ST. LOUIS — We all love what we do here at Channel 5, but we know that fewer people working in the field of journalism each year. From newspaper, to broadcast, and even radio-- the industry has been seeing some changes.
There's a creative competition happening in St. Louis which aims to open young minds to the possibility of becoming journalists. The competition offers more than prizes and sparking the potential for a future in storytelling.
Brian Munoz, a photojournalist with St. Louis Public Radio and a judge for the St. Louis Public Radio Teen Photojournalist contest, said, "They can use their phone. They can use whatever they have. We want to meet students where they’re out and empower them to take the time to be able to do this and show us what their world looks like.”
High schoolers in St. Louis and beyond can enter the St. Louis Public Radio Teen Photojournalist contest by sending in up to three of their best self-captured photos.
Important dates for the contest:
- Monday, April 4, 2022: Contest entries close at 5 p.m.
- Tuesday, April 12, 2022: Winning entries will be announced.
- Thursday, May 12, 2022: Opening reception at St. Louis Public Radio.
“We're looking for ‘slice of life moments,' things that they’ve captured over the last year. We have the contest split up into six categories-- anything ranging from sports, features… to pandemic life,” Munoz said.
The goal is to give teens the chance to explore what it’s like to work as a journalist. And hopefully they'll love it enough to consider a building career in journalism.
Munoz said he understands journalism can be a scary field to enter. “Sometimes family says ‘Oh, we want you to be a doctor. We want you to be a lawyer.’ Not necessarily leaning toward the creative field or storytelling. I want this contest to show this is something you can do. This is something you can thrive in,” he said.
Students can win hundreds of dollars in prize money, participate in a masterclass in photojournalism with Brian, get a display of their photos at the University of Missouri St. Louis and more.
Munoz said the hands-on experience is invaluable.“Being able to show them how to do things in the field-- now, that’s a turn of the page there.”
The contest will be judged by some of the best photojournalists in the St. Louis area, hoping to usher in the next group of storytellers.
According to Pew Research Center, newsroom employment in the United States has dropped by more than 25 percent since 2008.
Journalism is listed as one of the top 10 most stressful careers in America by CareerCast. But some say, the perks beyond the paycheck are well worth it.
Munoz said, “You never know how a story is going to touch someone’s life, or how it’s going to change their life. You get to be a change for the better.”
There could be a new wave of hope for the industry with this generation. More than 40 percent of teachers across the country say enrollment in their journalism classes is up.
“Really thinking about the power you hold in being able to tell stories and shining light on important issues... that’s what keeps me going and that’s what I think keeps a lot of us going in the industry,” Munoz said.