DEARBORN — Thirty 8th grade journalism students at McCollough Unis Middle School in Dearborn presented new ideas for mobile apps on Friday April 31, at the News Entrepreneurs’ Pitchfest, a contest organized by the School’s journalism program.

The students, who are mostly Arab American, were divided into six groups that presented different ideas. They were judged by senior consultant to the New Economy Initiative for Southeast Michigan Pamela Hurtt and Stefanie Murray, director of digital audience development at the Detroit Free Press.

Ideas ranged from mobile shopping, to health and news apps for tablets and smartphones. All concepts were original and innovative and unlike anything that is currently on the market. The judges rated students on the usefulness and profitability of their ideas.

A group of students present their app idea to the judges and the audience. PHOTO/TAAN Ali Harb

The competition’s first place was shared by two apps.  As a result, the symbolic award, which consisted of bags of candy, had to be divided between two groups.

Judges favored the J-News APP, an app that could provide users with summaries of important news stories from different media outlets and send them notifications for breaking news, by incorporating social media and Globe Hunter:  A visual app that allows users to tap on any country, via an interactive map, and retrieve news stories from that region. 

Prior to the group presentation of ideas, students discussed the basics of writing a news story and shared writing techniques that they have learned throughout the year.

The judges praised the students for their efforts, gave them tips on how to refine and improve their apps, and highlighted the importance of the News Entrepreneurs’ Pitchfest.

“You are the future of journalism,” Murray told the students. “The basics of journalism are incredibly important, but those creative ideas about how we share current news are the future of the profession.”

Hurtt said that she wishes the students would one day take their ideas, which combine journalism and entrepreneurship, and convert them into products and services that benefit people. 

The event was attended by parents and numerous local reporters. Channel 4 reporter and meteorologist Andrew Humphrey said that he looks forward to working with the young journalists at Unis Middle School, not only as a mentor now, but also as their colleague and equal in the future.

The Unis journalism program, titled the Living Textbook, was founded by the Asian American Journalists Association (AJAA) three years ago. Every year, 30 students are selected to participate in the program, which fulfills the curriculum’s social studies requirements.  

Joe Grimm, Michigan State University journalism professor and co-director of the Living Textbook, said that the AJAA started the project at McCullough Unis, a school where the majority of the students are Arab Americans, to get more Middle Eastern students involved in journalism. 

“The hope is that if students are exposed to journalism, they would want to become journalists,” he said. 

According to Grimm, many students who graduated from the program are contemplating pursuing journalism as a career and also currently write for their high school newspapers.

Grimm added that the program has been a success because students’ interest in journalism has increased and their writing has improved, along with their ability to capture and edit photos and videos. 

Living Textbook students after receiving MSU awards.

This year, Living Text Book students were recognized by the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association, an MSU program that evaluates the work of middle school journalism students through a State-wide competition. Fatima Jomaa won first place in “Best Feature,” for a story that she wrote on anti- Muslim pastor Terry Jones this year, and Susan Hatem won third place in “Best Photo” for a picture she took of her teacher. 

Emilia Askari, an Arab American reporter and content developer, and the co-director of the Living Textbook said that the program aims to give Arab American students the skills to be journalists. She added that the program is useful to all students, even those who do not want to become professional journalists, because anybody can be a citizen journalist nowadays.

Askari and Grimm visit the Living Textbook class weekly, where 8th graders are taught journalism by April Kincaid, an energetic social studies teacher, who received special training for the program to teach journalism in middle school.

“I love it,” said student Hawraa Beydoun of the program.

She said that she was not interested at first, but then she realized that Living Textbook gave her a chance to express herself and improve her writing and interpersonal skills. 

Beydoun said that she would consider journalism as a professional career in the future, because of the program.

Although Khansa Alhaidi, a Unis journalism student, does not consider journalism to be her first career option, she explains, “The program gave me a voice, built my confidence and improved my writing and speaking skills.”

Students publish the stories they write on a special website for the Living Textbook, and Alhaidi said that she felt “proud and accomplished” when she saw her name on a story.

AlHaidi said that there should be more Arab American journalists to represent the perspectives of Arabs on issues, like terrorism and racial profiling in the media.

The Living Textbook is sponsored and funded by the McCormick and Ford Foundations, but Askari said that she is looking for additional funding for the program from the community for next year, so that students will still be able to participate in the activities that the program has offered over the past three years. 

If you are interested in sponsoring the Living Textbook program or contributing to it, please contact Askari at easkari@umich.edu.