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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
- Sprache: Englisch
The Student Newspaper Survival Guide has been extensively updated to cover recent developments in online publishing, social media, mobile journalism, and multimedia storytelling; at the same time, it continues to serve as an essential reference on all aspects of producing a student publication.
- Updated and expanded to discuss many of the changes in the field of journalism and in college newspapers, with two new chapters to enhance the focus on online journalism and technology
- Emphasis on Web-first publishing and covering breaking news as it happens, including a new section on mobile journalism
- Guides student journalists through the intricate, multi-step process of producing a student newspaper including the challenges of reporting, writing, editing, designing, and publishing campus newspapers and websites
- Chapters include discussion questions, exercises, sample projects, checklists, tips from professionals, sample forms, story ideas, and scenarios for discussion
- Fresh, new, full color examples from award winning college newspapers around North America
- Essential reading for student reporters, editors, page designers, photographers, webmasters, and advertising sales representatives
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Seitenzahl: 830
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011
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CONTENTS
Preface
Acknowledgments
CHAPTER 1 THE ROLE OF THE STUDENT PRESS
THE ROLE OF THE STUDENT PRESS
THE CHRONICLE OF CAMPUS LIFE
THE COMMUNITY FORUM
THE WATCHDOG
THE TRAINING GROUND
THE ENHANCED ROLE OF ONLINE PUBLICATIONS
CHALLENGES OF STUDENT NEWSPAPERS
GETTING HELP
TO DO
TO READ
TO CLICK
CHAPTER 2 RECRUITING AND TRAINING YOUR STAFF
RECRUITING A STAFF
TRAINING YOUR STAFF
CREATING A STAFF MANUAL
MENTORING
DIVERSITY TRAINING
MOTIVATING YOUR STAFF
TO DO
TO READ
TO CLICK
APPENDIX 2.A TRAINING EXERCISES
CHAPTER 3 COVERING A CAMPUS
DEVELOPING A BEAT SYSTEM
ON THE BEAT
DEALING WITH YOUR PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE
COVERING THE ADMINISTRATION
FINDING STORY IDEAS
THE TICKLER FILE
LOCALIZING NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL STORIES
COVERING HIGHER EDUCATION
COVERING HEALTH AND SCIENCE
COVERING A DIVERSE COMMUNITY
TO DO
TO READ
TO CLICK
APPENDIX 3.A BEAT REPORT
APPENDIX 3.B NEWSPAPER READERSHIP SURVEY
CHAPTER 4 REPORTING
NEWS JUDGMENT
THE REPORTING PROCESS
BACKGROUND RESEARCH
REPORTING RESOURCES
THE POWER OF OBSERVATION
INTERVIEWING
RECORDING INTERVIEWS
NOTETAKING
EMAIL INTERVIEWS
MATH FOR JOURNALISTS
ACCURACY
TO DO
TO READ
TO CLICK
CHAPTER 5 NEWSWRITING
THE BASIC NEWS STORY
LEDES
OTHER ELEMENTS OF A NEWS STORY
TELLING DETAILS
FAIRNESS AND ACCURACY
ATTRIBUTION
QUOTES
TO DO
TO READ
TO CLICK
CHAPTER 6 THE LIFESTYLE PAGES
LIFESTYLE COVERAGE
TYPES OF LIFESTYLE STORIES
FINDING AN ANGLE
REPORTING THE FEATURE STORY
STRUCTURING THE FEATURE STORY
SEX AND RELATIONSHIPS COLUMNS
TO DO
TO READ
TO CLICK
CHAPTER 7 SPORTSWRITING
THE ROLE OF THE SPORTSWRITER
ADVANCES
GAME STORIES
SCORING AND NOTETAKING
PROFILES
SPORTS FEATURES
SPORTS NEWS STORIES
INVESTIGATING COLLEGE SPORTS
SPORTS COLUMNS
COVERING SPORTS FOR A NON-DAILY
BEYOND TEAM SPORTS
SPECIAL SECTIONS
WEB COVERAGE
AVOIDING BIAS
TO DO
TO READ
TO CLICK
CHAPTER 8 ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT WRITING
PREVIEWS
REVIEWS
THE FIRST-PERSON DILEMMA
COLUMNS
TO DO
TO READ
TO CLICK
CHAPTER 9 OPINION PAGES
THE OPINION SECTION
THE EDITORIAL PROCESS
FINDING EDITORIAL SUBJECTS
WRITING AN EDITORIAL
THE OMBUDSMAN
TO DO
TO READ
TO CLICK
CHAPTER 10 EDITING
STAFF ORGANIZATION
EDITOR SELECTION
DEVELOPING A LEADERSHIP STYLE
EDITING COPY
EDITORIAL BUDGETS
MEETINGS
PLANNING SPECIAL PROJECTS
DEALING WITH CONTROVERSY
STUDENT MEDIA BOARDS
EVALUATING STAFF
WRITING HEADLINES
TO DO
TO READ
TO CLICK
APPENDIX 10.A EDITOR APPLICATION
APPENDIX 10.B PERFORMANCE EVALUATION FORMS
APPENDIX 10.C PRODUCTION CHECKLIST
CHAPTER 11 INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
WHAT IS INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING?
WHEN LAWS DON’T WORK
PUBLIC RECORDS
INVESTIGATING PRIVATE SCHOOLS
COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING
FOLLOWING UP ON TIPS AND HUNCHES
KNOWING THE LAW
CULTIVATING HUMAN SOURCES
TO DO
TO READ
TO CLICK
CHAPTER 12 PHOTOJOURNALISM
WHAT IS PHOTOJOURNALISM?
SHOOTING PERSPECTIVES
BREAKING NEWS
SPEECHES AND MEETINGS
SHOOTING SPORTS
FEATURE PHOTOS
CANDIDS
PORTRAITS
PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS
PHOTO STORIES
PHOTO ASSIGNMENTS
WHERE CAN YOU SHOOT?
PHOTOS ON THE WEB
PHOTO EDITING
PRE-SHOOT RESEARCH
WRITING CUTLINES
COPYRIGHT AND SELLING PHOTOS
TO DO
TO READ
TO CLICK
CHAPTER 13 LEGAL ISSUES
CENSORSHIP AT PUBLIC SCHOOLS
CENSORSHIP AT PRIVATE SCHOOLS
CENSORSHIP PREVENTION
FIGHTING CENSORSHIP
NEWSPAPER THEFT
LIBEL
PRIVACY
OBSCENITY
ACCESS TO INFORMATION
COPYRIGHT LAW
TO DO
TO READ
TO CLICK
APPENDIX 13.A STAFF COPYRIGHT POLICY
CHAPTER 14 ETHICAL ISSUES
DEVELOPING A CODE OF ETHICS
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
PLAGIARISM AND FABRICATION
OBSCENITY AND PROFANITY
INTERVIEWING VICTIMS OF TRAGEDY
COVERING SUICIDE
CONFIDENTIAL SOURCES
DOING AN ETHICS AUDIT
TO DO
TO READ
TO CLICK
CHAPTER 15 STARTING A NEW NEWSPAPER
NEWSPAPER COMPETITION
ALTERNATIVE MEDIA OUTLETS
STARTING A NEW PUBLICATION
WRITING A MISSION STATEMENT
DRAFTING A CONSTITUTION
CREATING A STAFF MANUAL
DRAFTING A BUSINESS PLAN
PRODUCTION
CREATING A NEWSROOM
PUBLICITY
TO DO
TO READ
TO CLICK
CHAPTER 16 DESIGN AND GRAPHICS
DESIGN IS CONTENT
LAYOUT AND DESIGN
PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
TYPOGRAPHY
THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF A PAGE
MODULAR DESIGN
MULTIPLE POINTS OF ENTRY
THE DESIGNER’S TOOLBOX
BROADSHEETS AND TABLOIDS
THE ROLE OF DESIGNERS
STYLE GUIDES
MODELS
DRAWING A DUMMY
INFOGRAPHICS
TO DO
TO READ
TO CLICK
CHAPTER 17 WEBSITES
NEWSPAPER OR NEWS ORGANIZATION?
THE ONLINE MEDIUM
MULTIMEDIA
INTERACTIVITY
LINKING
MOBILE JOURNALISM
SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION
WRITING FOR THE WEB
BLOGS
POLLS
PUBLISHING OPTIONS
ARCHIVING CONTENT
TO DO
TO READ
TO CLICK
CHAPTER 18 MULTIMEDIA STORYTELLING
WHAT IS MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISM?
CHOOSING THE RIGHT MEDIUM
SOUND
EDITING AUDIO
SLIDESHOWS AND AUDIO SLIDESHOWS
WEB-BASED VIDEO
TELLING STORIES WITH VIDEO
MULTIMEDIA PROJECTS
OTHER MULTIMEDIA TOOLS
TO DO
TO READ
TO CLICK
CHAPTER 19 SOCIAL MEDIA
WHAT IS SOCIAL MEDIA?
USING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR JOURNALISM
TYPES OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS
FINDING STORY IDEAS
REPORTING WITH SOCIAL MEDIA
ENGAGING READERS
CROWDSOURCING AND USER-GENERATED CONTENT
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITORS
ETHICAL ISSUES
TO DO
TO READ
TO CLICK
CHAPTER 20 ADVERTISING AND MARKETING
RECRUITING YOUR SALES STAFF
TRAINING YOUR STAFF
MOTIVATING YOUR STAFF
TYPES OF NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING
ADVERTISING POLICIES
ADVERTISING RATES
MEDIA KITS
DESIGNING ADS
COUPONS AND SPECIAL DEALS
10 STEPS TO SELLING NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING
ASSEMBLING A SALES KIT
CUSTOMER SERVICE
SPECIAL ISSUES AND SPECIAL SECTIONS
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
ONLINE DISPLAY ADVERTISING
DISTRIBUTION
MARKETING
TO DO
TO READ
TO CLICK
APPENDIX 1 ASSOCIATED PRESS STYLE CHEAT SHEET
APPENDIX 2 CONTESTS FOR STUDENT JOURNALISTS
Index
This second edition first published 2012© 2012 Rachele Kanigel
Edition history: Blackwell Publishing Professional (1e, 2006)
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kanigel, Rachele.The student newspaper survival guide / Rachele Kanigel. – 2nd ed.p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4443-3238-4 (pbk.)1. College student newspapers and periodicals. I. Title. LB3621.65.K36 2011378.1′9897–dc22
2011017891
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
This book is published in the following electronic formats: ePDFs [9781444344486]; ePub [9781444344493]; Kindle [9781444344509]
To the students at San Francisco State University and California State University, Monterey Bay, who inspired me.
To the members of College Media Advisers, who guided and counseled me.
And to my family – Laird, Dashiell and Trevor – who put up with me while I wrote this book.
PREFACE
In 2005, when I wrote The Student Newspaper Survival Guide, less than 40 percent of North Americans had broadband Internet service at home, Facebook was still called thefacebook.com, YouTube had just launched and Twitter was something little birds did. Most student newspapers at the time published stories in print before posting them online, and few had taken more than a tentative step into the world of multimedia storytelling.
It’s hard to believe how much things have changed in just a few years. Today, people are accustomed to watching video not just on their computers (more than 68 percent have high-speed Internet at home), but also on iPods, cell phones and tablet PCs. Many college students spend more time on social media than they do sleeping. Mobile media and multimedia have radically transformed student newspapers into 24-hour news organizations that publish on multiple platforms.
This new edition of The Student Newspaper Survival Guide is designed to help you make sense of these changes and figure out how to make your news organization more effective, more efficient and more creative.
In it you’ll find:
A new chapter on multimedia that explains the basic concepts of digital storytelling and offers tips on recording audio, shooting and editing video, producing slideshows and creating interactive graphics, maps and databases
A new chapter on social media that will help you use Facebook, Twitter, CoveritLive, Storify and other tools to find news, report it and distribute it widely
An expanded chapter on covering a campus that offers tips on localizing international and national stories, reporting on higher education and writing about science and medicine
A new section on computer-assisted reporting
A revised chapter on websites that explores in greater detail how to use online and mobile technology to report breaking news
An expanded chapter on newswriting that includes more examples from award-winning student stories
Tips from a veteran sportswriter on how to produce a great college sports section
10 ethical dilemmas you can discuss with co-workers at a training session or editors meeting
An expanded chapter on advertising that now includes sections on marketing and distribution
More examples of page design from some of the top student designers in the country
An expanded chapter on editing that includes sections on planning special projects and working with a student media board
A revised chapter on reporting that includes advice on how to cover breaking news and traumatic events.
To research The Student Newspaper Survival Guide I studied campus newspapers from around North America – struggling publications with small staffs as well as impressive, professional-quality newspapers that routinely sweep awards contests. I interviewed professional journalists, journalism educators, student newspaper advisers and business managers.
I also talked to students – hundreds of reporters, editors, photographers, columnists, ad sales people and webmasters – asking each of them what challenges they faced and what advice they had for the next generation of student newspaper staffers. This volume is a compendium of their suggestions.
If you’ve picked up this book, you’re probably part of a student newspaper staff, or soon will be. You may be an editor or reporter, a photographer or designer, an ad salesperson or a business manager. Or perhaps you’re a student newspaper adviser looking for new ways to train, motivate and inspire your staff.
Whatever your role, welcome. Whether you’re doing this for a class, checking out a potential profession, or just want to have fun, working for a student newspaper is one of the most eye-opening and empowering experiences you can have in college.
It also can be one of the most challenging. Over the months or years you work on a newspaper, you will encounter many obstacles. People you need to interview won’t want to talk with you, subjects will decline to be photographed, businesses will refuse to buy ads. People you depend on will let you down. Heated debates will break out in the newsroom over photos and stories and headlines and ads. You’ll face ethical and legal issues you don’t know how to deal with.
This book is designed to help you cope with these challenges and to give you the resources you need to make reasoned decisions.
The first chapters of the book focus on editorial issues – everything from recruiting and training a staff, to photographing sports and campus events, to steering clear of legal minefields. Here’s where advisers, editors, reporters and photographers can look for guidance and ideas on the issues they deal with on a day-to-day basis.
Later chapters address design and production – how to put out a readable and attractive paper that invites readers to pick it up and a website readers will turn to.
The last chapter deals with advertising and marketing, including training and motivating your sales staff, promoting your publication and keeping your revenue flowing.
Each section includes tipsheets, checklists, Q&As and essays from professionals, some of them well-respected leaders in their fields, others who are just barely out of college themselves. At the end of each chapter is a list of projects, readings and websites you can explore to deepen your understanding of your craft and make your news organization run more smoothly.
My inspiration for this book comes from my students at The Otter Realm at California State University, Monterey Bay, where I taught for a year and a half, and those at Golden Gate [X]press at San Francisco State University, where I teach now. On both staffs, students were always hungry for ideas to make their papers better. I hope they and other students will see this book as a valuable resource. I thank them for their help, advice and support in preparing these pages.
One thing to remember: Student newspapers are training grounds for journalists, yes, but they are also boot camps for life. Your campus newsroom may end up the most valuable classroom you have during your college years. Take full advantage of your rights. But be mindful, too, of your responsibilities. As a journalist you have the power to help and to harm, to expose wrongs and ruin careers. If you understand this power and use it wisely, you can change your corner of the world.
RACHELE KANIGEL
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
When I set out to write this book, I knew I’d need help. I wanted this to be a compendium of advice from student journalists, college newspaper advisers, advertising and business managers, media lawyers, professional journalists and others dedicated to sustaining and nurturing the student press.
But I had no idea how much help I would receive. Now, as I think back over the two years I worked on this book – and the year I spent revising it – I’m overwhelmed by the generosity of my colleagues in journalism and journalism education. What touched me most was how much people were willing to share. Often I’d post a query to the College Media Advisers’ Listserv on some esoteric topic (Who owns the copyright to material your student newspaper publishes? Does your paper have a mission statement? Can anyone recommend a good student sex columnist?) and within an hour I would have half a dozen helpful responses, many from people I’d never met in person. Thanks to all the advisers who contributed tidbits of information. I promise not to bombard the list with questions for a while – at least not until I start working on the next edition!
It’s hard to imagine this book would exist without the help of my mentor, friend and colleague, Kenneth Kobré, whose wise insights, demanding criticism and rousing pep talks kept me going when I felt overwhelmed. Thanks, too, to his wife, designer Betsy Brill, who helped me envision how the book should look and who brought her design expertise to the first edition.
My tireless research assistant Eugenia Chien was a tremendous help in many different ways – from her technical expertise and her youthful perspective to her sharp eye for math mistakes. Daniel Jimenez proved to be an adept copy editor. Thanks to San Francisco State University, the College of Humanities and Dean Paul Sherwin for the Affirmative Action Faculty Development Grant that made their contributions possible and for the sabbatical that gave me time to write the second edition.
Several people read chapters and provided much-needed feedback: Amy Emmert, Nils Rosdahl, Cynthia Mitchell, Dave Waddell, Sylvia Fox, Joe Gisondi, Mike Spohn, Morgane Byloos. Thanks for your encouraging words and helpful criticism. In addition, Mark Goodman’s legal advice – for my readers, my students and for me as an author – was invaluable.
My colleagues at San Francisco State University, many of whom have co-advised student publications with me, have all taught me useful lessons about teaching and advising: Cristina Azocar, Staci Baird, Justin Beck, John Burks, Eva Charles, Harriet Chiang, Kevin Cox, Yvonne Daley, Andrew DeVigal, Roland DeWolk, Jon Funabiki, David Greene, Lesley Guth, Tom Johnson, Dottie Katzeff, Barbara Landis, Edna Lee, Austin Long-Scott, Don Menn, Jim Merithew, Raul Ramirez, Beth Renneisen, Erna Smith, Jim Toland, Scot Tucker, Venise Wagner, James Wagstaffe and Yumi Wilson.
Sylvia Fox and the founding board of the California College Media Association – Paul Bittick, Amy Emmert, Rich Cameron, Michelle Carter, Melinda Dudley, Tom Clanin, Tim Hendrick, Tom Nelson, Jennifer Poole, Dave Waddell, Jenifer Woodring – helped me understand the needs of college newspapers. Their passion for student publications was a constant source of inspiration.
And when I was stuck on what to do for graphics, Bradley Wilson saved the day.
I am thankful to Mark Barrett, Dede Pedersen, Judi Brown and the others at Blackwell Publishing who believed in this book and helped bring the first edition to publication. Tracy Petersen not only proved to be a crackerjack copyeditor, but an astute and sensible adviser on the text. Thanks to Elizabeth Swayze, Matthew Baskin, Allison Kostka and Amanda Banner at John Wiley & Sons, Inc. for shepherding through the second edition. A special note of appreciation to Louise Ennis, who worked tirelessly to make sure all the i’s were dotted and the t’s were crossed. Her patience with last-minute changes and her attention to detail were admirable.
Thanks to my brother, Robert Kanigel, who always asked how the book was going, and to my mother, Beatrice Kanigel, who reminded me not to work too hard.
To Dashiell and Trevor, I pledge to be a better, more attentive mother, now that this book is done. I am enduringly grateful to my husband, Laird Harrison, who provides me with time, writing and editing advice, a ready ear and love. I can’t imagine a more perfect life partner.
Finally, thanks to my students, who each day remind me why I love journalism.
The following journalists and journalism educators contributed material or information to this book. (Affiliations are current as of when I was last in touch with them.)
Robert Adams, College Heights Herald, Western Kentucky University
The late David L. Adams, Indiana Daily Student, Indiana University, Bloomington
Jordin Thomas Althaus, photographer
Brad Arendt, The Arbiter, Boise State University
Kaylene D. Armstrong
Michael Arrieta-Walden, The Oregonian
Harry Austin, Chattanooga Times Free Press
Jennifer Bass, The Kinsey Institute
Nate Beeler, The Washington Examiner
Paul Bittick, Mustang Daily, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Robert Bohler, The Daily Skiff, Texas Christian University
Ed Bonza, The Sentinel, Kennesaw State University
Timothy Michael Bowles, Orbis, Vanderbilt University
Karla Bowsher, University Press, Florida Atlantic University
Ralph Braseth, Loyola College Chicago
Elinor J. Brecher, The Miami Herald
Daniel Burnett, The Red and Black, University of Georgia
Marcy Burstiner, The Lumberjack, Humboldt State University
Jerry Bush, The Daily Egyptian, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
Steve Buttry, TBD
Dan Carino, cartoonist
Emery Carrington, The Daily Mississippian, University of Mississippi
Chris Carroll, The Vanderbilt Hustler, Vanderbilt University
Brian Cassella, The Daily Tar Heel, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Steven E. Chappell, The Simpsonian, Simpson College
Nathaniel Christopher, Toast, Trent University
Betty Clapp, Cleveland State University
Mac Clemmens, The Otter Realm, California State University, Monterey Bay
Aly Colón, The Poynter Institute
Paul Conley, media consultant
Michael Conti, The Harvard Crimson, Harvard University
Autumn Cruz, Sacramento Bee
David Cuillier, University of Arizona
Tonya Danos, The Nicholls Worth, Nicholls State University
Juanita Darling, San Francisco State University
Christopher Dinn, Canadian University Press
Mike Donoghue, The Burlington (Vt.) Free Press
David Downham, The Ball State Daily News, Ball State University
Andrew Dunn, Wilmington StarNews
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Charlie Eisenhood, NYU Local, New York University
Joel Elliott, The Toccoa Record
Amy Emmert, Daily Bruin, University of California, Los Angeles
Taylor Etchison, The Rebel Yell, University of Nevada-Las Vegas
Mark Fainaru-Wada, ESPN
Robert Faturechi, Los Angeles Times
Vincent Filak, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
Jenny Fischer, Colorado State University
Annette Forbes, Iowa State Daily, Iowa State University
John Frank, The News and Observer
Julie Freeman, The Baylor Lariat, Baylor University
Jessica Fryman, The Nevada Sagebrush, University of Nevada, Reno
Dante Gallan, The Daily Californian, University of California, Berkeley
Sean Gallagher, photographer
Jessie Gardner, Primo Advertising
Matt Garton, Cleveland Plain Dealer
Susan Goldberg, Bloomberg News
Lloyd Goodman, The Shorthorn, University of Texas at Arlington
Mark Goodman, Student Press Law Center
Jeremy Gragert, The Flip Side, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Gideon Grudo, University Press, Florida Atlantic University
Andy Guess, The Cornell Sun, Cornell University
Shannon Guthrie, State Journal-Register
Gerry Lynn Hamilton, The Daily Collegian, Pennsylvania State University
Kami Hammerschmith, The Daily Barometer, Oregon State University
Terrence G. Harper, Society of Professional Journalists
Christy Harrison, The Exponent, Purdue University
Tim Harrower, design consultant
Patricia Hartranft, The Daily Collegian, Penn State University
Elaine Helm, The Daily Northwestern, Northwestern University
Sarah Hemus, Golden Gate [X]press, San Francisco State University
Jennifer Herbenick, Indiana University
Megan Hermida, DoG Street Journal, College of William and Mary
Robert Hernandez, University of Southern California
Brant Houston, Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc.
Megan Irwin, The State Press Magazine, Arizona State University
Eric Jacobs, The Daily Pennsylvanian, University of Pennsylvania
Tracy Jan, The Boston Globe
Joe Jaszewski, Idaho Statesman
Lee Jenkins, The New York Times
Erik Jepsen, The Guardian, University of California San Diego
Danielle Jurski, The Campus, Ottawa University
Tyler Kepner, The New York Times
Jim Killam, Northern Star, Northern Illinois University
Harry Kloman, The Pitt News, University of Pittsburgh
Kenneth Kobré, Golden Gate [X]press, San Francisco State University
Amy Koeckes, The Nevada Sagebrush, University of Nevada, Reno
Michael Koretzky, University Press, Florida Atlantic University
Brian Krans, The Dispatch/Rock Island Argus/The Leader newspaper group
Tyler Krome, University Press, Florida Atlantic University
Jill “J.R.” Labbe, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Melissa Lalum, Daily Sundial, California State University, Northridge
Jack Lancaster, Daily O’Collegian, Oklahoma State University
Al Lanier, Chicago Tribune
Kathy Lawrence, The Daily Texan, University of Texas at Austin
Ira David Levy, Wilbur Wright College
Scott Lindenberg, The Gamecock, University of South Carolina
Charles Little, el Don, Santa Ana College
Mark Ludwig, Sacramento State University
Chris Lusk, TheOklahoma Daily, University of Oklahoma
Robert Mays III, The Missourian, University of Missouri
Sherrie Mazingo, University of Minnesota School of Journalism
Mindy McAdams, University of Florida
Sean McCourt, freelance writer
Michael G. McLaughlin, The Daily Evergreen, Washington State University
Melvin Mencher, News Reporting and Writing
Jim Merithew, San Francisco Chronicle
Kristin Millis, The Daily, University of Washington
Cynthia MItchell, The Observer, Central Washington University
Derek Montgomery, The Badger Herald, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Miguel M. Morales, The Campus Ledger, Johnson County Community College
Nick Mrozowski, The State News, Michigan State University
Colin Mulvaney, Spokane Spokesman-Review
Erika B. Neldner, The Sentinel, Kennesaw State University
Ashley Nelson, The Orion, California State University, Chico
Michael Newsom, The Daily Mississippian, University of Mississippi
Jeremy Norman, washingtonpost.com
Jared Novack, The Daily Orange, Syracuse University
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
Andrew O’Dell, Student Life, Washington University, St. Louis
Jake Ortman, Utterlyboring.com
Rob Owen, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pat Parish, The Daily Reveille, Louisiana State University
Perry Parks
Erica Perel, The Daily Tar Heel, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Jason Perlmutter, The Cornell Sun, Cornell University
Mandy Phillips, Missouri State University
Chris Poore, Kentucky Kernel, University of Kentucky
John Puterbaugh, Kane County Chronicle
Lilah Raptopoulos, The Minaret, University of Tampa
Daniel Reimold, The Minaret, University of Tampa
Cera Renault, Golden Gate [X]press, San Francisco State University
Alison Roberts, The State, Columbia, S.C.
Josie Roberts, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Michael Roberts, NewsTrain
Tom Rolnicki, Associated Collegiate Press
Amy Rolph, The Daily, University of Washington, Seattle
Ed Ronco, KCAW Raven Radio
Nils Rosdahl, The Sentinel, North Idaho College
Mike Rosenberg, Detroit Free Press
Laurel Rosenhall, The Sacramento Bee
Misha Rosiak, Golden Gate [X]press, San Francisco State University
Adam Rubin, New York Daily News
Kenneth Rystrom, The Why, Who and How of the Editorial Page
Leigh Sabey, Northern Colorado Business Report
Peter S. Scholtes, City Pages
Lauren Schuker, The Harvard Crimson, Harvard University
Kevin Schwartz, The Daily Tar Heel, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Davis Shaver, Onward State, Penn State University
Becky Sher, Knight Ridder/Tribune
Cheri Shipman, The Battalion, Texas A&M University
Brian Singler, The Missourian
Melissa Silverberg, The Daily Illini, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Emmet Smith, The Plain Dealer
Chris Snider, Drake University
Lance Speere
Ron Spielberger, College Media Advisers
Mike Spohn, The State Press, Arizona State University
Sree Sreenivasan, Columbia University
George Srour, DoG Street Journal, College of William and Mary
Brian Steffen, The Simpsonian, Simpson College
Emily Stephenson, The Daily Tar Heel, University of North Carolina
Robert F. Stevenson, The Forum, Lander University
Brian Stewart, The Daily Iowan, University of Iowa
John Strauss, The Ball State Daily News, Ball State University
Scott Strazzante, Chicago Tribune
Sean Patrick Sullivan, Canadian University Press
Patricia Tisak, The Philadelphia Inquirer
Brian Vander Kamp, The Flip Side, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Peter Velz, Collegiate Times
Dave Waddell, The Orion, California State University, Chico
Brian Wagner, The Daily Herald
James M. Wagstaffe, Kerr & Wagstaffe, LLP
Matt Waite, St. Petersburg Times
Arvli Ward, Student Media UCLA
Tom Warhover, The Columbia Missourian, University of Missouri-Columbia
Megan Watzin, The Diamondback, University of Maryland
Tom Whisenand, photographer
Kyle Whitfield, The Daily Reveille, Louisiana State University
Denny Wilkins, St. Bonaventure University
David Williams, Oregon State University
Bradley Wilson, Technician, North Carolina State University
John K. Wilson, Collegefreedom.org
Carie Windham, Technician, North Carolina State University
Mark Witherspoon, Iowa State Daily, Iowa State University
Kelly Wolff, Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, Inc.
Stacy Wynn, The Daily Tar Heel, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Suzanne Yada, The Spartan Daily, San Jose State University
Christine Yee, Contra Costa Times
John Zeratsky, The Badger Herald, University of Wisconsin-Madison
FIGURE 1.1 A fraternity house fire at the University of Mississippi in August 2004 highlighted the many roles a student newspaper serves. The Daily Mississippian, University of Mississippi.
CHAPTER 1
THE ROLE OF THE STUDENT PRESS
It was about 6:15 on a Friday morning when Michael Newsom, the campus news editor for The Daily Mississippian (thedmonline.com) at the University of Mississippi, got a wake-up call from Elizabeth Ogden, the paper’s former photo editor.
“Michael, I heard that the ATO (Alpha Tau Omega) house is on fire. It’s probably nothing, but you should check it out,” she said.
Newsom rolled over and went back to sleep. But five minutes later the phone rang again. It was Ogden.
“Michael, it’s bad. Get down here,” she said.
Newsom dressed quickly and drove toward Fraternity Row at the Oxford, Miss. campus. As he neared the neighborhood of Greek residences, he saw smoke billowing around the Alpha Tau Omega house, a once stately, brick building with white columns in front.
As firefighters battled the blaze, dazed fraternity members milled about, looking for information about their missing brothers.
Newsom set to work interviewing students, fraternity members, the fraternity’s adviser – anyone who would talk, anyone who could help him piece together the facts of the story.
CHAPTER CONTENTS
TIPS FROM A PRO Susan Goldberg
The role of the student press
The chronicle of campus life
The community forum
Journalism and the movies
The watchdog
The training ground
The enhanced role of online publications
REFLECTIONS OF A COLLEGE NEWSPAPER EDITOR Ed Ronco
Challenges of student newspapers
Getting help
Later that morning, The Daily Mississippian reported the grim news on its website: Three students had died in the fire.
Over the next several hours and through the weekend, the staff posted updates, stories and photos, as well as radio and video reports from the newspaper’s sister student broadcast stations, about the fire on the newspaper’s website (Figure 1.2). On Monday, the print edition of the paper was filled with in-depth coverage of the tragedy, including profiles of the victims, a timeline of events and information about how to help the surviving fraternity brothers.
The fire on August 27, 2004 challenged The Daily Mississippian staff in many ways. Official sources were tight-lipped, making it difficult to get information. Photographers were shooed away from the scene. Reporters and editors, just settling into their new roles on the fourth day of classes, grappled with unfamiliar equipment and difficult decisions.
But the fire reminded the University of Mississippi of how essential the paper, along with its affiliated radio and television stations, were to the campus and larger community.
“The nation wanted to know exactly what was going on in Oxford, Miss., and we told them,” says Emery Carrington, the newspaper’s editor-in-chief that year. “Ole Miss. parents, alumni, fellow fraternity members, the media and the general public created an unprecedented amount of traffic on our website – over 1 million hits within the first 24 hours of the fire, 2 million by the end of the weekend.”
FIGURE 1.2 Though news of the fire broke after the Friday edition of The Daily Mississippian was printed, the staff was able to post updates throughout the weekend on the newspaper’s website. The Daily Mississippian, University of Mississippi.
TIPS FROM A PRO Susan Goldberg
The college newspapers where you now work don’t need to look like the city newspaper in the nearest town. In fact, they shouldn’t. They should be laboratories for cutting-edge journalism.
In addition to the late nights and pizza and camaraderie, make the most of every assignment. Do things that help make your college paper indispensable to readers. Don’t be afraid to try new, unconventional approaches. What kind of approaches? Here are a few you might consider:
1 Make sure to reflect your community. Is your front page attuned to what college students are talking about – music, sex, stress, the job market? Do those boring and often inconsequential student government stories really belong out there?
2 Make use of the latest technology. Can you podcast your news so students can download it and listen to it when they want to?
3 Make other people do your work. Provide a platform for a series of different Web logs – a dorm blog, a Greek blog, a rate-the-prof blog.
4 Make a local mark. Leave national and international stories to someone else. It’s not your area of expertise and folks can get that information off any number of national websites. Instead, focus on news that is local and useful for your campus readers.
5 Make the stories you write accessible. Use everything in your toolbox of tricks – lists, charts, highlights, summaries, tips – to help quickly usher people into your content.
6 Make watchdog stories your hallmark. Your on-campus location puts you in the catbird seat to see what the university is up to. Exploit that advantage. How is the administration spending money? Who gets a free car? Whose lover just got a high-paying job? Nothing you do will be more compelling to your readers than revelatory and exclusive local content.
7 Make change; be a crusader. Editorial pages too often are boring. Set out to make your pages provocative. Take up a cause. Work in concert with the news side. Get some action!
8 Make some hard choices. Newspapers are drowning in dull, turn-of-the-screw 12- to 20-inch stories. Figure out the handful of stories you are going to tell really well on a given day – stories where you can really add value. Brief everything else.
9 Make hearing your readers a priority. Ask your readers what they’d like to see you cover. I’m sure you think you know – but do you really? Invite them to tell you, and actually listen to their answers. Maybe you’ll learn something that will surprise you and suggest a groundbreaking avenue of presentation or coverage.
10 Learn your craft. Newspapers are the public trust. Be proud of that responsibility, and take it seriously. But don’t shy away from being bold about it.
SUSAN GOLDBERG is executive editor of Bloomberg News. She got her start at The State News (statenews.com) at Michigan State University, where she was a general assignment reporter, county reporter and assistant editor.
These tips are adapted from a speech she gave at the National College Newspaper Convention in San Francisco in 2005.
THE ROLE OF THE STUDENT PRESS
The tragedy at the University of Mississippi highlights the vital role a student newspaper plays on a college campus. Whether it’s a stapled sheaf of photocopied pages distributed every couple of weeks or a professional-looking daily broadsheet, a college newspaper serves many functions.
It’s a chronicle of campus life that informs the campus about everything from scientific research and protest demonstrations to championship basketball games and out-of-control fraternity parties.It’s a community forum where students, faculty, administrators and staff can debate issues of common concern.It’s a watchdog that barks when a cafeteria is cited for health code violations or hale athletes drive around with handicapped parking placards.It’s a training ground for the next generation of journalists.Let’s look at these roles and the responsibilities and challenges that come along with them.
THE CHRONICLE OF CAMPUS LIFE
Every campus has its events, issues and personalities, and a student newspaper is often the only unbiased publication for reporting on the life of a college community. While the primary audience for college papers is students, a good paper covers the whole campus.
“One of the responsibilities of a newspaper is to reflect the nature of the community it serves,” says Melvin Mencher, a longtime journalism educator and author of News Reporting and Writing (Mc-Graw Hill, 2008), a leading journalism textbook. “A student newspaper should be able to understand and display all dimensions of a campus community, not just student life but the concerns of the university employees, faculty, administrators and staff.”
FIGURE 1.3 As news of the fire spread students, faculty, alumni, parents of students and members of the community shared prayers and messages of mourning on The Daily Mississippian’s website. The Daily Mississippian, University of Mississippi.
THE COMMUNITY FORUM
A college campus can be a fragmented place. Freshmen and transfer students may feel lost and alienated. Seniors and commuters may be so wrapped up in their majors and schoolwork that they’re unaware of what’s happening on the rest of the campus. And students can feel overwhelmed at times by a monolithic entity that can raise their tuition, their rents and their health care costs with little warning.
“The student paper can be a unifying force,” says Mencher. “It should represent students from around the campus. And it should establish some kind of leadership, demanding the highest quality education for students, so students have an outlet for their frustrations, their excitements, their passions.”
In the days and weeks after the University of Mississippi fire, for example, the opinion section and the website comment boxes overflowed with letters and email messages expressing prayers, sadness and outrage (Figure 1.3). The wounded community needed to vent, and The Daily Mississippian provided a place to do that.
Journalism and the movies Eugenia Chien
Movies about journalism are great for inspiration, motivation and illumination. Stick a video in the newsroom’s DVD player, throw some popcorn in the microwave and gather the staff for an evening of fun flicks and discussion.
The Front Page (1931) What are you willing to do to cover a big story? In this classic comedy, an editor convinces a top reporter to put off his marriage long enough to cover the hottest story in town. The original film stars Pat O’Brien, Adolphe Menjou and Mary Brian. B&W, 99 minutes. (A 1974 remake features Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Susan Sarandon. Color, 105 minutes.)
Foreign Correspondent (1940) A crime reporter turned foreign correspondent is caught up in the espionage and danger of World War I. Alfred Hitchcock’s famous scene of an assassin escaping into a sea of rippling umbrellas is just one of the unforgettable images from this movie. Joel McCrea and Laraine Day star. B&W, 120 minutes.
His Girl Friday (1940) In a clever remake of The Front Page, the tables are turned when an editor (Cary Grant) tries to stop his female star reporter (Rosalind Russell), who happens to be his ex-wife, from leaving the newspaper business. Howard Hawks directs. B&W, 92 minutes.
Citizen Kane (1941) If you don’t know what “Rosebud” refers to, you’ve got to check out this thinly disguised biopic about newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst. Orson Welles writes, directs and stars. B&W, 119 minutes.
Teacher’s Pet (1958) Clark Gable plays a tough city editor who doesn’t believe in college-taught journalism. He goes head to head with a journalism professor, played by Doris Day, when he pretends to be a student in her class. B&W, 120 minutes.
All The President’s Men (1976) This riveting movie tells the story of how two journalists brought down President Richard Nixon in the Watergate scandal. Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford play Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward of The Washington Post. Color, 139 minutes.
Absence of Malice (1981) A Miami reporter, played by Sally Field, unknowingly ties an innocent man (Paul Newman) to the murder of a union leader. Color, 116 minutes.
The Year of Living Dangerously (1982) A group of journalists grapples with the political upheaval of the Indonesian government in 1960s Jakarta. Linda Hunt becomes the only actress ever to win an Academy Award playing a man – with no cross-dressing or gender confusion involved. Mel Gibson stars. Color, 117 minutes.
Under Fire (1983) A photojournalist finds himself on a mission to photograph a rebel leader in war-torn Nicaragua. Along the way, it becomes difficult for the journalists to stay neutral. Nick Nolte, Ed Harris star. Color, 128 minutes.
The Killing Fields (1984) Based on a true story, this movie explores the relationship between New York Times journalist Sidney Schanberg and his Cambodian assistant Dith Pran when Schanberg is unable to help Pran escape the Khmer Rouge. Sam Waterston, Haing S. Ngor star. Color, 142 minutes.
Salvador (1986) A freelance journalist leaves his out-of-control life in San Francisco to cover the bloody civil war in El Salvador. James Woods and James Belushi star. Oliver Stone writes and directs. Color, 122 minutes.
The Paper (1994) This movie captures 24 hours in a hectic New York newsroom, after two young black men are arrested for the murder of two white businessmen. Ron Howard directs. Michael Keaton, Glenn Close and Robert Duvall star. Color, 112 minutes.
Welcome to Sarajevo (1997) American and British journalists find an orphanage in Sarajevo and walk past the line of ethics when they decide to rescue the children. Stephen Dillane, Woody Harrelson star. Color, 102 minutes.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) Legendary gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson (Johnny Depp) takes a dizzying, hallucinogenic road trip to Las Vegas with his sidekick, Dr. Gonzo (Benicio Del Toro). Color, 128 minutes.
The Insider (1999) Russell Crowe plays a scientist who violates his contract with a tobacco company when he exposes addictive ingredients in cigarettes. Ethical quandaries arise when broadcast veteran Mike Wallace (Christopher Plummer) and producer Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino) report the story. Color, 157 minutes.
Live from Baghdad (2002) CNN made television news history when it became the only news network remaining in Baghdad on the eve of the first Gulf War. Michael Keaton and Helena Bonham Carter star. Mick Jackson directs. Color, 108 minutes.
Shattered Glass (2003) Stephen Glass, a young journalist at The New Republic, had everything: talent, a coveted job and adoring friends. This movie explores how Glass betrayed everyone by fabricating stories. Hayden Christensen, Chloe Sevigny and Peter Sarsgaard star. Color, 94 minutes.
The Pentagon Papers (2003) James Spader plays Daniel Ellsberg, a military analyst who risks treason charges when he seeks to publish a series of classified government documents detailing the true nature of America’s involvement in the Vietnam War. Color, 92 minutes.
Capote (2005) Philip Seymour Hoffman plays the young Truman Capote as he reports on the murder that inspired his true-crime classic In Cold Blood. Color, 114 minutes.
State of Play (2009) A grizzled investigative reporter and a young blogger investigate the murder of a congressman’s mistress. Color, 127 minutes.
THE WATCHDOG
Colleges and universities may be institutions of learning, but they can also be hotbeds of corruption and scandal. Some undertake questionable research, some misuse state funds, some employ sexual predators.
And on many campuses, the student newspaper is the only institution able to investigate and report such matters.
The Daily Mississippian took its watchdog role seriously after the fraternity house fire. When fire investigators seemed to be holding back information about the cause of the blaze, a Daily Mississippian editorial demanded answers. Reporters filed several Freedom of Information Act requests to find out what investigators knew. When government officials finally turned over the investigation report more than six months after the fire, Carrington, the editor-in-chief, posted the entire document on the newspaper’s website.
“People really wanted to know what happened,” she says. “We felt the community could use it to gain some closure on this tragedy.”
THE TRAINING GROUND
Countless professional journalists got their start at college newspapers. Broadcast journalists Bill Moyers and Walter Cronkite worked at The Daily Texan (dailytexanonline.com), the student newspaper of the University of Texas at Austin. Michael Isikoff, who broke the Monica Lewinsky story for Newsweek, reported for Student Life (studlife.com) at Washington University in St. Louis. James Fallows, David Halberstam, Michael Kinsley and Susan Faludi all served as editors of The Harvard Crimson (thecrimson.com). Columnist Molly Ivins began to hone her razor-sharp pen in the pages of The Sophian (smithsophian.com) at Smith College, and Garry Trudeau created the prototype for Doonesbury for the Yale Daily News (yaledailynews.com).
Many believe student newspapers, more even than journalism degree programs, are the best way to launch a career in the field. The clips and experience you get at your college paper can pave the way to internships and jobs.
This training role is even more important today as the field of journalism undergoes cataclysmic changes. The industry is looking to the next generation of journalists – that’s you! – for leadership and innovation. Experiments tried at college news organizations – new ways of reporting the news, new ways of communicating with readers, new ways of delivering content, new ways of telling stories – could well pave the way for what journalism becomes in the future.
THE ENHANCED ROLE OF ONLINE PUBLICATIONS
Now that virtually all student newspapers are online – and in fact a few are online-only – they have the potential to play an even more important role than ever. For one thing, the audience is vastly bigger; student publications are not just seen by students, faculty and staff and a few campus neighbors but by alumni, prospective students, parents of students, media professionals and Google searchers from around the world. The immediacy of the Web allows student journalists to report vital information in seconds – often before campus or police officials or the professional press. Student journalists are often the ones to break a campus story of national or international significance, such as a shooting, a bomb threat or a protest that turns into a riot.
In addition, the Web presents opportunities for student journalists to do much more than simply report the news. With social networking tools and mobile technology you can mobilize a community in a matter of minutes.
These new opportunities bring with them new responsibilities. In the old days, if a college newspaper reported a scandal or made a mistake, it would cause a stir on campus. Period. Now a big story – or a major error – can make its way around the world. Professional news organizations often pick up on stories first reported on a college news website, sometimes replicating facts in student news reports without checking them (unfortunate but true). If you paint someone in a negative light or get a vital fact wrong, you can do irreparable damage. An offensive column or cartoon on a student news website can stir outrage not just locally but globally.
REFLECTIONS OF A COLLEGE NEWSPAPER EDITOR Ed Ronco
Shortly before I graduated from Michigan State University, I had a conversation with my mom about what I had learned. You know, the “how was it?” discussion. College was great, and my professors and classes taught me innumerable things about academic subjects and life in general.
But I had to admit that my most valuable lessons came from working on the student newspaper, The State News. Filling the pages of that paper as a reporter, a news editor and finally editor-in-chief my last year gave me insight into every aspect of journalism, and, also, every aspect of humanity.
I had the chance to write about people who were grieving and celebrating, frustrated and elated. I talked to countless readers on the phone, some who said nice things and others who told me I was a buffoon. (That’s fine; maybe I was.)
I got to cover – or lead the coverage of – hundreds of stories, from the formation of a graduate student labor union, to the departure of the university president, to the war in Iraq.
When some students on our campus rioted in March 2003, our offices were half-newsroom, half-triage unit. As reporters and photographers ran out the door to gather more news, others came back with red and swollen eyes, seeking relief from the tear gas.
When the United States invaded Iraq, we had stories written 30 minutes after President Bush announced the invasion. After watching Bush’s statement, our reporters conducted reaction interviews, calling university administrators, local politicians and others, and then returned to the newsroom to assemble it into something coherent, all with lightning speed.
And then there was election night 2004. I’ll never forget the scene of that full newsroom in the early hours of the morning, with more than 80 people throwing papers and yelling election totals across the room.
Those were the big successes. The big stories. But it’s the smaller things that I hope you get to experience.
I hope you see the lights burning late in your newsroom and hear the crackle of the police scanner that’s always on.
I hope you see people going in and out at all hours of the day, forgoing social lives, and sometimes academic lives, for the sake of an informed campus.
I hope you get to see the presses roll – blurs of gray and black and red and blue that shoot by at astronomical speeds. Our presses were in a warehouse 60 miles away. I’ll never forget the smell of the ink.
I hope you see your staff step up to the plate for some of the biggest stories of their lives. And when they do, I hope they hit it out of the park.
I hope you feel the thrill of getting on Page One for the first time, or if you’re an editor, I hope you see the look on the face of a rookie reporter when you help her get there.
I hope you hear the sadness in your co-worker’s voice after he’s interviewed friends and family members of someone who just died.
I hope you talk to each other at 4 a.m., when one of you can’t sleep because you’re worried about a story in the next day’s paper.
I hope you see a really talented photographer hard at work. I still remember driving one of ours down a two-lane highway in rural Michigan as she snapped photos of a runner from the back of my pickup truck.
I hope you watch your copy desk kick into action – these people actually argue about commas – and see your page designers turn raw text and photos into works of art.
I hope you take time to get to know the people who prepare your paper for press and troubleshoot your technical problems. Ours were the finest and smartest bunch of people I have ever met, and modest, too – they never once stood up and took a bow or even asked for the opportunity.
And I hope you get to know the people who get up before the sun, the ones who complete the miracle. We had a group of 12 carriers who rose at 5:30 every morning to distribute 28,500 copies of our newspaper around the campus and city by 8 a.m.
When the time comes for you to walk away from it all, I hope you leave secure in the knowledge that people will continue to sweat and toil over keyboards and continue to produce good journalism night after night so your campus can read it morning after morning.
And when you get out into the professional world, I hope you can say to an editor, “Oh yeah, I’ve done that before.”
ED RONCO served as editor-in-chief of The State News at Michigan State University in 2004. During his previous years at the paper he was also deputy managing editor, campus news editor, administration reporter and graduate issues reporter. He graduated in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and went on to do internships with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and The Grand Rapids (Mich.) Press. He is a reporter and host for KCAW Raven Radio in Anchorage, Alaska.
Now, more than ever, student journalists must act professionally and responsibly.
CHALLENGES OF STUDENT NEWSPAPERS
Putting out a student paper can be one of the most exciting parts of your college career, but it can also be filled with frustrations. Student journalists often don’t feel the power and confidence that professionals do. Among the common problems:
Lack of respect.
“As a student journalist, it can be tough to get readers and sources to take you seriously,” says Becky Sher, former editor-in-chief of the GW Hatchet (gwhatchet.com) at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. who went on to work for McClatchy-Tribune in Washington, D.C. and now teaches at her alma mater. “Off-campus sources can present a particular problem.” Administrators and faculty also sometimes fail to give students due consideration.
Conflicts of interest.
Even more than professional journalists, student journalists face the challenge of covering the community in which they live. That sometimes means writing about the health violations at the dining hall, the melee after your friend’s dorm party or the tenure battle of your favorite English professor. “There are times you can recuse yourself from a story you’re too close to, but there are other times that you can’t,” says Sher. “After all, the latest tuition hike affects you, too.”
Inexperience.
The most seasoned college newspaper staffer may have three or four years under his belt, but many start writing stories, shooting photographs, selling ads, or designing pages with little or no training. That lack of experience can lead to serious mistakes that are on display for the whole campus – or, in the case of an error picked up by the mass media, the whole world.
Interference.
While some student newspapers exist in a climate of complete respect for their First Amendment rights, many don’t. Every year, administrators at colleges across the country challenge student newspapers that stir up trouble or embarrass the campus.
GETTING HELP
Fortunately, there are resources to help. Most college newspapers have an adviser to guide students through the sometimes-choppy waters of newspaper publishing. If yours doesn’t, find a professor or professional journalist you trust to become a mentor or unofficial adviser. Take advantage of local press clubs, Society of Professional Journalists chapters and other media groups in your area that can offer advice.
FIGURE 1.4 A student newspaper should be a community forum where students, faculty and staff can discuss issues and share ideas. Technician, North Carolina State University.
Several national organizations exist solely to support the student press. The Student Press Law Center in Arlington, Va., a tireless advocate for student-press rights, offers free legal advice to student newspapers. Associated Collegiate Press, a nonprofit educational membership association in Minneapolis, Minn., and College Media Advisers, a professional association of advisers, sponsor contests, conventions and advocacy services for member newspapers. And many states have statewide student press associations to support student media.
As a journalist, it’s up to you to seek out the resources you need and to use them to your advantage.
TO DO
1 Many people on college campuses – especially administrators – don’t understand the role of the student press or the basic tenets of press freedom. Early in the school year, plan a meeting with key campus officials to discuss the various roles your paper plays and the importance of press freedom.
2 Plan an open house to acquaint the campus community with your paper. Create displays of major stories and photos. Explain how the paper works, how students can join the staff or contribute material on a freelance basis, how people can send in press releases and letters to the editor.
3 Invite a marketing class on campus to organize a focus group of students to critique your paper. (If you can’t get a class to do it, organize a focus group yourself.) Ask participants what they see as the role of your student paper and how well you serve that role. Find out what they like and don’t like. Then analyze the responses and see how you can better fulfill their expectations.
4 Conduct a reader survey to find out what readers like about your paper and what they don’t like. Develop an action plan to address their concerns.
TO READ
Kovach, Bill and Tom Rosenstiel. The Elements of Journalism. New York, N.Y.: Crown Publishers, 2001.
TO CLICK
Associated Collegiate Press
Associated Collegiate Press is the largest and oldest national membership organization for college student media in the United States. A branch of the National Scholastic Press Association, the organization sponsors conventions, training workshops and contests for student journalists.
http://www.studentpress.org/acp
Canadian University Press
Canadian University Press is a national, nonprofit co-operative, owned and operated by more than 80 student newspapers in Canada.
www.cup.ca
Center for Innovation in College Media
Now a part of College Media Advisers, this nonprofit think tank was created to help college student media adapt and flourish in the new media environment. The blog is a must-read for student journalists.
http://www.collegemediainnovation.org/blog
College Media Advisers
College Media Advisers is a membership organization that helps student media professionals improve their media operations. The organization sponsors national conventions and training workshops and advocates for members. Its website is packed with tips and information about college media.
http://collegemedia.org
College Media Matters
This blog, written by college journalism scholar Dan Reimold of the University of Tampa, covers news and issues related to college media.
http://collegemediamatters.com
Columbia Scholastic Press Association
The Columbia Scholastic Press Association unites student editors and faculty advisers working with them to produce student newspapers, magazines, yearbooks and online media. The association is owned by Columbia University and operated as a program affiliated with its Graduate School of Journalism.
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cspa
Society of Professional Journalists
The Society of Professional Journalists is the nation’s most broad-based journalism organization, dedicated to encouraging the free practice of journalism.
www.spj.org
Student Media Sourcebook
The National Scholastic Press Association and Associated Collegiate Press have compiled this directory of links and contact information for resources and organizations of interest to student journalists.
http://www.studentpress.org/sourcebook
Student Press Law Center
The Student Press Law Center is an advocate for student free press rights and provides free legal help and information to students and the educators who work with them.
www.splc.org
FIGURE 2.1Technician at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C., hosts an open house every fall to recruit staff. Technician, North Carolina State University.
CHAPTER 2
RECRUITING AND TRAINING YOUR STAFF
Professional newspaper editors are always grumbling about the difficulties of recruiting, retaining and training a staff. But compared to student editors, they’ve got it easy. Most managing editors have a stack of résumés on their desks from young journalists eager to work for them. A phone call to the local college journalism program or a listing on a journalism jobs website will yield even more qualified applicants. Most have a seasoned reporter or two willing to show the newbies the ropes. And while pay for journalists is relatively low, professional newspapers can offer enough compensation to keep people coming to work every day.
Now think of the typical student newspaper editor trying to put together a staff. Where is she going to find a group of talented people willing to work for little or no pay? How will she train them if her most experienced staffers have only a couple of years – or sometimes only a couple of months – on the job? And how will she keep them motivated when they can make more money washing dishes in the cafeteria?
The key is to make working for your newspaper the best experience it can be.
CHAPTER CONTENTS
Recruiting a staff
Training your staff
TIPSHEET Training your staff
CHECKLIST Planning a training workshop
Creating a staff manual
Mentoring
Diversity training
Motivating your staff
Q&A Miguel M. Morales
Appendix 2.A Training exercises
RECRUITING A STAFF
Well-established newspapers at large universities usually have systems and traditions for recruiting staff. At UCLA, for example, the Daily Bruin (dailybruin.com) recruits with an open house every quarter and information tables during orientation week. Application forms are posted on the newspaper’s website, along with information about how the newspaper works. “We have about 200 students apply for positions every fall,” says media adviser Amy Emmert. “We accept about half of those.”
At smaller schools, however, recruiting enough students to put out even 12 or 16 pages every week or two can be a formidable task. Commuter schools, where most students live off campus and many students work, may find recruitment especially difficult.
Nils Rosdahl, former adviser to the award-winning Sentinel (nicsentinel.com) at North Idaho College, a community college in Coeur D’Alene with about 4,000 students, would start recruiting at the high school level. Each October, he organized a high school media day that attracted about 300 young journalists from 15 high schools in three states. Journalists from the two professional newspapers in town led most of the sessions but Rosdahl would take a few minutes at the beginning of the day to introduce his journalism program and the biweekly student newspaper. He also scheduled annual visits to many of the high school newspapers in Idaho and neighboring Montana and Washington. “I would give a constructive critique of their paper and then let them know what we offer,” says Rosdahl, who worked as a sports writer and editor for newspapers in Chicago and Seattle before he started advising in 1986.
In the first week of school Rosdahl would visit photography, journalism, graphic design and marketing classes on campus to recruit potential staffers. “I let them know this is really good for developing their portfolio. Working for The Sentinel, they can get their work published and get their name in print. It’s also a good opportunity for getting scholarships and internships.”
FIGURE 2.2The Daily Nebraskan recruits new staff in the early spring, shortly after the new editor-in-chief is selected. The Daily Nebraskan, University of Nebraska.
