Hometown News

Be a National Hometown News Correspondent

What is the National Hometown News Service?

2005 HTN correspondents working under the big top writing stories.

National Hometown News (HTN) correspondents will have the unique opportunity to submit news stories about the jamboree for their local newspapers, radio stations, and television stations directly from the jamboree. Hometown News correspondents will participate in a special training session and receive guidance from journalists and educators on writing articles and scripts, editing copy, and selecting photographs/video to accompany their stories. Hometown News correspondents will also have the privilege of interviewing special guests and celebrities attending the jamboree.

National Hometown News Correspondents

The National Hometown News operation is staffed with newspaper, radio, and television professionals who will guide the scout correspondents in creating their news stories at the National Hometown News Media area at the jamboree site.

A Troop Reporter is chosen by the jamboree Scoutmaster, usually only one per jamboree troop. National Hometown News Correspondents apply through the national office of the BoyScouts of America.

The use of bicycles are part of the incentive program for HTN.

They must secure a news organization from their home area. Correspondents can take jamboree photographs and write news stories that will be transmitted onsite directly back home to their news organizations.

While there may only be one Troop Reporter, every troop can have multiple National Hometown News Correspondents. Every Troop Reporter is encouraged to to apply to become a National Hometown News Correspondent.

Incentive program

An incentive program is provided for those who participate in National Hometown News and have their stories sent to local media organizations. Special patches, hat pins, and the use of bicycles at the jamboree are some of the planned National Hometown News correspondent incentives.

What benefits are there for National Hometown News correspondents?

Hometown News provides unique opportunities for hands-on journalism experience for Scout correspondents at the jamboree.

  1. Correspondents will develop, write, and edit stories for placement in local media outlets.
  2. Not only will National Hometown News correspondents challenge themselves to compose clear and interesting jamboree stories (following a deadline of their appropriate news organization), but they also will experience the excitement of knowing their story will be published or broadcast back home.
  3. Participants will have the chance to see behind the scenes (just how the jamboree works) and meet special guests like astronauts, entertainers, members of Congress, and the Chief Scout Executive in real-life news conferences (with questions) in the HTN tent.

What are the qualifications for being a National Hometown News correspondent?

Arena show at the 2005 National Scout Jamboree.

  1. Be a registered member of a jamboree unit.
  2. Receive approval from your jamboree Scoutmaster.
  3. Contact at least one of your local media organizations for approval to send back home your news stories and photographs.
  4. Read the Journalism merit madge pamphlet. Begin work on the requirements and meet with your merit badge counselor. Set a personal goal to complete the merit badge before the jamboree.
  5. Be familiar with Microsoft Word@.
  6. Be prepared to write your stories at the Hometown News tent.

Optional

If you plan to take photographs, provide your own digital camera. National Hometown News will download your photos for story selection.

Ask your local Scouting council for assistance

Ask a volunteer or a professional to help:

  • Identify and even assist in contacting media organizations that would be open to publishing or broadcasing National Hometown News stories. Be sure to focus on those media organizations that have the most news or features on community events and organizations.
  • News media organizations can be a newspaper, magazine, radio, or television outlet. Web sites ARE NOT considered an official news outlet.

Registration

Once you choose to become a National Hometown News correspondent, you should complete an application. Applications should be sent as soon as completed and no later than July 15, 2010.

Before an application can be completed, you must contact a local media organziation and make arrangements to send back your stories, photos, or radio/television broadcasts from the jamboree.

Obtain the media organization’s full name, address, telephone number and best time to call, contact person, daily deadline, and both primary and secondary e-mail addresses, if possible. Be sure that the e-mail address you write down is correct. All of this information is needed to properly process your registration as a correspondent.

To register as a National Hometown News Correspondent, click here.