Some of the most important stories happening in a school are not always the ones that happen in front of an audience.

For the student journalists at Franklin Community Middle School, their work often happens behind the scenes. They spend hours researching stories, interviewing sources, writing, editing, producing videos, and finding creative ways to tell the stories of their school and community. Over the past few years, that work has earned national recognition.

Students involved in Franklin’s student media programs, including the Paw Post and Cub News Network (CNN), received multiple national rankings and honors from the Journalism Education Association and Ball State Media School, competing against student journalists from across the country.

National Recognition for Middle School Journalists

The Journalism Education Association recognized the following students for their work:

• Jaye Clawson - Superior in News Writing for an article examining the potential impact of House Bill 1086 on Indiana schools. Superior is the highest possible ranking.

• Emma Nicholson - Excellent in News Writing for an article about the U.S. 31 construction.

• Kyla Lane-Adams - Excellent in Feature Writing for an article about Senate Bill 21.

• Sophie Calo, Tucker Harris, and Lindsay Huffman - Honorable Mention for their Lost & Found public service announcement.

Additional recognition came from the Ball State Media School, where students in grades 7–12 from across the country were judged on their journalism and media work. As middle school students, Franklin students earned:

• Jaye Clawson - Superior for a news article on House Bill 1086.

• Rhett McManus and Rudra Patel - Excellent for their CNN show opener.

• Jill Eglinton - Excellent for a sports feature on the IU Football National Championship.

These awards build on an already impressive year for Franklin's student media programs. Last year, Paw Post earned second place in the NSPA Best of Show contest in Minneapolis, while CNN earned first place for the second consecutive year.

For Katy Hollis, writing teacher and journalism and student media adviser, the recognition is a reflection of the students' commitment to one another and to their craft.

“I could not be more proud of these students! Every year, the students in Paw Post and CNN raise the bar for each other, continually striving for excellence in not only their individual work, but in how the programs are reflected as a whole.”

While awards provide an exciting opportunity to celebrate these accomplishments, Hollis said the value of student journalism goes beyond the recognition itself.

“Being a student in announcements or newspaper means that most of your work is done ‘behind the scenes,’” Hollis said. “These students don't get applauded in real time like actors in a school musical.”

Creating opportunities for journalism and media students to compete, receive feedback, and earn recognition gives the school community a chance to see the level of work happening behind the scenes.

“Providing opportunities for journalism and media students to win awards and achieve high rankings allows our school community to recognize the hard work these students put in and celebrate the level of work they are producing,” Hollis said.

From covering important issues affecting Indiana schools to telling stories about their classmates and community, Franklin’s student journalists are learning that their voices matter and that their work can reach far beyond the classroom.