For many households, the Catholic Herald shows up in their mailboxes. One group of Catholic homeschoolers went straight to the source to learn just how their biweekly newspaper is made.
More than a dozen eager students from Mary’s House Homeschool Group visited the newsroom of the Herald April 14. The group ranged from elementary through middle school.
Each member of the Herald staff described their role on the team to the students. Staff writer and photographer Anna Donofrio showed the students new and archived photos of staff members and story assignments from over the decades. Photos included staff from the 1980s, a former Herald office building, past and present bishops of the Arlington diocese, the 2024 altar dedication of the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington, the 10th National Eucharistic Congress, and coverage of international trips to Jordan and Peru.
Donofrio asked students to help name the “Five W’s of Journalism”: who, what, when, where and why, and often how. She described the paper’s publication process, from the initial article pitch to the moment when the staff electronically sends the paper to the printing plant.
Staff writer and photographer Jim Hale gave students a tutorial on photography in the field.
“Photography is just as important to us as writing the article,” said Hale. “We are constantly trying to capture images that tell the story.”
Managing Editor Ann Augherton talked about the changes in the newsroom she has seen over the years, from typewriters and film cameras, to digital publishing and cell phone photography. “Many things are so much easier now,” she said.
Donofrio showed the homeschoolers a 2022 video of the physical printing of the Herald at the Frederick News-Post in Frederick, Md.
Homeschooler Onora Murphy, from St. Joseph Church in Herndon, was amazed while watching the video about how fast the papers come off the printing press.
“Being a former homeschooler myself, it was such a delight to host homeschool students at the Herald,” Donofrio said. “The students were polite and inquisitive, and we all know curiosity is often the hallmark of many great journalists.”
Miriam Palczar said if she could write a story, she would want to write a prolife article. “I would write about how important it is to be alive.”
“Meeting the staff and hearing about the work that goes into each issue of the Catholic Herald was an incredible opportunity for the kids,” said Diane Harvey, field trip coordinator and Donofrio’s mother. Harvey also pointed out that some of the visitors were Boy Scouts working on a journalism badge.
Students left with souvenirs: Catholic Herald-branded notepads and pens, with the encouragement to document future field trips and homeschool events and write their own articles.
