East of the River
Schools Extend Many Hands: Youth-run Website to link sister schools
By Thalia Wiggins
May 2010
The Friendship News Network (FNN) has come a long way since 14 students gathered at Blow Pierce Academy on Feb. 24, 2005, to discuss the development of a teen-written magazine. To date, the award-winning journalism espouses a website, a magazine, a radio and TV programs. FNN's sole purpose is to improve literacy for at-risk youth while preparing them for future careers in either journalism or other professional careers.
In April, FNN launched a new website, www.OurFNN.com, which links up all eight of the Friendship Public Charter Schools, including the schools in Baltimore. It will be available to all FPCS students. FPCS students can read the work of the students of FNN, and if they choose, they can log in and create their own profile to post blogs, video and articles. FPCS students can only create accounts in the presence of a teacher.
Or they can join the FNN team. FPCS students will be exposed to a program that helped student Karlton Chapman hone in on his many talents.
"Not to brag, but they [The FNN staff] kind of see me as a key element, when it comes to things. I have a leadership role, even though I am not editor-in-chief," explained Karlton, now art director for FNN. His duties include training new-comers and motivating staff who are also his peers. "[At first] it was kind of complicated because I did not necessarily have the work ethic like I do now, to get things done. It was a learning experience."
FNN exposed Karlton to the endless possibilities of jobs in communications. "I feel pretty good about it. Since I am one of the senior staff, and we have the newbies come in, I also have to take a co-editor-in-chief role, since I have to go off to college and they have to be here," said Karlton. "I want to be an entertainer. I have a lot of talents, and I want to make sure they don't go to waste."
Newcomer Courtney Shackleford, a senior, was promoted to editor-in-chief in a year. "I put in a lot of work," she said, then shook her head and smiled. "I am still questioning what drives me so hard." She quickly joked that her being a Taurus might be the reason for her success.
"I strive for things. I want to be a doctor. I am pushing for those good grades, pushing on to a good school. I don't want to give up. This will look good on my college resume, that I was editor-in-chief of a magazine." She hinted at the idea of writing a medical magazine in the future with an FNN colleague.
Courtney is glad that all students will be able to have a virtual copy of the FNN magazine, Rated-T. When students log onto www.OurFNN.com, they may be greeted by Courtney's idea to change the theme of the FNN Web page to reflect school celebrations and the changing seasons. She got the idea from Internet media giants Google and Yahoo. "Like [during] homecoming, we could use the school colors."
Positivity in Print
Rated-T offers students a safe forum to voice their opinions of the world around them. In the fall 2008 issue, students jumped at the opportunity to write about their frustrations over stereotypes directed at them.
"Now let's finish this. We're going to break this stereotype, proving, even though the media and their statistics, and even though [there are] teens that fall prey to this assumption, you are not going to jail by 18!" Karlton wrote to his predominantly African-American peers in his article, "I'm Not Going to Jail by 18."
In addition, teens wrote other articles expressing their triumphs of not being another young teen mother or realizing they don't need to wear expensive designer clothes. The magazine also includes an interview of a student's trip to China, a recount of a field trip to an Anime convention, interviews with Mayor Adrian Fenty as well as Bill Gates Sr., and more honest articles, engaging photos and on-point graphics, all designed and written by students.
FNN students are advised by a team of journalism professionals. Among them are Brian Young, a professional website director; Carl Reveerts, who works for The National Geographic; Larry Bradshaw, a professional web designer; Adnaan Wasey, the former website director for The News Hour; and Marilyn Kaufman, whose resume is also extensive but now serves as the director of FNN. Other mentors have come from other media giants such as Bloomberg News, CNN, Dateline NBC, the Washington Post, BET, WOL, WAMU, The Voice of the Hill, The McNeil/Lehrer News Hour, The Radio and Television News Directors Foundation and MTV.
If the magazine is any testament to the capabilities of these talented youth, not including the talent pool yet to have their say, FNN's new website will be a hands-down success.
Feel free to stop by one of the Friendship Schools for information. To view the students' work or to get information on FNN, visit www. friendshipnewsnetwork.com.
The website www.OurFNN.com will be available to all FPCS students by fall 2011.
FNN hosts a summer journalism program free to all students who are DC residents, ages 11-18. While no journalism experience is required to join, the ability to work as a team and the love of reading and writing is necessary. For more information, visit www.friendshipnewsnetwork.com. ?