The Williamsport Area High School newspaper staff is working with a new medium to broadcast its news: the Internet.
In late November, the staff unveiled the Billtown Banner Web site, the high school's new online publication designed to quickly deliver news to students who live in an "instant-access world," said senior Kristen Wright, editor.
The online version is birthed from the newspaper's previous hard copy, which was available for students to buy once a month in the hallways at the high school.
The Web site features current weather conditions, Web polls, cover and feature stories, sports and archived issues.
Billtown Banner is handled by six staff members: seniors Tanya Lyons, Lauren Walker, Chris Heyn and Kayla Null; junior Jane Thompson; and sophomore James Pride.
"Kristen and I work through our study hall and lunch periods everyday," Lyons said. "We are always doing something, whether it be typing up an article or uploading photos, we are always busy."
"I like how there are not many boundaries with my writing," Walker added. "I also like how I can write my thoughts down and turn it into an article."
Previously the paper was collectively a process of work done by the staff, then the career and technical students for printing and then sent to the business publications homeroom for purchase.
However, with the staff's new technology at their disposal, Wright said the ability to deliver news is done much more efficiently and is more timely for the student body.
"We are only using the Web site (now) because it allows us to add information daily," Wright added, "so that it is not old news when people read it. People don't want to read outdated articles."
Wright said that a lot more pictures can be used with the Web site and there is no limitation to the number of stories that can be posted.
"That results in our being able to cover many more aspects of school life," she said, "and many more people are included in our coverage."
