With pens and cameras in hand, high schoolers from across the mid-south assembled for the Accelerated Media Project workshop at the University of Memphis this summer. Justin Kouch (11), Caitlin Tate (11) and Kathryn Todd (11) learned the basics of journalism while taking part in hands-on activities to experience the work of journalists.

Students attended learning sessions and workshops in the Meeman Journalism Building, while also getting the chance to develop unique projects.

“We learned how to write articles, how to create yearbook covers and anything in general that relates to media,” Kouch said.

Further sharpening their photography skills, students also learned about the “five snapshots” of picture angles: over the shoulder, of the hands, from above or below, from a wide distance and of the face.

“It was really fun. We got to learn about photography, and we got to upload our own article online, which was really neat,” Tate said.

The workshop spanned over three days, and the students were able to see the many components that go into media production and journalism.

“I think it was a great experience: you meet professors, you get to see the campus and you get a good taste of what journalism is like,” Todd said.

One element of journalism that Todd found surprising was the extensive use of social media; periods of time were devoted to communicating with one another solely on Twitter.

Overall, the students felt that the experience was a success, and many would recommend it to others in the future.

“If they’re a first year journalism student or want to learn how to do journalism,” Kouch said, “then they should go to AMP.”