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HUMPHREY, Neb. (AP) — K-DWG News is on the air.
Humphrey High School journalism students are taking to the airwaves to broadcast school news to their fellow students, family and friends.
The seven students in Steph Hogancamp's class research, write and broadcast the news, including one student, Brandon Huettner, who is the techno-whiz behind the broadcast.
The Norfolk Daily News (http://bit.ly/1OTOEpY ) reports that his job is to make sure the broadcast gets on the air, doing everything from handling the Teleprompter, which scrolls through the copy students have written for their segments, editing and making sure the newscast is broadcast on the television in the commons area of the school and on the school's website for anyone to view.
Mercedes Mach said filming is done Wednesdays and Thursdays, and there are topics each are assigned to cover.
"For activity news we have to report on basketball and the games, and there's school news where we report on what's coming up next week at school. There's world news where we pick out specific things that have happened in the world," she said.
There also is entertainment news.
"We all have our own segments," Kayla Neeley said.
The goal is to keep the segments 120 seconds long. The entire show is about 10 minutes long.
There are funny segments, such as a fake teacher survey and taste tests in which they go on the road to sample food at a restaurant.
On this day, segments involved the attacks in Paris, television news, school activities, including the one-act play, and other school news. It's in between seasons, so there was no reporting on sports.
The students write their own copy, and Hogancamp looks it over, but it usually goes on the air as written.
Huettner is the only one not to appear on screen, and that's because the shows couldn't go on without him behind the scenes.
Huettner said he works about three to four hours Thursday nights to get the show ready for broadcast and an hour to export it. He also posts it on the school website.
K-DWG is in its second year on the air. The class lasts the entire school year. Huettner did the video editing last year, but this year's broadcasters are almost entirely new.
This is the independent journalism class, taught by Hogancamp, and it also works on the yearbook.
"Basically, it's just when it fits into your schedule," Jordan Martin said.
Minutes before the broadcast, the group scurries around the science room, where the program originates. Some are researching their topics, while others are practicing what they will say on the air.
It's easy to see they enjoy it.
"Everything" is Martin's answer to what she likes about the broadcast. "I really love working with these guys."
Dylan Peters, who does world news and co-anchors entertainment news with Neeley, enjoys being part of the show.
"It's a chance to get out of the regular classroom and do something fun," he said. "It's a fun opportunity, and it keeps me up to date on the news."
That is one of the benefits of doing the broadcast. The students end up being more informed about the school and world around them.
"I know a lot more now than I ever did before," Mach said.
There is some nervousness as they prepare to record the show.
"I'm always afraid I'm going to mess up," Neeley said.
The broadcast is popular with other students who can view it in the lobby, and the fifth-period English class watches it on Fridays, while others catch it when they have time.
It's on the school's Facebook page for anyone in the community to watch.
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Information from: Norfolk Daily News, http://www.norfolkdailynews.com
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