High School Media Day
UNC Asheville will host High School Media Day for Western North Carolina newspaper and yearbook students and teachers on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. The event is organized by UNC Asheville’s Mass Communication Department in cooperation with the N.C. Scholastic Media Association.
Aspiring journalists from area high schools can hone their skills and learn from media experts.
Check-in for UNC Asheville High School Media Day begins at 8:30 am in UNC Asheville’s Highsmith University Union.
Workshops run from 9 am – 2 pm and will take place in Highsmith University Union.
Please fill out this form to register for the workshop. The registration fee is $20.00 per person, which includes lunch. No refunds will be given, though substitutions for attendees may be made.
Complete and submit the registration form online by Oct. 10, 2025. Please print the registration form and send it with a school check(s) payable to: UNC Asheville, to be received by Friday, Oct. 17, 2025 to:
UNC Asheville
Mass Communication Dept., CPO #2120
1 University Heights
Asheville, NC 28804
For more information, please contact Carrie Jarvis in the UNC Asheville Mass Communication Department at cjarvis@unca.edu.
Please be aware that the capacity for this event is 200 participants. We will not be able to accept registrations beyond this capacity.
Attendance implies agreement to be featured in images.
Parents/guardians may request their child not be featured in photos or social media posts.
Send your request to the Mass Communication Department in care of Carrie Jarvis, cjarvis@unca.edu.
Schedule
October 23, 2025
9 a.m. – REGISTRATION
9:30 a.m. – OPENING SESSION
10 a.m. – INSTRUCTIONAL SESSIONS
11 a.m. – Noon LUNCH
Noon – INSTRUCTIONAL SESSIONS
1 p.m. – INSTRUCTIONAL SESSIONS
1:45 p.m. – CLOSING SESSION, AWARDS, AND DOOR PRIZES
2 p.m. – ADJOURN
Session Options
Session 1 Options
- Podcasting and Newswriting in the Digital Age: Dee Pridgen and Pruett Norris, 828NewsNow
- Music Journalism, Garret Woodward, Rolling Stone & magazine writer
- Yearbook: Write Like You Want to Be Read, Brenda Gorsuch
- Using Social Media with your Student Media: Jenny Zimmerman
Session 2 Options
- Audio/Podcast Production Fundamentals: Dr. Stephanie O’Brien, UNC Asheville
- Yearbook: Graphic Design Trends: Brenda Gorsuch
- Sports Photography: Nick Haseloff
- Reaching Online Audiences Panel Discussion: Dean Hensley, WLOS-TV, and John Boyle, Asheville Watchdog
Session 3 Options
- Sports Photography: Nick Haseloff, Transylvania Times
- Public Radio News Delivery, Laura Lee (she/her) | News Director, Blue Ridge Public Radio
- College journalism Panel Discussion: Sarah Booth and Brandon Washington, co-editors of The Blue Banner
- Sports Photography: Nick Haseloff, Transylvania Times
- Yearbook: Design Like you Want to be Read: Brenda Gorsuch
Accessibility
UNC Asheville is committed to providing universal access to all of our events. If you have any questions about access or to request reasonable accommodations that will facilitate your full participation in this event, such as ASL interpreting, captioned videos, Braille or electronic text, please contact Heather L. Lindkvist, assistant vice chancellor for institutional integrity and access, hlindkvi@unca.edu or 828.232.5658.
Advance notice is necessary to arrange for accessibility needs. All requests must be made ten business days prior to the event. We will attempt to implement late requests but cannot guarantee they will be met.
Visitor Parking
All visitors must adhere to the University’s parking policy. Please visit the UNC Asheville Visitor Parking Permit Registration site to acquire a visitor permit to park on campus.
Event Photography and Videography
Photography and videography may be captured by University Marketing staff at any public University events. Please review our multimedia statement to learn more.