Bowling Green, Ky. - Journalism Scholars Day, a 31-year tradition at Western Kentucky University, will attract more than 450 Kentucky high school journalism students Sept. 30.

WKU graduate Bryan Staples of Nashville’s WTVF NewsChannel5 will provide the keynote address on “The Art of the Investigation.” Staples, a recent winner of the Peabody Award in broadcast journalism for his investigative reporting on government in Tennessee, will speak at 8:45 a.m. at the Downing University Center theater.

The four-hour conference also will include breakout sessions, a write-off contest and a yearbook contest awards ceremony at Mass Media and Technology Hall.

The conference goal is to encourage excellence in high school media classes. It also provides high school students with the opportunity to increase their knowledge and skills, said conference director Jackie Bretz.

Student media advisers from Owensboro to Campbellsville will bring their staffs to attend sessions taught by Western faculty and students as well as other journalism professionals and educators. They may choose from 30 breakout sessions with topics ranging from broadcasting and photography to writing and yearbook design.

Facilitated by Bob Adams, adviser to the College Heights Herald, Western’s student newspaper, the write-off contest will require students to type their stories about the keynote address on computers, self-edit and turn them in all in under an hour, just like in a real newsroom. The top two winners will each win a $500 scholarship to attend Western.

High schools planning to attend include Allen County-Scottsville, Barren County, Bowling Green, Breckinridge County, Corbin, Glasgow, Grayson County, Hopkinsville, Owensboro, Waggener, Oldham County, Hopkins County Central, Lyon County, North Hardin, Christian County, Marion County and Taylor County. Schools may continue to register for this free event until Sept. 20.

Several high school students will attend specifically for the yearbook awards ceremony. Last year, 23 schools entered their yearbooks in the Mark of Excellence Yearbook contest, sponsored by Western’s student chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

One local yearbook adviser said last year she thought the contest was a good idea.

“It’s invaluable for my students to see their books are being judged,” said Tricia Crocker, Bowling Green High yearbook adviser.

“I’ve seen my staff become much more interested in doing a good job when they see they are being compared to other schools and that it’s (the yearbook) not just a product turned into a teacher.”

For more information, contact Journalism Scholars Day director Jackie Bretz at (270) 745-6407 or visit www.wku.edu/khsmp.

More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.

For information, contact Jackie Bretz at (270) 745-6407.