BY STEPHEN J. PYTAK
Adalie "Addy" Zanis, 17, of Pottsville, is fascinated by journalism, communications and mass media. Last week, she pursued that fascination and received a few journalistic insights at the 2013 Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference in Washington, D.C.
She was one of the 51 students representing each of the 50 states and Washington, D.C., who were selected to attend the all-expenses-paid conference at Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
"It was definitely one of the most interesting and exciting experiences of my life," Zanis said Tuesday.
Zanis acknowledges that the journalism field is both supported and challenged by the modern information age.
"There's so much more that we can do now with social media. I know some journalists are expected to use Twitter and tweet constantly. Although people say the industry is dying, I think it's just changing and people who are willing to adapt to it have a really exciting time ahead of them," Zanis said Tuesday.
The program began in 1999 and is funded by the Freedom Forum to honor Allen H. "Al" Neuharth, the founder of USA TODAY.
"The purpose of the Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference is to promote the vital role of the First Amendment as a cornerstone of democracy, and to inspire students to pursue journalism careers," according to the conference website at freespirit.org.
Neuharth, who was also founder of the Freedom Forum and the Newseum, died April 19 in Cocoa Beach, Fla. He was 89, according to usatoday.com.
The conference was fast-paced, Zanis said.
"They woke us up for breakfast around 7 in the morning and from there you didn't have five minutes to yourself. You were so overwhelmed by everything you were hearing and seeing and doing. The Newseum where the conference was held is a very interactive place. You just got to see so much and do so much and the speakers were amazing," Zanis said.
The conference speakers included Sara Ganim, who won a Pulitzer Prize for her reporting on the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State; Susan Page, Washington Bureau Chief for USA TODAY; and Zeke Miller, a political reporter for TIME Magazine.
"He said he'd do upwards of hundreds of tweets per day, especially when an election would come to a close. It's amazing what we can do online with video. It was an honor to be in the presence of some of these people," Zanis said.
The daughter of Tina K. Zanis of Pottsville and the late David A. Zanis, Adalie Zanis will be a senior at Pottsville Area High School in September. Zanis is a writer for Tide Lines, the Pottsville Area High School student newspaper. She said she is planning to study both English and journalism in college.
"There is just so much you can do with journalism. I know I want that to be part of my college education. If nothing else, it's great to have the interviewing skills and the writing skills and I can use that toward other things," she said.
Zanis is the fifth student from Pottsville Area School District to attend the conference since 2005.
In 2005, Emily Tarconish, was selected to attend. In 2007, it was John Jones. In 2011, it was Samantha Weiss. In 2012, it was Molly Zwiebel, according to Pottsville Area Superintendent Jeffrey S. Zwiebel and the conference website.
Others from the county who attended the conference over the years included two students from Tamaqua Area High School: Brandon Taylor in 2005 and Rachel Wallace in 2006, according to the conference website.
Zwiebel said Molly enjoyed her experience at the conference.
"I know it's a fantastic experience for high school students. It really opens their eyes to the world of journalism and all the opportunities that exist out there. I know she loved it an she's still in contact with many of the students that she met there," Zwiebel said Tuesday.
High school juniors who will graduate in spring 2015 who are interested in applying for the 2014 conference at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., can apply at the site.