This may seem like a bit of a life story, but there are things i've picked up along the way that have helped with EP News!
Hi, I'm Jake, and I made a newspaper when I was 12.
I've always taken everything very seriously, and that's something you can ask anyone in my life. Before journalism, I wanted to be a teacher so badly, and this was my dream from about 6 years old to 12 years old. I attended Parklands Community Primary & Nursery School. In Year 1 & 2, I remember my old headteacher, and my old headteacher let me do things like ring the bell at break, and do basic things like pick up papers from the printer. In Year 2, Parklands got a new headteacher, and straight away I made sure to tell Mrs C about my dreams and ambitions. From there on, I was literally "Mr Cliff". I took my role very seriously!
When "playing out", I took everything seriously. I used to make sure everything was structured and planned. I used to set up traffic obstacle courses for the kids on my street, I used to make my own version of traffic lights, and take our little 'gang' on bike rides around the "block".
Covid hit. Little 7-year-old me didn't mind. I was quite happy to miss out on school! I love learning, but sometimes when a routine is repetitive I get really bored. I picked up a few skills. I started out my own YouTube channel, "JakeyJGames" - the most cringe thing ever. I'd play ROBLOX and, in all fairness, I got quite a lot of views and subscribers. I learnt how to make a website, where I made one named 'All About Dinosaurs'... it got no views!
Covid was over, and we went back to school, where I picked up so many other skills, basic life skills, and even life-saving skills - like the recovery position that I learnt about after SATS with my headteacher.
I started Year 7. I was nervous, but then again everyone is. Okay... first day - breath. You will be okay, just go up to your primary school friends. "Go away." Oh, okay! Let's try meeting someone new... "Ew... who are you?" Oh, I'm sorry! I just stood there, a bit like how it is in the movies. Everything happened around me, whilst I was just there! I just went to all my lessons, and thought, "It will get better." It did not.
Bullying progressed throughout Year 7. It made me feel so upset, it made me hate being in school, and it ruined my confidence. I was nothing like I was before. I got told to report it to teachers. "Okay, surely something will be done!" So I did report it to teachers. I was handed a piece of yellow paper and told to write what happened down, so I did. But then every time something happened, I was writing a "yellow" again. I thought the bullying would stop, maybe at least slow down - "Go back to your lesson and ignore them." It was just words on paper to me, not real feelings.
I don't want to go. What if they make fun of me again? What if I'm just the weird kid still? Year 8. I was right. Here we are again, stuck in the same situation. Wait - are those the two girls from primary school? They were the two girls - oh my gosh! Friends! Before you know it, every lunchtime I was sat with a table full of people I could call friends. Yes, they were a year younger, but so what! I felt liked.
The bullying in my year carried on. It progressed. Horrible names you'd never think of someone calling another person. My life felt unusual. It was never like this... I was never bullied. I had long hair; people would pull my hair, make jokes about it - even teachers were going along with it. I shaved the sides of my hair - an undercut. Ah... something fresh, new... Geography - a teacher made fun of my hair. I felt upset and exhausted of all of the stuff that was going on. I just wanted to be a people pleaser, and I thought my hair would change the way people felt towards me.
On the evening of 10th October 2024, I was making logos for fun. I then decided to make a logo for a newspaper... I did, and it really stood out to me. See, I'm one of those people who hate reading, but LOVE writing, so it, in a way, called my name. I immediately went upstairs to my mum, Steff, and told her about my brewing idea. I was just so excited about it - I had so many ideas and thoughts for it. We spoke about it and agreed it would be good to do a positive newspaper.
I went back downstairs and used some money I saved to make a website. I started the website way differently to the one you're looking at now, and the one you saw almost a month ago. Black, white, grey... boring.
But this was a change! I could be liked... I could stop being bullied! I advertised it on social media, using my skills from my YouTube channel, and to be honest... I was terrified. I was walking into what adults have as a job. I thought nothing of it - all I could think about was friends.
Ellesmere Port News.
The next day in school, my friends were saying that they were excited for me. However... back in the classroom - the place where I'm bullied, the place that I hated - "Do you really think anyone's going to read that?" Well, I thought... I think I was right!
Connections got stronger - message from Trinity Church. "7th December." My first event. On the 7th of December 2024, I showed up to the Trinity Methodist Church, crisp white shirt - and super nervous, of course. I was going to meet new people and learn new things. I stepped inside, and almost straight away I could feel the community spirit, and in a way I said to myself, "These people are my people."