Students Keep Communities Informed During Virus Shutdown

The producers and reporters on the student news program at Fort Osage High School in Independence, Mo., were days away from producing their weekly broadcast when they learned their school would be closing at the end of the day March 13 because of the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Undeterred by the unexpected shutdown and the requirement to maintain physical distance from anyone outside their family, members of the broadcast news program “Tribal Review” mobilized from their homes using smartphones, iPads, Chromebooks, Snapchat and FaceTime to produce a 13-minute program. Published one week later on YouTube, the news show hosted by two editors carried images of deserted school hallways and playing fields, an interview with their school’s principal on his priorities during the closure, segments on how various students were using their days at home and advice for viewers on keeping germ-free during the public health crisis.