Northwest Rankin High School’s The Paw produces informative and entertaining 10 minute episodes bi-weekly.

The Paw is composed of seniors in NWR’s Convergent Media Academy. The staff includes the Production Director, Technical Director, Editor, camera operator, three social media managers, and four anchors. Each member has their own responsibilities and they work together to produce each episode.

“At the beginning of the school year, the staff as a collective discussed what we wanted to accomplish with our version of The Paw. We then took that vision and used it to influence our decisions when deciding on stories to cover,” Richard Sullivan, The Paw‘s Production Director, said. “The staff works vigorously to come up with exciting things to cover, and each member is in charge of writing, producing, and editing their own segments.”

The staff brainstorms together to decide on what to cover for each segment of the episode.

“Together, we brainstorm what exactly it is we’re trying to accomplish by choosing what to feature. ‘Are we recognizing a group for their hard work and talents? Are we trying to inform the student body about a new club in the school or local business in the area?’ We then discuss the most effective way to introduce those aforementioned things,” Sullivan said.

The staff bonds and builds memories, including having a class party before their winter break.

“My favorite memory of being on staff is the things we do outside of just working hard including the last class I had with the staff before this past Christmas break,” Sullivan said. “Together we watched a movie, had a class party, brought snacks and drinks, and the experience was really enjoyable, getting to laugh and bond with everyone. It shows how much we’ve grown close to each other over the past four years in the Media Academy, almost like family.”

Being a part of the staff prepares the students for their future career as they are able to gain useful skills. Sullivan was able to gain communication, leadership, and time-management skills while being on staff that will prepare him for the future in broadcast journalism.

“In the four years I’ve been in the Media Academy, I have obtained many useful skills and pivotal knowledge that will help me in the future. I have grown in my leadership, communication, adaptability, decisiveness, and time management. These crucial skills will help me to pursue a career in Broadcast and Digital Journalism at Mississippi State University and one day work in the news industry and be on the air.”

To keep up with The Paw,  you can follow them on Instagram @nwrpaw. The staff will be taking over the MSPA Instagram on Friday, March 1 on the @MSPA_MS account!