7/29/2019 30 Reasons Why a School Newspaper is Important

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30 REASONS WHY A SCHOOL NEWSPAPER

IS AN IMPORTANT STUDENT ACTIVITY

If you or anyone you know has ever doubted thevalidity or importance of your school newspaper,consider the following:

1. A student newspaper improves communicationbetween all groups in a school.

2. It can give both students and faculty knowledgeand understanding of school issues not otherwiseavailable.

3. It can do the same for parents who happen to readcopies taken home.

4. It conveys an image of the school to thecommunity.

5. It helps silence rumors that often arise in theabsence of information.

6. It can interpret school rules and regulationsand provide feedback on student reactions.

7. Provides a check on student government,

an essential for any democratic government.8. It helps maintain order by reportingviolations of school rules.

9. It facilitates the educational process throughstories on academic subjects and courses.

10. It encourages study by giving recognitionto students who make honor rolls or winscholarships.

11. Students who aspire to staff positions mayimprove various skills.

12. It helps to inculcate in students animportant reading habit which may continue

after graduation.13. Its forum of editorials, letters and signedcolumns encourages the resolving of issues byreasoned debate.

14. It provides an outlet for student writing thatprimarily emphasizes service to readers ratherthan self-expression.

15. The goal of impartiality in news provides studentswith lessons in fairness and accuracy.

16. The ethical imperatives that facts be distinguishedfrom opinions helps students understand the meaningand importance of objectivity.

17. Staffers who do interviews gain experience indealing with people.

18. Writing for the press gives staff members practicein taking accurate notes and in using referencematerials.

19. Reporting experience helps students to recognizethe difficulty of finding firm facts in a maze of stats,propaganda and conflicting opinions.

20. Editorial writing provides practice in weighingevidence and reaching conclusions based on sound

reasoning and facts.

21. Feature writing gives practice inimaginative treatment of facts to appeal tohuman interests.

22. Copy editing develops critical ability and a

quality of selfless service in improving the workof other staffers.

23. Production of a school newspaper providesvaluable experience in teamwork.

24. Experience in meeting deadlines helps

form effective work habits.

25. A student staff gains experience inequating freedom with responsibility.

26. Experience on the staff makes studentsbetter critics of the public press.

27. Advertisements in the school press enable

merchants to reach the student marketspecifically.

28. These ads aid students in makingpurchases to their advantage.

29. Business staff members gain practicalexperience in selling ads and solicitingsubscriptions.

30. The newspaper aids all other studentactivities through stories about the activitiesthat stimulate attendance and participation.

7/29/2019 30 Reasons Why a School Newspaper is Important

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STAFF ORGANIZATION:

THE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL NEWSPAPER

If you should happen upon a school newspaperthat consistently covers the student news,presents current issues with obvious researchand provides feature stories of genuine interest,chances are you have happened on a paper thatknows the cumulative value of organization.

A school newspaper staff should have a set ofground rules for organization. These rulesshould include a "chain of command," thebackbone of staff organization, so that eachmember of this important team understands his

jobs and responsibilities.

Most school newspapers operate with e facultyadviser, often an English or journalism teacher.The adviser provides the student staff with alltypes of support, from motivation and disciplineto grammatical corrections and advice on page

design. Still, the school newspaper belongs tothe students and should be viewed by them as

their own.

YOUR STAFF SHOULD INCLUDE:

A student editor-in-chief who oversees the entireproduction.

Student editors for each section, such as news,sports, features.

Supporting reporters, artists, photographers andother staffers for each of these section editors.

Production staffers who are able to do thenecessary typing and paste-up to create the

final printed version. An advertising or business staff, if pertinent to

your situation.

Having an organized staff will not be beneficialto a newspaper if regular meetings aren'tscheduled and held throughout the year. Storiesfor upcoming meetings should be constantlygenerated in order for the paper to continue witha regular production schedule.

BOOKKEEPING

Know when you are most productive as an

individual and as a staff, and use this

information to your advantage.

Use a filing system for pages and sections.

Keep a list of all school organizations andmembers' names.

Secure press credentials for big events thatinvolve your school, (e.g., State Championships,award ceremonies, etc.)

Make a list of your staff roster with hometelephones and addresses. Keep a copy athome.

Prepare a form to distribute to activity advisersbefore each issue, and ask them to list anyimportant events.

Keep a list of business numbers frequentlycalled.

If your newspaper has paid advertising, besure to keep accurate records and bill regularly.

Make a list of homerooms and the numberof students in each to facilitate newspaperdistribution.

Ask your school office for-master lists offaculty and students names so that your staffcan refer to them for correct spellings.

WORK AREA/WORK TIME

Assign each staff writer a beat (e.g., faculty,student government, music dept.) so that each ofthe school's life is covered.

Assign artwork and photography to be completedone week before due date.

Stick with any deadlines you set.

Make a list of priorities.

Editors should learn to tighten up copy, give workstories back to reporters to have holes filled, workharder for better leads and headlines.

Check supplies on a regular basis,like special layout paper, film.

Keep a calendar, school and

regular, and log assignments. Save large projects for weekends

and vacations.

Work ahead of schedule.

Designate a home work area, aswell as one at school.

Set up a reading period in whichall stories for an issue arereviewed by a student editor and the adviser.

Double check the estimated length of a story andcompare it to the space available on the layoutpage. Make sure the story fits into the allocatedspace.