Student newspaper editors learn in Saskatoon in 1979 (2024)

Every Thursday, we feature an image from the StarPhoenix archives, curated by the City of Saskatoon Archives. Today, we see high school student editors from across the province learning layout techniques from Ron Hunter in a newspaper editors workshop, from Aug. 8, 1979. (City of Saskatoon Archives StarPhoenix Collection S-SP-A11971-13)

From the StarPhoenix archives:

While most people were “at the lake” this past holiday weekend, 57 high school students from all over Saskatchewan were at St. Andrew’s College getting a taste of how they will be spending nearly all of their weekends throughout the coming school year.

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The students, seven of them from Saskatoon, were in the city Friday through Monday for the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation’s 23rd annual workshop for editors of high school newspapers. …

For the first time in “recent memory” interviews were done in a press conference format (said Lionel Wilson, co-director for the workshop).

Some of the dignitaries the students got to “try their skills out” on: Barb Shockey, of international swimming fame; George Brent, mayor of the Summer Games Village; and Fr. Bob Ogle, MP for Saskatoon-East. …

Wilson says he was pleased with how the interviews were conducted.

“Some very intelligent questions were asked and they were given straightforward and fulsome answers.” …

As well, sessions were held explaining such topics as: sources of material; writing news, sports, features and editorials; interviewing techniques; editing; and finally, layout. Student editors were also briefed on newspaper management in general. …

(Co-director Ron) Hunter says there are three objectives that the workshop committee wishes to meet: “First, we want them to have a basis knowledge; second, we want them to be able to practice it; and third, we want them to take this experience back with them.”

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“This is not a course in journalism,” says Hunter.

Is this workshop beneficial to the students? Hunter says the “students are the best judge of that.”

Most of the students must feel as though they are bursting at the seams with knowledge.

“We’ve only been here a few days but it seems like we’ve been here a year,” says Cindy Carle, editor of the Carlton Chronicle of Prince Albert.

Rob Anderson, editor of the Tattler of Lutheran College in Regina, feels he’s got enough ideas “for at least 20 issues.”

Margaret Duffy, editor of the newspaper at Marian High School in Regina, says she was a “little scared” at the thought of editing the paper. “Not now,” she says. “I have lots of ideas — in fact, I may change the name of the paper from ‘Blue Print’ to ‘Spectator.’ “

Throwback Thursday is a weekly StarPhoenix series where we revisit photos from Saskatoon’s past.

Check out our entire collection here.

What moment in Saskatoon’s history from August would you like us to revisit next? Send suggestions to jbennett@postmedia.com.

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