On a recent Thursday morning at Waiʻane High School, students at Searider Productions were filming for their bimonthly broadcast package.
It’s part of a news program for high school students that airs on their school website.
Senior Natasha Ma‘afala said she wants to pursue a career in broadcast journalism. She's going to study at the University of Oregon in the fall.
“This is something I want to do after high school,” she said.
Ma‘afala said she’s learned all she can from Searider Productions, a multimedia program created in 1993 that focuses on visual media arts, the media industry, and journalism. The program has garnered a strong reputation for its award-winning streak.
She eventually wants to come back home to work at a local TV station like Hawaii News Now or PBS Hawai‘i.
This surprised her advisers who said only 10% of their alumni in the last 30 years have continued a career in broadcasting.
John Allen III, video advisor and a journalism teacher, said Wai‘anae High students struggle with coming to school. He added that the program helps students provide a sense of identity.
“We try to provide the opportunity for them,” he said. ”It may not be your passions for life, but if you can learn how to commit yourself to something on this scene, then when you get to bigger things that you really want to do, then you understand how to work with teammates and how to work with people outside of your industry.”
While student newspapers have been on the decline, broadcast journalism in local public schools has been trudging along as the media landscape evolves.
Nearly 90% of U.S. adults get their news on a digital device like a smartphone, computer or tablet, according to Pew Research. But TV still attracts viewers, with over 60% of Americans saying they get news from television at least sometimes.
Pew Research also found that the portion of people who often get their news from TV — about 1 in 3 Americans — has remained steady over the last few years.
Media professionals have been encouraging K-12 students in Hawai‘i to pursue a career in broadcast or even film.
One program that has taught students for over a decade is PBS Hawaiʻi's "HIKI NŌ," a free visual storytelling mentorship program for K-12 students.
“It’s certainly harder these days to convince students to study classic journalism if newspapers or television aren't part of their daily lives,” said Eleni Avendaño, the managing editor of "HIKI NŌ."
“But what’s magical and more enticing about 'HIKI NŌ' on PBS Hawaiʻi programs is that it’s through a cinematic lens and through community engagement, which is really exciting for the students."
Avendaño said students can choose what video project they want to produce.
“Sometimes it’s not a traditional news story, but the crux of it is that students are producing non-fiction work,” she said.
Ma’afala also participated in "HIKI NŌ" and wants to pursue a broadcast career.
“This is something I want to continue, with media being a continuously growing industry,” she said. “I know that I could make it far. There's always going to be career options for me.”
