WriteGirl kicks off 15th Season with journalism workshop

WriteGirl kicked off our 15th anniversary season with a record number of 108 girls in attendance at our annual journalism workshop held at Maker City LA on Nov. 14. The girls traveled to writing stations with their mentors where they learned about the essential elements of journalism including how to write in the inverted pyramid style, where the most important information is presented at the top of the story. They dissected newspaper articles to learn how to present the facts – the who, what, where, when, why, and how – and then used their new skills to craft their own stories and headlines.

Special guests included NBC4 reporter Beverly White, who spoke about the importance of journalism. “Getting it right is always in the job description,” she said. “If it's not truthful, what's the point?” She’s learned in her more than 30 years on the job that “every story is big to somebody.” The workshop concluded with a panel discussion on what it’s like to work in journalism. Panelists included Kateri Wozny (freelance journalist and public affairs specialist), Deanne Barnert (entertainment writer), Tamara Duricka (freelance journalist for the LA Times), Libby Hill (TV reporter for the LA Times), Seema Mehta (political writer for the LA Times).