GSPA Advisory Council Feature Blog Post: Shanon Woolf
/By Morgan Hardy
GSPA is proud to highlight one of our GSPA Advisory Council members, Shanon Woolf, adviser of the McIntosh Trail and The Legend yearbook at McIntosh High School in Peachtree City, Ga.
What drew you to get involved with GSPA as an Advisory Council member, and what keeps you committed?
Shannon Woolf, Mcintosh High school
When I started advising in 2018, I was grateful for those experienced advisers around me who freely offered their time, their resources, who gave advice and shared the wisdom that can only come from long-time advising. I am so grateful to them, and that's why I'm involved in the Council - to help support new advisers and continue learning from experienced ones.
What is a particular point of pride you have with working with student journalists on your staff?
My favorite moments involve watching older, more experienced journalists explain to new staffers why, for example, we don't just right click on an image and republish it on our site, what laws that may violate. I am so proud to watch them explain what fair use is and how to locate those resources. I love watching more experienced photographers take the rookies out to learn to shoot manual. I love listening to editors explain the ethics of a story when they're working with the staff - how that angle may not "minimize harm," and then offer suggestions on ways to approach the story with integrity. The days I feel completely unnecessary in our newsroom are some of my favorite days!
Looking toward the future, what do you hope your legacy will be in shaping the next generation of storytellers?
These are somewhat bleak times, between the looming presence of AI, economic uncertainties, and the diminishing presence of legacy media. But I hope my students have learned enough from me and from one another that journalism provides them with the tools to navigate tough times: with practice questioning authority, the ability to see what's credible, staying solution-focused, and having the initiative to take action, no matter where their futures take them.