• History of News Production at RHHS

    News at RHHS has been a centerpiece since the 1940's.

    Prior to 1974, RHHS news was served through a regularly produced newspaper simply known as "The Garnet and Black."  However, after Emmet Scott High School was closed in Rock Hill, RHHS acquired an extra color from ESHS -- gold. Thus, the paper was re-titled to become "The Garnet, Black and Gold."

    From 1974 until May 2012, RHHS continued to be served by "The Garnet, Black and Gold" newspaper, publishing six or more issues a year.

    Beginning in August 2012, "The Garnet, Black and Gold" relaunched as a 16-page news magazine, becoming more "feature"-like in its approach. In addition, more news-related material was handled by its new Twitter account--@RHHSnews. 

     

    How to Join

    There are two ways to join the staff.

    1. Take (and do well in) Journalism 1.

    Students in J1 who want to be on the GBG staff must

      • have maintained at least a B average,
      • have not had any referrals or other disciplinary problems in the class (i.e. being sent into the hall, calling home, emailing, etc.), and
      • have demonstrated a productive work ethic and a noticeable desire to be a part of the school paper.

    2. Apply to be Journalism 2

    Students who are interested in being on staff BUT WHO HAVE NOT HAD JOURNALISM 1 may qualify by doing the following:

      • Completing a writing sample
      • Providing a teacher recommendation (see the writing sample for instructions)
      • Having a good GPA (preferably 3.0 or higher
      • Having no discipline issues on record

     

    GBG staff member qualities


    Please realize that being on the news staff requires students to have the following qualities (among others):

    1. Ability to work independently
    2. Ability to work unsupervised
    3. Ability to handle frustration/criticism well
    4. Ability to maintain a respectful attitude towards others
    5. Ability to work well with others
    6. Creativity
    7. Above average writing/communiction skills
    8. Good attendance

     

    Class Information

    At RHHS, the study of journalism involves learning

    • the history of the mass media
    • legal issues in the media
    • how the media communicates (typically in print and online), and
    • the different forms of writing for the media (i.e. news, features, opinion, sports, etc.)

     

    Students interested in journalism could be interested in one or more of the following:

    • news
    • writing
    • editing
    • photography
    • photo editing
    • page layout and design
    • marketing and advertising
    • developing leadership skills

     

    Classes

    Journalism 1

      • An introduction to the basics of journalism
      • Students who demonstrate and ability and desire to do more with journalism are often asked to continue on to Journalism 2 after taking this class.

    Journalism 2 / 3

      • Prerequisite: Journalism 1 OR successful application and approval by teacher
      • This class is responsible for producing school news related to RHHS, in the form of a printed publication (currently a news magazine) or online.
      • The only distinction between levels 2 and 3 are in seniority (i.e. J3 students have already had J2 once before)

    Journalism 4 Honors

      • Prerequisite: Journalism 2 or 3
      • Only offered in spring semesters
      • Can only be taken once.
      • Intended for the graduating senior
      • Requires the student to complete a portfolio and be a part of the news staff in an editorial or authoritative way.