Every year we hear that journalism is a dying profession. Even though our traditional 32-page print paper has set the standard for high school journalists across the country, the time has come to accept that much of our readership would rather receive news through other media .
Last year, the Chronicle staff breathed life into the Twitter and Facebook accounts by live tweeting more sports events and constantly posting stories from the Facebook account and to the Chronicle website (hwchronicle.com).
This year, we plan to take the necessary next steps to improve our digital presence on the rapidly evolving journalism frontier.
Though our website has achieved recognition for its coverage and design, look for a website relaunch this fall to make the interface even more user-friendly on devices ranging from iPhones to desktop computers. We will also provide HWTV Chronicle sports, and livestreaming of many important events.
With a full digital team, we plan on bringing our readership more live streams, regular updates to the site and more interactive mediums of communication, such as video reporting and sound clips.
We will also continue the digital push into the world of social media started by last year’s staff. With a Chronicle Snapchat account (@hw_chronicle), a separate Twitter account for the sports section (@chroniclesports) and a revamped Instagram presence, look for more personalized and in-depth live coverage of sporting events and activities around campus.
Our goal when we created these social media accounts was to find a way to bring our readership into the stories we are covering.
We will still have the traditional text stories both online and in the print issues, but all these different social media accounts and the new website will enable us to to bring life to the events we cover.
Despite all the change, however, the basic idea stays the same. Our job is spreading honest and relevant news to our audience. With one of the biggest staffs in recent years, we have the personnel to accomplish this goal. As readers, keep your eyes and ears open because exciting changes are happening this year at the Chronicle.
