Woodstock Teen Selected As Scholastic Kid Reporter

WOODSTOCK, GA — A teen from Woodstock is joining 49 other students to become a student journalist.

Bryce Jones, 14, is an eighth grader from Woodstock Middle School and was picked to be Kid Reporter. He saw an ad about the Scholastic Kids Press and decided to apply. Jones wrote a personal essay, submitted two story ideas, and wrote a news article about a local event.

"I have always enjoyed writing and I realized that if I wrote for Scholastic Kids Press, it would give me the chance to go and interview people and write stories that I might not have been able to before," Jones said. "It was a great opportunity and I jumped at it.

"I enjoy many things about the media industry such as reporting, writing, and interviewing," he said. "I really enjoy the whole process of creating a news article, including research and compiling information, and then turning it all into a story."

Since 2000, more than 400 Kid Reporters ages 10–14 have covered “news for kids, by kids” as part of the award-winning Scholastic News Kids Press Corps.

In celebration of the program’s 20th anniversary, Scholastic has revealed a new name and look for the team of young journalists—Scholastic Kids Press. This special anniversary year, 50 new and returning Kid Reporters have been selected to share stories from around the world with a focus on the critical topics and issues that matter most to young people.

“Celebrating 20 years of student journalism is so rewarding for us," Suzanne McCabe, Editor of Scholastic Kids Press, said. "Since its beginning, Scholastic Kids Press has educated students about the world by giving kids the opportunity to report on news that matters to them. We’re dedicated to giving young people a voice, and the best way to do that is to continue our commitment to student reporters who are helping their peers become informed citizens of the world.”

The students represent 21 states in the United States and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, in addition to Brazil, Canada, the Czech Republic (Czechia), New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, the Philippines, and Thailand.

As they work closely with an editor throughout the school year, Kid Reporters receive valuable, hands-on journalism experience pitching stories and doing interviews. They build confidence and sharpen their communication and critical-thinking skills as they cover current events, breaking news, entertainment, sports, and more in their hometowns and on the national stage. All original Kid Reporter stories are published on the Scholastic Kids Press website as well as in select issues of Scholastic Classroom Magazines, which reach more than 25 million students in classrooms nationwide.

"The news can be confusing to kids, mostly because it is written for adults," Jones said. "However, Scholastic Kid Reporters can formulate their stories in a way that would make sense to other kids. It’s a kid writing for other kids. I think it is important for kids to know and understand the news and Scholastic Kid Reporters share that with them through stories they are most interested in. For those that participate in programs like Scholastic Kids Press, we get to see what it is like working for a news organization just like an adult reporter. I have an editor that I work with and pitch my story ideas to."

Jones said he thinks that most of the time, listening to news is not a top priority for kids, but when the news involves them or is presented in a way kids would find interesting, they pay attention.

"In school, our teachers would pass out Scholastic Classroom Magazines and kids would read them from cover to cover," Jones said. "They flip through the pages and read the things that they find the most interesting. Adult news might not always draw in kids’ attention, but when Scholastic Kids Press has news, they stop and listen."

Throughout school, Jones said he would often exceed writing assignment requirements due to his love of writing. He was able to put his skills to the test a couple of summers ago, when he got the opportunity to go and walk for three weeks on the Camino de Santiago, a trail in Spain that stretches from the Pyrenees Mountains in France to the city of Santiago in northwest Spain.

"Only a handful of kids my age get to experience this amazing adventure and I thought it would be a terrific thing to share and write about," Jones said. "When I got home, I got to work and wrote all about my trip and submitted it to a local magazine, Around Woodstock. They told me that my article was about three times longer than what they normally publish, but they didn’t turn me away. Instead, they turned it into a three-part series (they published one part each month for three months)! As a result, I was asked to be a contributing writer for Around Woodstock magazine and have since written several other stories for their publications."

This encouraged Jones to enter his first essay contest, which he won for Cherokee County and also went on to be the overall winner. During this same time period, he found out about the Scholastic Kids Press application process, and later learned he was selected.

As for Jones' future, he said he doesn't know what he wants to pursue, but plans to use the research, interview, and writing skills he has and will continue to learn through the program.

"I hope to improve my writing, interviewing, and speaking skills so that in the future, I will be stronger in these areas and can use them for whatever career I may choose," he said. "Being a Kid Reporter will give me the chance to meet people and make connections that I might not have been able to before. I hope to gain experience, meet and work with interesting people, improve my skills, open new doors, and uncover new opportunities."