Congratulations on making it into the Journalism class! Journalism is one of the most unique classes you will take here at Mills, and you’re going to have a great time! I know you have tons of questions about the class, but hopefully we will answer them in class. This FAQ is going to focus on questions you might have about this new website we have.

Journalism FAQ

1. What is this website?

This is the new Journalism website! The Journalism class has always wanted to get a website up and running, but previous tech editors (Hank Fanchiu) never found the time to do so.

2. What’s the point of having a website?

Since none of you high school kids like reading the newspaper anymore, the website is going to be another source to get the Thunderbolt articles. Forgot to pick up an issue? No problem, we’ll have all the articles on here. This website is also going to feature more stories than the paper, so be sure you don’t miss out! This website will also serve as an archiving tool. We’re going to try and upload all previous issues of the Thunderbolt so you can run down memory lane.

3. Will I be using the website in class?

Of course! I didn’t do all this work for nothing! Starting this year, we’re going to have all writers submit their drafts online. The WordPress platform makes it extremely easy for writers and  editors to make corrections and comments. Drafts are automatically saved, and editors can see whether or not their writers are making progress. No more of those “I left it at home” excuses!

4. “How come my article didn’t make it into the paper? I worked so hard on it!!”

This isn’t going to be an issue anymore. All articles will be published on the website, so you can show everybody your hard work.

5. What is the forum for?

To make up for the lack of class time, the forums is going to be another tool for editors and writers to collaborate. We will have topics and discussions about possible article ideas, and if everybody participates, the forum will be a great place to get help if you’re ever stuck on an article.

6. What is RSS?

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication, and is a format for delivering our content. You can read more about it at Wikipedia if you’re interested. People can subscribe to our RSS feed with their e-mail or an RSS reader. Whenever our site updates and a new article is published, the person who subscribed will be notified. This way, everybody can be up to date with our content without having to visit our site. Be sure to get your friends and family to subscribe!

7. What’s up with the photo gallery?

Believe it or not, but we have our own Flickr channel too! Each year, we take hundreds of photos on various events at school and it’s such a waste that only a few of the photos end up in the paper. This Flickr channel is going to be a place for everyone to upload their photos, so others can admire or use their work.

8. Anything else I need to know?

I’m not sure, nobody actually asked any of these questions. If you have some questions that are unanswered, let me know in the comments section.