“We are all publishers now”

10 Challenges and 10 Rewardsof moving your high school paper online

Melissa Wantz/June 2013

“We Don’t Use Paper for This”

Launching The Foothill Dragon Press (October 2009)(video)

Challenges to Publishing Online?

What are the

1. Jack of all trades

2. The ground constantly shifts

• Online resources are developing daily

Keeping up is difficult

Is it possible to feel like you know what you are doing?

>

3. Audience expectations are high

• As mainstream media and social networking sites add more digital goodies at ever cheaper cost and higher speed…

the pressure is onto do the same.

>

4. Online = Always on

• There is no reason not to publish news as or shortly after it happens.

• This is difficult when you have a staff less than 5 hours a week.

• When your students– Have responsibilities

interests electives finals

LIVES >

5. Online requires more monitoring

• Inappropriate comments

• Inappropriate articles

• The publication is like a baby, rarely sleeping always crying out for attention.

>

6. Online is more fragile• The freedom, fluidity and flexibility of online also creates a

vulnerability that must be protected

from student errorand

from outsiders

• Your entire site can disappear in an instant.– I know this for a fact– It’s happened several times

>

7. Online scares some people• Some administrators worry about…

“things getting out of control”and

“teenagers running amok”

>

8. Online is forever

• Digital footprints do not easily go away. • Responsibility is really on staff to use

good judgment

in deciding what to publish.>

9. The competition is vast• At school, teachers won’t give up time for kids to

read our online publication the way they might for a print newspaper.

• At home, there are a million other online places for readers to go.

• Everyone is a “journalist” now which meansour competition is “everyone.”

>

10. The technology can be inconsistent...

• Just like a student, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

• This is frustrating.

Benefits of Publishing onlineTop 10

1. Student ideas go farther.

In the past 10 months:• Dragon Press visited 60,000 times • 125 countries • 255,00 page views

Student ideas go farther.

Student ideas go farther.

Student ideas travel farther.

2. Student work travels faster.

2. Student work travels faster.

2. Student work travels faster.

3. Student opportunities are greater.

3. Student opportunities are greater.

4. Feedback is more authentic.

4. Feedback is more authentic.

5. Costs are less.• After accounting for one-time expenses– equipment – software

…Publishing online is cheaper than print.

• Hosting fee: $25 a month• Domain fee: $12 per year• Theme/template $75 per year• Total: < $400 annual cost

…versus ?? annually for printing

6. Online is interactive.

6. Online is interactive.

6. Online is interactive.

6. Online is interactive.

6. Online is interactive.

6. Online is interactive.

7. Online has more room.

• Space is unlimited • More students can publish more (frequently &

in depth)• Typical year:– 30-40 videos– 500 + articles– 600 tweets– 2000 photos & illustrations

8. Makes history more accessible.

8. Makes history more accessible. Two years ago This year

9. Creates a searchable database.

10. Builds positive digital identities

10. Builds positive digital identities

10. Builds positive digital identities

10. Builds positive digital identities

Staff created an online resume as their final project for second semester.

Used free website: www.visualcv.com

Review of Benefits1. Reaches farther2. Travels faster3. Provides unexpected opportunities4. Allows authentic, immediate feedback5. Costs less6. Is interactive7. Has unlimited space8. Is searchable 9. Offers accessible archives10. Builds positive digital identities

• “I don’t think these are dark days. I think this is just what disruptive change feels like. The barrier has never been lower. You are all journalism entrepreneurs, innovators.”

—Bill Gannon, Director of Online Operations, Lucasfilm LTD

2 questions• How can you squander even one more

day not taking advantage of the greatest shifts of our generation?

• How dare you settle for less when the world has made it so easy for you to be remarkable?

-- Seth Godin

end