Youth media program gives kids a voice

By Abby Van Bremen, 17, with contributions from Joseph Short, 13; Lauren Belpedio, 11; Erin Mahaney, 9, and Kelly Sprouse, 9.

A group of kids congregate in a colorful news bureau after a monotonous day at school. A teenage editor patiently takes notes as three eager young reporters fire off potential questions for the children’s author they are to interview that afternoon. Meanwhile another editor is downstairs in the radio studio recording a heartfelt commentary. This is a typical scene at 8-18 Media.

8-18 Media has been giving a voice to Upper Peninsula youth since 1993. It was once part of an international organization called Children’s Express, but since CE closed in 2001 due to financial reasons, 8-18 has operated as an independent news bureau and program of the U.P. Children’s Museum.

Since the bureau began, hundreds of youth ages 8 to 18 have benefited from its program. Lance Larson, 20, of Sawyer was one of these youth. When he joined the bureau at age 12, he saw it as a way to meet other kids and find a new hobby. Little did he suspect what a lasting impression the program would make on him.

"8-18 has influenced the way I think about the world, how I envision it and has built up my self-confidence level. It helped me open up myself to other people," Lance said.

8-18 Media Director Linda Remsburg says these gains are not at all unusual for members.

"Kids do gain a lot of confidence in their abilities as a result of this program and they learn they do have a voice and that it is valued,” Remsburg said. “Kids’ voices aren't heard a lot in society. 8-18 is here to change that."

8-18 Media produces print and radio stories on issues that affect youth. Topics range from the seriousness of kids in foster care to the light-heartedness of the latest Harry Potter release. Print stories run in Marquette Monthly. Radio news stories and commentaries are broadcast weekly on WMQT-Q107 and WNMU Public Radio 90. 8-18 also produced a series of video stories that ran on local public and commercial television.

The kids decide what issues to cover, define story angles, write the questions, conduct the interviews and write the stories. Editors ages 14 to 18 serve as mentors for reporters ages 8 to 13.

Remsburg says the program benefits youth in many ways.

"It helps kids learn how to pay attention. It broadens young people’s worlds. It makes them think more about the community and the larger world than just themselves,” she said. “It gives them opportunities to see how other people live and what other people are doing. And most importantly, it gives kids a voice in the community and in the larger world, which I think is very important."

Andrew LaCombe, 15, of Marquette has been a member of 8-18 Media since he was 8. He has worked on dozens of print, radio and video stories. He has also served for several years on 8-18’s youth administrative team, which sets policy for the bureau and helps determine what stories to cover. He spent much of the spring and summer of 2004 preparing to report at the Republican National Convention in New York. He and three other members interviewed political leaders, activists and politically engaged youth at the convention. Another team covered the Democratic National Convention in Boston.

"It takes a lot of work and dedication to do what we are doing,” said Andrew who spends anywhere from two to 20 hours a week in the bureau depending on what stories he’s working on. “Without this experience I probably wouldn't know about a lot of political issues. I learn a lot about people, too. It's opened up my eyes to the world.”

Lance agrees.

"It helped me grow,” Lance said. “Without 8-18 Media my life would have been a lot different. I don't think I would have outgrown the shyness as much. It has influenced my career. I had a summer internship at Q107 that I probably never would have received if I didn't have my 8-18 radio commentaries under my belt."

Though Lance has since become an 8-18 alum, he intends to pursue broadcasting as a career. Andrew is also considering studying broadcasting. Other alumni have pursued a wide range of fields including business, international relations, and political science.

"It's an important thing for all communities to take their responsibility to youth seriously and help young people be the best that they can be," says Remsburg, "for themselves personally and for the community as a whole."

8-18 Media is open to anyone ages 8 to 18. The program is free and there are no academic prerequisites to join. The only requirement is that kids attend a youth-led training session for new members. Trainings are held three times a year. For more information, call Remsburg at 906-226-7874.