Summer camps can sometimes nerdy, but journalism camp was where it was at. From networking with real journalists to running fun simulations, you got to feel like you were part of "the club" and figure it out if its for you.
1. You talked about fake news before it was cool.
But back then, it was mainly about Fox News or CNN stories like "Malaysia Airlines flight 370 found" or conspiracy theories that made you go "that's not how it goes."
2. Your counselors all had internships at local news affiliates or newspapers.
And they'd tell you about their internships and what they learned, like always use "alleged" in front of suspect when talking about crime stories.
3. You would always run a simulation on a real news event.
Whether if was Ferguson, MO or the presidential primaries, you had to find a way to write articles, create photostories, develop a video, shoot an interview and run a social media platform just to be competitive. And everyone was jealous of the team that was Buzzfeed because they could just write a funny listicle and still win.
4. The AP wire is something you'd all nerd out about.
And sometimes the wire they'd show at camp would have fake news that wouldn't be relevant, but it was still funny to watch everyone freak out and google "did Taylor Swift dye her hair green?"
5. You'd get a college info session and learn about different media and journalism programs.
There are so many incredible journalism programs throughout the nation and you'd learn about more than just only about the programs at MIZZOU, UNC, ASU, and UT-Austin.
6. Your counselors would all tell you to study abroad and learn about media in other countries.
Plus, these universities have study abroad in fun places, like Emerson College owns a castle in the Netherlands.
7. You'd get a crash course into many different facets of news media.
I learned about political journalism, photojournalism, strategic communications, sports communications, digital media and broadcasting all in a week. It was a lot of information at once, but it definitely helped create an appreciation for journalists in other disciplines.
8. When you'd go to college, at least someone from camp would be in the same program as you are.
Once you'd figure that out, it would be either: a) cool because you guys went to camp together, or b) weird because they had no clue who you were and not really sure how you know them.
9. There would always be a panel on political journalism.
And these people had incredible on the job stories.
10. Sometimes the panels would make you cry.
TBH, I sobbed when Carol Guzy talked about her Katrina dogs gallery.
11. Any field trip during camp would be related to media in some way.
If you were at camp in Washington D.C. and didn't go to the Newseum, were you really at journalism camp?
12. You kept all of your lanyards because they were super cool.
They were your press credentials for the week and made you feel like a professional.
13. You have loads of selfies from throughout camp.
This is more like any camp out there, but it's still cool to scroll through your camera roll and see all of the memories.
14. You had a "nap buddy" who would wake you up when the guest speaker was close.
You'd find your nap buddy towards the end of camp, when everyone was exhausted and ready to sleep more than a few hours a night.
15. You dressed up for every occasion.
Class? You were in Business Professional attire. Grabbing breakfast? You were all dressed up. Running to Starbucks? Your makeup was done and your hair was straightened. You felt so cool and professional when you dressed up.
16. Mixers were lit.
Nothing was like drinking mocktails (really just sodas with some type of flavoring) and dancing with all of your friends in the middle of a dorm lounge. And everyone danced like this:
17. You laughed at bad interview videos.
My favorite from camp was the "Ryan Lochte is terrible at interviews" video by Buzzfeed. You need to watch it. It's good. I still laugh every time.
18. If you did a broadcast session, you'd have a blooper reel.
Mine included me in front of Nats Park and throwing it back to the studio. As soon as I ended throwing it back, a car horn blared in the background.
19. Everyone you knew was on their high school newspaper, yearbook, and/or student television staffs.
Everyone had their own way of creating content, managing staffs, and working with their school administrations. And you were so jealous of the kids who did not have to deal with "prior review" administrations.
20. Your groupchats were mainly camp-based memes.
Usually it was weird photos with comments slapped on it or some meme about how Comic Sans MS is the worst. We had a "selfies with sleepers" photo collage where one dude would take selfies while we took naps on the bus.
Journalism camp was something that made you grow and possibly helped you realize what you wanted to do in life. It was a busy week, but the memories and lessons will last you a lifetime.
