RIT, ‘D&C’ partner on journalism academy

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A. Sue Weisler

Through July 11, high school seniors will attend the annual Taub Scholars Multimedia Journalism Academy. The program will be held at RIT and at the Democrat and Chronicle offices in downtown Rochester.

Rochester Institute of Technology and the Democrat and Chronicle will introduce six area high school students to the world of multimedia journalism this week.

Through July 11, high school seniors will attend the annual Taub Scholars Multimedia Journalism Academy. The program will be held at RIT and at the Democrat and Chronicle offices in downtown Rochester. The students attend free of charge and will earn a $200 stipend from a memorial fund honoring the late Peter Taub, a former journalist at the now defunct Times-Union.

During the program, students will receive hands-on instruction in journalism with an emphasis on reporting and producing stories for multiple platforms including Web, mobile, tablet and print. Sessions will be taught by RIT communication professors Andrea Hickerson and Ammina Kothari, and Democrat and Chronicle journalists.

“The Taub Scholars Multimedia Journalism Academy will be much like it was last year, the first time we partnered with the paper, except that this summer the bulk of the students’ time will be on the RIT campus,” says Patrick Scanlon, chairperson of RIT’s Department of Communication.

The high school students will interact with RIT journalism students and report on campus stories occurring throughout the week. The students will produce online journalistic pieces that include video, still images, and written stories. They will promote their work using social media, such as Twitter and Facebook.

“The academy wraps up on Friday at the Democrat and Chronicle offices with a graduation ceremony and screenings of videos produced by each of the students,” Scanlon says.