Newssite of Contra Costa County student Journalism

CC Spin

CC Spin

CC Spin

About

CCSPIN AND CONTRA COSTA YOUTH JOURNALISM

CCSpin is the website of Contra Costa Youth Journalism, a collaborative effort involving educational institutions and professional news organizations dedicated to expanding opportunities for Contra Costa County high school students to share stories about their schools and communities. This initiative seeks to furnish Contra Costa County residents with pertinent and practical local news and information.

For the Fall-Winter 2024 program, 13 students representing 10 Contra Costa County high schools were selected for the program in June 2024. In August, they began reporting and writing on a variety of news subjects relevant to their schools and local communities under the guidance of the CCYJ editorial team, which is composed of Bay Area news professionals and educators. These stories are also published on Local News Matters and made available to local news organizations. 

The students have received lessons on reporting and writing news articles, including techniques for researching reliable information, conducting interviews, and structuring their stories. They have been introduced to the importance of a free press and the First Amendment, ethical considerations in journalism, and the incorporation of diversity, equity, and inclusion into news coverage. 

The program was made possible through generous support from the Dean & Margaret Lesher Foundation, the CalMatters’ Youth Journalism Initiative, and the Contra Costa County Office of Education. Bay City News Foundation and the Journalism Department of Diablo Valley College are also key members of the collaboration. 

Research indicates that high school students who study journalism or participate in their school newspaper or yearbook achieve strong academic results that persist into college. Involvement in journalism also provides a creative outlet for students to exercise critical thinking, writing, communication and design skills. 

Furthermore, professional news organizations are increasingly turning to student journalists to help provide much-needed community news coverage. Local news plays a vital role in fostering community engagement and addressing political polarization, with youth journalists making significant contributions to this effort. 

CCYJ/CCSpin Staff

Bruce Koon, Program Coordinator

Michelle Fitzhugh-Craig, Writing Coach

Brian Barr, Writing Coach

Katy St. Clair, Writing Coach

Sherman Turntine, Copy Editor

CCYJ Collaboration Representatives

Marcus Walton, Director of Communications and Special Projects, Contra Costa County Office of Education

Kat Rowlands, President of Bay City News Service; Executive Director, Bay City News Foundation, and Editorial Director, LocalNewsMatters.org

Neil Chase, Chief Executive Officer, CalMatters

Michael Lozano, head of CalMatters Youth Journalism Initiative

Stephen O’Donoghue, Director, California Scholastic Journalism Initiative and Coordinator/Writing Coach, Student Education Reporter/Sacramento School Beat

Michael Levitin, Journalism Department Chair & Faculty Member, Diablo Valley College

Chris Verdugo, Operations Director, Contra Costa County Office of Communications & Media, Contra Costa Television

Instructors 

Charleen Early, workshop instructor

Students and writing coaches in a light moment in July when they attended a 4-day journalism training camp at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill.

Fall-Winter 2024-2025 Student Reporters for Contra Costa Youth Journalism:

  • Cindy Alvarenga (Antioch HS)
  • Milan Barney (Pittsburgh HS)
  • Emma Mayta Canales (Deer Valley HS)*
  • Nakayla Conner (Pittsburg HS)
  • Caroline Donahoe (Northgate HS)
  • Keerthi Eraniyan (California HS)*
  • Loujain Habibi (Liberty HS)*
  • Madeleine Hanavan (Dozier-Libbey Medical HS)
  • Anushka Kabra (Dougherty Valley HS)
  • Ishita Khanna (Heritage HS)
  • Oscar Villalobos (Making Waves Academy)
  • Sylvana Vuong (Northgate HS)

*Returning student

Winter-Spring 2024 Student Reporters for Contra Costa Youth Journalism:

  • Louise Aparicio-Weil (College Park HS)
  • Emma Mayta Canales (Deer Valley HS)
  • Haley Chelemedos (Acalanes HS)
  • Keerthi Eraniyan (California HS)
  • Wendy Fernandez (Pittsburg HS)
  • Grace Gallacher (Acalanes HS)
  • Sophia Goyena (Dozier-Libbey Medical HS)
  • Cassydee Guinto (Pittsburg HS)
  • Loujain Habibi (Liberty HS)
  • Andrew Ma (California HS)
  • Anna Messerer (Alhambra HS)
  • Tatiana Sims (Deer Valley HS)
  • Bailey Winey (College Park HS)

For inquiries, contact [email protected]

ETHICAL GUIDELINES

Our youth journalism program adheres to the four principles of ethical journalism as described by the Society of Professional Journalism:

  • Seek Truth and Report It
  • Minimize Harm
  • Act Independently
  • Be Accountable and Transparent

Special consideration for youth journalism

While professional journalists are expected to maintain strict objectivity and avoid conflicts of interest, high school journalism operates within a different context. Transparency about potential biases or conflict of interest is still important, and we ask our student journalists to disclose their involvement in a particular topic or event to maintain transparency and accountability. Then we discuss with them their ability to maintain objectivity in their reporting. We believe that reporting occasionally on topics in which they participate provides students with an opportunity to learn about ethical journalism practices, including how to navigate potential conflicts of interest and maintain journalistic integrity. We ask them to minimize their involvement in such instances and avoid active participation. 

We are a member of the Journalism Education Association. 

If you have questions or concerns about a particular story, please contact [email protected].