Story by Ainsley Hall
INWOOD — Musselman High School’s broadcast journalism program recently received a grant from the West Virginia Broadcasters Association’s WV Broadcasters Educational Foundation.
Through the broadcast journalism program, students learn all about making professional newscasts, weekly podcasts, documentaries and more.
Matthew Welch, Musselman High School’s journalism teacher, wrote a letter to the foundation talking about the class and the equipment his students wanted. The students wanted a more industry-ready camera and better microphone setup for professional sounding audio. They ended up receiving a $4,700 grant to give students the gear they need.
“This program is a part of our Career and Technical Education program at Musselman, so the students work in a simulated workplace,” Welch said. “They get to experience different roles, such as a producer or news anchor. Through this, they get a good idea of what it’s like and if it’s something they want to pursue in the future. We want it to be something that gets the kids excited every day.”
Many of the students have the opportunity to try new things that interest them through this program. Steven Askin first joined the broadcasting program during his sophomore year at Musselman. His passion for the program quickly grew, and now that he is a senior, Askin plans to attend West Virginia University to pursue a career in the journalism field.
“I get to do and talk about what I want,” Askin said. “I get to talk about my interests, like sports, just like they do on TV. I get to push my ideas out there and hopefully, get other people interested in it, too.”
Askin is currently working on a weekly podcast called “The Hills of West Virginia,” alongside history teacher Eric Brown, where they discuss both local and national sports, interview special guests and share their passion with others.
Meanwhile, juniors Skylar Singhas and Isabella Hernandez spend their time coming up with fun questions and asking teachers and other students about different topics each week. Though neither of them is sure if this is something they want to do in the future, they both agree that it’s a lot of fun and gives them the opportunity to learn more about others.
“I like hearing people’s different views on the different topics we ask,” Singhas said. “Their answers are always a lot different than your own, so it’s fun to hear what other people have to say.”
“It really opens your mind to other ways of looking at things,” Hernandez added. “It’s fun to go around and learn new things about people that you didn’t know before.”
Musselman’s broadcasting program offers a great way for students to get real experience in journalism and encourages students to learn about and discover things that interest them. The students post regular videos on the program’s YouTube page, Musselman Broadcasting, and anyone interested in learning more can also visit the program’s Instagram page.