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During the five-week journalism program, instructors and community associates encouraged Medill cherubs to stay up on current events.
“It’s important for young journalists to read the news because they have to know the full context of the story,” head instructor Mary Lou Song said. “It’s their job to communicate what’s going on in the world.”
Some cherubs admit they did not pay attention to news at home, but because of classes and activities the CAs planned, they subscribed to news sites and stayed informed about national and world events.
“I never really watched the news, which is really bad for someone who wants to be a journalist,” said Preetisha Sen, of Ohio. “There’s just so much going on in the world, and I didn’t know that until I started reading the news. Somebody told me about The Daily Beast, and now I subscribe to that.”
The Daily Beast also features the “Cheat Sheet,” which many cherubs subscribe to. It summarizes a selection of articles from online news outlets for the day. Living without television, cherubs rely on these online news outlets to get through the program.
Amy Rosch, of California, said, “I check the Daily Beast and The New York Times online, and there are a few other blogs I check. Both of my parents read the newspaper, and at home I read the front page of The New York Times, and here I check more online sources.”
The atmosphere at cherubs made it easy to become inspired to read more, said cherub Grace Lim, of New Jersey.
“Back home, I did it by myself and there was no incentive, but at cherubs the instructors and all the cherubs are obsessed with news,” Lim said. “We actually have this inside texting thing where we text each other headlines.”
Ariana Joharjian, of Rhode Island, was inspired by an instructor to keep informed through classes like column writing.
“John Kupetz inspired me to read more because he already knows everything, and I wanted to emulate him,” Joharjian said.
Through reading the news, Sen said she is starting to feel more sympathetic for other people suffering from tragedy around the world.
“I first found out about the Norway bombing from the televisions in Fisk Hall, and then I went to The Daily Beast,” Sen said. “It killed me to see those people suffering.
“I think it makes people more human if they know what’s going on with everyone, and it makes people more compassionate.”
