| Hometown News Correspondent Information |
Someone inquiring about the Hometown News Correspondent position wrote:
>In Bulletin #3 it suggests that Scouts need the Journalism
>merit badge to be a Hometown News Correspondent. Is it
>required? How do we submit the names of the Scouts that
>want to participate? After submitting their names, when
>will they receive their information packets? We have
>several Scouts interested.
The Hometown News Correspondents are described on page 42 of the "Troop Leader Guide":
Hometown News Correspondents
Scouts in your troop can share their jamboree adventure with
everyone back home by becoming a Hometown News correspondent. Local
news editors and directors are responsive to telling the story of an
event of this magnitude. Hometown Scouts attending the jamboree is
news to local editors. The idea is to get as much positive local and
regional publicity as possible and provide an educational experience
for Scouts.
Hometown News correspondents are selected by jamboree troop
leaders in conjunction with their local council. The number of
correspondents selected is based on the number of local media outlets
in your area. Troops are encouraged to have more than one
correspondent. Scouts should be selected to write for their local
newspaper, television, or radio station. Additional information is
available from your local council in the Jamboree Council Public
Relations Guide, No. NSJ-1001-O1, or by writing Hometown News, S228,
Boy Scouts of America, 1325 West Walnut Hill Lane, PO Box 152079,
Irving, TX 75015-2079.
Hometown News Operation
The "Council Public Relations Guide" [NSJ-1001-O1] states on Page 11:
The jamboree's "hometown news" operation is an opportunity to
provide your Scouts with a real media experience. Scouts who have
earned the Journalism merit badge will work as "hometown
correspondents" with adult media professionals to provide home
newspapers and radio and TV stations with personalized coverage of
the jamboree. Hometown news correspondents will have credentials and
access to equipment.
The hometown news program basically works this way:
Interested Scouts and local media personnel get together to discuss
coverage. The BSA provides hometown news kits and accreditation to
youth who have proof of correspondent status with hometown newspapers
or radio/television stations. (Specific details will be provided to
jamboree troops.)
You can assure hometown news coverage by pairing
participating youth correspondents with media personnel in your
council's area with city editors of daily newspapers, news editors of
weekly papers, and news directors of radio and television stations. It would be best to have the public relations chairman or a committee person accompany the youth on the initial visit with the
media. The BSA strongly feels that adult support at this stage helps. Once on site, some correspondents do an outstanding job. Others, after an initial fling at news reporting, find other aspects of the jamboree more attractive.
Hometown news reporting is not an ideal way to obtain
professional copy, and news executives will realize this. Hometown
news reporting is, however, good training for journalism. The
correspondent receives work space and "press section" space at key
events; has the opportunity to interview VIPs; and is provided with
background material, fact sheets, and stories as they are released by
the jamboree media service.
Submitted by:
Steve Henning in Reading, PA
http://home.epix.net/~hawkmtn/jamb.html
http://www.users.fast.net/~shenning
Nat'l Jambo Staff: '89, '93, '97, '01
World Jambo Staff: '91, '95
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