Dunbar teacher Wendy Turner is being recognized as the James L. Highland Media Adviser of the Year.
The award handed out by the Kentucky High School Media Institute at Western Kentucky University seeks to highlight the work of outstanding media teachers, but Turner says it’s most rewarding to watch student journalists tackle sometimes controversial issues – such as teen pregnancy or divorce.
"We make sure that they understand how to be responsible and professional in the handling of these types of stories, and so the publications that we put out were recognized. This was recognized... that my students don't just write fluff pieces, so to speak," she says.
Turner acts as an adviser for Dunbar’s student-run school newspaper, The Lamplighter, and also facilitates opportunities for students to work with professional news organizations in Lexington.
She says she enjoys shepherding budding reporters into college journalism programs and, in some cases, into their careers.
