Weekly Scroll for March 2, 2018

News, tips and advice from the Quill and Scroll International Honor Society
Compiled and written by Quill and Scroll journalists Marni Wax and Caitlyn Martin

The Lede:

Parkland Teens teach power of passion and persistence.

Empowered student survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting are making waves in the battle for gun control. The passion and polish of the teens at the forefront provides an excellent example of how journalists can be heard on a national scale and induce important change. Learn more here.

Facebook links digital subscriptions to local news.

Facebook Journalism Project: Local News Subscriptions Accelerator is Facebook’s $3 million investment in advancing metro news digital subscription business. Facebook will be partnering with 10-15 metro news organizations to flesh out effective digital marketing and subscription acquisition plans. Read more about how Facebook hopes to accomplish this goal here.

Walden’s Triibe reclaims Black narrative.

Journalist Tiffany Walden is employing her experience, abilities and identity to actualize her vision of more wholesome representation in media. “Showcasing innovative content to reshape the narrative of Black millennials in Chicago,” digital media platform Triibe is Walden’s primary focus in her activism pursuits. Walden’s team works with Chicagoans to create original, accurate content in the form of photos, news stories, videos, and even docu-poetry series. Click here to see how the Triibe is working to create a “safer, more vibrant Chicago.”

It’s an Honor:

The Digital Quill makes its debut.

Erica A. Hernandez

Atlanta Journal Constitution reporter Erica A. Hernandez joined the Quill and Scroll board this semester, and she’s taken over from Julie Dodd our “technology column.” We’re calling it “The Digital Quill,” and it makes its debut this week on our website, complementing The Weekly Scroll. This week, Erica shares her experience using Facebook Live as a platform to stream events from your school, community or newsroom. Here’s “On Media: Understanding and harnessing the power of Facebook Live.”

Adviser scholarship applications open.

Advisers in active Quill and Scroll chapters have until April 15 to apply for the Lester G. Benz Memorial Scholarship for College Journalism Study. All high school journalism teachers, and newspaper and yearbook advisers who have had at least six semester hours of journalism courses; a minimum of four years teaching experience and advising school publications; currently teaching a journalistic writing class; and a definite commitment to return to the high school classroom and publication advising next year to apply the information gained in the coursework taken as a result of this scholarship. The scholarship program’s objective is to identify and reward experienced journalism teachers and publication advisers (as defined above) who seek the opportunity to upgrade their journalism skills, teaching methodologies and advising techniques.

It’s that time of the year.

If you’re at an active Quill and Scroll charter school, you are probably thinking about who’s going to be inducted into the honor society this spring. Some of you may already know the date, the time and the honorees. If you aren’t quite sure how this whole induction thing works, check out our Student Memberships page to learn more about the qualifications. Scroll down to see the various awards you can get to commemorate your induction.

We also have scripts for the induction ceremony if you do it with candles or sans candles. Both are pretty cool.

And, if you’re within a few hours of Iowa City, Quill and Scroll Executive Director just might be able to attend your ceremony and say a few words. Just send him an email and ask.

What’s Viral:

#BlackPantherChallenge

A GoFundMe page created in January led to nearly $800,000 being donated to children in nearly 50 countries to see the film. A Harlem Boys & Girls Club marketer led efforts to give Harlem kids the opportunity to find their hero. The page quickly picked up donors, including celebrity Ellen Degeneres. The push inspired Disney to donate $1 million of profit from Black Panther to Boys & Girls Club STEM program advancement.

Hugh’s Humanity.

CNN’s Sandra Gonzalez sat down with esteemed Australian actor Hugh Jackman to discuss his motivations in the film industry. Turns out, Hugh has a huge love for classic film (both watching and acting in it). Click here for details.

Millenials #BoycottNRA.

Dialogue about mass shootings and gun laws has danced in and out of headlines, courts, politics, and households in recent history. Millenials are changing this ephemeral dance by speaking up on social media. Are hashtags and social media campaigns enough to produce lasting policy change? Read more here.

Just a Thought:

Snap Back.

Snapchat’s most recent update has some users fumbling. Despite public outcry about the new user interface, Snapchat has no intentions of reverting back to the original software. MSN provides a simple lesson on how to use Snapchat’s features– both old and new.

To Infinity and Beyond…

Infinity screen, slow motion film capabilities, AR emoji technology, facial recognition, live translation tools, water resistance, and wireless charging are just a few of the Samsung Galaxy S9’s noteworthy features. Learn more about the pending release here.

Fitbit forays into family smartwatches.

In an effort to stay profitable and relevant, Fitbit has announced plans for developing a new family of smartwatches. This announcement follows news of sales revenue falling 32% from 2016 2017, while competitor Apple’s Watch Series 3 doubled profits from its Series 2 holiday sale.