Laconia High students get hands-on experience in local journalism pilot

LACONIA — Six Laconia High School students are participating in the Local News Lab, a mentoring program spearheaded by the Granite State News Collaborative, to learn about journalism and its best practices, and eventually pen an original piece for publication in The Laconia Daily Sun.

It’s a program intended to be a win-win for students and the future of journalism.

"The high school news pilot is an important opportunity to share the core pillars of journalism with students, as well as help them become more savvy news consumers," said Julie Hirshan Hart, editor of The Laconia Daily Sun. "We hope the experience for students at Laconia High School will be an example to share statewide, that students are still interested and want to be more engaged with the news and the world around them."

The seven-week course is taught after school by Gabriel Perry and Katlyn Proctor, reporters with The Laconia Daily Sun, and follows curriculum intended to educate on the following topics:

• Determining stories and understanding bias
• Interviewing skills and locating sources
• Identifying photo opportunities
• Journalism writing and civic reporting basics

Taught through the district's extended learning department, each enrolled student has an interest in writing and learning about the local news process. From learning about journalism jargon to how to properly style a lede with dateline, the students will receive a hands-on experience tailored to their interests.

"The Office of Extended Learning was excited to bring the Local News Lab Club to Laconia High School and help make it a reality. The program aligns with our mission to expand learning beyond the classroom by creating meaningful, real-world opportunities for students,” said Kerri Howe, extended learning administrator for Laconia schools. “This club will give students a voice, build valuable storytelling and communication skills, and strengthen connections within the community. Students gain hands-on experience while also exploring future career pathways in media, journalism, and communications, all while developing skills that will support them in any direction they choose.”

Melanie Plenda, executive director of the Granite State News Collaborative, created the program as a way to further the journalism industry, and educate interested students on what makes news, and why it’s so important.

“The Local News Lab really grew out of something we’ve been building toward for years. One of our longtime partners, Carol Robidoux, had been talking about how powerful it can be to work directly with young people, and had always talked about wanting to get a mentoring program up and running. That idea stuck with me. A few years later we launched our Civic Documenters program, which trains community members to cover local meetings and better understand how their communities work,” said Plenda.

“The response to that program was incredible — and it made something very clear: people want to be part of local news, not just consumers of it. At the same time, many of our partners were asking how we could better support the next generation of journalists. The Local News Lab felt like a natural next step. We took what we learned from Civic Documenters and adapted it for high school students — meeting them where they are, giving them real tools, and trusting them with real stories.”

It’s an important program for the future of the news.

“With support from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, we were able to bring this first cohort to life,” Plenda said. “What’s so exciting about this program is that it’s not just about teaching journalism skills — it’s about helping young people understand that their voices matter, that their communities are worth paying attention to, and that local news is something they can actively shape.

“For the future of journalism, that’s everything. Programs like this don’t just build a pipeline — they build a sense of ownership, curiosity, and civic connection. And that’s what local news needs to thrive.”

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Katlyn Proctor can be reached at katlyn@laconiadailysun.com or by calling 603-524-0150.