From Argus Leader, Sioux Falls, S.D.

High schoolers get training in changing media field

Editorial Board
Argus Leader

News operations that accurately reflect the diverse communities they cover are the most effective.

In places such as South Dakota, that demographic mix includes Native Americans as well as other minority groups.

That’s why it’s important for news organizations to employ diverse reporting staffs. And that’s why an annual training conference this week in the Black Hills is so valuable.

The Native American Journalism Career Conference invites high school students from across the country to Crazy Horse Memorial near Custer. They spend a few days working with experienced journalists and educators to learn about reporting, writing, editing, photography and design.

Dozens of students attend each year, and this session is no exception.

That’s a rather remarkable statement given the trying economic times media organizations face. The combination of a severe recession and changing consumer habits is challenging news outlets and directing a changing news delivery system in this country. That’s all the more reason to applaud the companies and individuals who are so dedicated to conferences such as the one at Crazy Horse.

Investing in a diverse work force is important any time - but it requires a special effort in hard economic periods.

The Freedom Forum funds the conference, and co-sponsors include the South Dakota Newspaper Association, the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation and the South Dakota State University and University of South Dakota journalism programs.

The career conference is helping young Native Americans find their way in this shifting media landscape. The efforts of those who volunteer to train the young participants will pay off over time as these intelligent, skilled and enthused young people enter the work force.

You can read this editorial and others at Argusleader.com.