WADN Brings New Changes to the Daily News Show

By Ella Willard

WADN, the school’s daily news show, keeps students and faculty informed about what is happening around campus. This year, WADN is making several changes to give students more opportunities to create stories and make the show feel more professional.

Digital Media Teacher Ms. Jacobi said students can expect changes throughout the program, including a new name. “You can expect to see a lot of changes coming from the studio and a more professional newscast all around,” Jacobi said. When asked what led to the name change, Jacobi explained that her experience helped influence the direction of the program, stating “we changed it to be more professional.” I came with a television news background, and we’re giving examples to these kids to have different roles. Wired just wasn’t as professional.” The new name is modeled after professional broadcasting naming regulations, with “W” meaning that the station is located east of the Mississippi River. The program will also be competing in various competitions this year, including attending the Florida Scholastic Press Association and National Student Journalism Conferences in the spring, giving students a chance to show off their work and learn from other student journalists.

WADN is also introducing new segments, including podcasts and more sports coverage. Along with the new ideas, students are getting new equipment to help improve production. One Digital Media student, Griffin Bechem stated, “this year, our packages are going to be more professional, and the lighting in the room is going to improve our filming.” Students will also have their own computers, which will make editing their stories easier and faster, with Linnea Flostrand stating, “The new changes in WADN are that everyone gets their own individual computer so that they can edit their own individual projects faster.” New backgrounds and equipment are also being added to give students more options while filming. “We got new backgrounds and different equipment so that we can film in different spots, and we’re doing more packages this year by doing one a week,” Digital Media student Lana Smuckler said.

With all these changes, WADN is giving students more chances to be creative, learn about news, and take on different, more professional roles while continuing to be an important part of Nease.