Spartanburg High School’s all-new Viking News broadcast launched this year and is receiving rave reviews for its first two episodes. It was conceived by art and photography teacher Crissy Rennie, who is in her third year at SHS, as a way to boost school spirit and help students develop valuable skills.
Ms. Rennie has fond memories of her own time as editor and executive producer of Wando High School’s news team, Tribe Talk. “We competed around the state and I remember students being super excited when our episode aired. When I came to SHS and noticed we didn't have a news show, I brought the idea to Mr. Adam Babcock and he was all for it.”
The Viking News team started small with their first episode but attracted interest and grew to include more students for its second episode, released in October. The crew meets to plan each episode before school once per month, then heads out to capture the stories. They check in with Ms. Rennie throughout each week as the episodes are put together for publishing. In their October installment, several SHS students share facts about their native countries for Hispanic Heritage Month, they give athletic updates, provide tips to students for writing professional email messages, cover senior college day, ask a lot of Vikings about their favorite Halloween movies, and end with a poignant introduction to the beloved custodial team at SHS.
As the news show grows, Ms. Rennie envisions the students’ honing their skills and eventually beginning to edit their own stories. She also envisions the possibility of a future Media Technology/Broadcast Journalism class that would expand the news team while preparing students for careers in the field. For now, the group is focusing on telling stories that create connections and deepen our Viking’s understanding of one another.
Enjoy the show!
Fall 2024 Viking News Team
News Anchor: Marianna Saad
Sports Anchor: Karsyn Painter
Interviewer: Finely Sloan
Executive Producer: Sam Foster
Camera Crew : Brianna Drummond , Jeremiah Ross, Savannah Ferguson, Crissy Rennie
Editor: Crissy Rennie