By Lim Pow Hong

FIFTY students at the Singapore Press Holdings News Centre got a taste of the 'news buzz' yesterday.

As finalists at the fourth annual National Schools Newspaper Competition, they were vying for the top prize of an internship at The Straits Times' newsroom and cash prize of $3,000.

Teams of five gathered in the News Centre auditorium, representing the top 10 secondary schools selected from the 22 that had submitted their school newsletters. Their task: to produce a four-page tabloid-sized newspaper within 24 hours.

'We have the X-factor as we are building on the strengths of each team member,' said Alexander Lee, 15, a Secondary 3 student from first-time finalist St Joseph's Institution, who added they were 'very confident of our chances'.

Joining them were teams from Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road), Cedar Girls' School, CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School, Jurong Secondary School, Pei Hwa Secondary School, Raffles Girls' School, Raffles Institution, Victoria School and Yuying Secondary School.

Ms Serene Goh, editor of The Straits Times' school publications IN and Little Red Dot which have a total circulation of 130,000 in 185 schools, said Raffles Institution is 'the team to beat' each year.

'But I think Raffles Girls and the defending champs from CHIJ St Nicholas are gearing up for a fight.'

Yesterday's finalists had undergone a separate day of training from Comat Training Services on Microsoft Publisher to prepare them for the challenge.

Before yesterday's showdown started, the finalists viewed a video briefing from Straits Times' associate editor Bertha Henson, challenging them to be brief, accurate and truthful. They then launched into assignments - a photo feature on police trainees at the Choa Chu Kang Home Team Academy, a profile interview of youth table-tennis star Isabelle Li, and a poll of 30 teens about pocket money.

At a mock press conference on the Youth Olympic Games, contestants pitched questions on issues such as getting foreign talent to represent Singapore at sports, among others.

Mr Teo Ser Luck, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development, Youth and Sports, who fielded the questions, said they were 'thoughtful and insightful'. 'I was quite surprised - the students have done their homework and they were ready.'

Completed entries are to be handed in today. The winners will be announced on Dec 12 at The Straits Times' Media Club camp, held twice a year for secondary school subscribers to the newspaper.

The Straits Times' schools programme and its publications have won international awards in the last few years.

phlim@sph.com.sg

This article was first published in The Straits Times on 19 Nov, 2008.