the corner, even when you think there’s not, and we focus a lot on the negative because that’s a lot of what’s going on in the world today, but there are also a lot of positive stories out there,” said freshman Natalya Chick, who attended a session on local coverage led by Paul Signorelli of the UCLA Daily Bruin Alumni Network.
Novel perspectives and journalistic passion grabbed our attention at the event, in which many colleges with spectacular journalism programs and newspapers were in attendance. In comparison, the St. Norbert Times revealed itself to be an exploratory, rudimentary newspaper for students of all backgrounds and interests. This is both its strength and weakness: it isn’t intimidating to interested newcomers and nearly all submissions are published, but it doesn’t rival the distinction of these near-professional outlets.
Because both Lillian Gyrion and Natalya Chick are currently freshmen who will be taking on big roles in St. Norbert’s student-run newspaper, their attendance was beneficial to the future of the Times. When you’re surrounded by skilled, energetic young journalists and seasoned professionals in love with their work, a spark of that passion returns with you.
Though sophomore Siena Chimenti will be transferring at the end of this semester, there was still value in attending the conference for her. “I learned that there’s a lot of nuance to journalism, and it’s not just newscasts or articles, it can be anything and I think that’s really cool,” she explained.
Lillian Gyrion listened to speakers covering artificial intelligence and its impact on journalism. One of the most prominent speakers on AI was editor in chief of the San Francisco Chronicle, Emilio Garcia-Ruiz. Opinions were mixed on the use of artificial intelligence in writing; it could erase personal voice, discourage thought, and has a grave impact on freshwater and electricity use, but it could also be seen as a valuable tool for efficiency and eliminating tedious editing. Gyrion’s takeaway was “to use social media and AI as a resource rather than letting it dictate what [she does].”
There is great room for improvement in the St. Norbert Times. Standing amidst a crowd of eager college writers and reporters from ambitious programs, you’re mentally pushed toward greater endeavors. The St. Norbert Times might be an entry-level, open-to-everyone outlet, but there is still potential for advancement if more bright writers become part of our little campus community.