Responses
Alex, 4/27/2005, 3:26:59 PM
I am the editor of my school newspaper in Pennsylvania. It is probably the toughest thing in the world to find poeple to help. Right now, I am the reporter, layout person, photographer, graphic artist, president of the newspaper club, and anything else that needs worked on. Ten members quit this year, which I am not surprised at. This newspaper is a club and not a class. I hope next year I can recruit more people join.
Paul, 5/4/2005, 10:55:43 AM
Hello guys. Staff recruitment is really one of the common problems faced by campus papers. Most students join school papers for just filling their resume, without realizing its greater impact on their wellbeings.
In The LaSallian (official publication of De LaSalle University-Manila Philippines), what we did is to strengthen the recruitment process during the first weeks of the school year. we explain to the potential staffers the benefits as well as the essence of joining the school paper.
Sarah Corbett, 5/19/2005, 12:27:39 PM
I am from Kansas State University's Salina campus and I too have seen a similar problem in recruiting staff members. Our paper is fairly new, this being its first full year.
We have a student population of primarily Aviation and Engineering students. Those who are interested in majoring in Journalism or the like will move on to the main campus. Therefore, it has been really difficult to find a few good writers among the mostly technical-minded student body.
I have had to work extra hard on recruiting and retaining quality staff members. Everyone on the staff, besides myself, has had little or no journalism experience.
I have always set up booths at ALL new student recruitment events, as well as use my Advisor, an English professor, to spread the word and keep and eye out in her classes. We also always have a beginning of the year welcome party, which did really well last year.
So far, our staff has maintained an average of twelve writers. We have had a lot of problems with keeping thier interest and meeting deadlines, because all of our staff goes unpaid.
Has anyone else had problems on their small campus that are similar?
Blair, 5/27/2005, 12:57:43 PM
Recruitment was my number one priority when I became Editor in Chief of my University's newspaper last Fall. I did a few things the Spring semester before (and also did this past Spring semester) that had an incredible impact on our membership.
First, in late-April I went to the Student and Educational Services department (Student Affairs) and asked to look throught the incoming freshmen folders. Our school asks incoming freshmen to fill out an inquiry form where they can write what majors, clubs, and hobbies they are interested in. I went through all of them (about 700) and wrote down every person who wrote down a major, club, or hobby having anything to do with newspaper production. I had students who were editors of their high school papers, yearbooks, students interested in photography and graphic design, and I even picked students interested in business administration.
I got all of their addresses and sent them a letter from me, a booklet I designed about the newspaper, the latest issue of the newspaper, and an application. Freshmen, although they don't have formal training, are usually extremely enthusiastic and dedicated. I think it's easier to teach someone who has interest than to try and get the attention of upperclassmen who don't care.
The personal invite to join the staff is also appealing to freshmen who are anxious about how to meet others on campus. Our budget allows for the postal charges of sending packets to everyone, but just sending a letter would do the trick.
Like I said, I did this last year, and one of the freshmen I recruited turned out to be one of our best writers. She's actually filling an section editor position for this year coming up.
For recruiting students already attending our school, I also made sure the newspaper had a table at every one of our open houses and involvement fairs. Our school also has a liason committee, so I know most of the presidents of all the student organizations. I make it a point to get our newspaper's name listed as a sponsor for their events. Mostly, this is done through free advertising; I give them a little space for an ad, and they put our name on their flyers, tshirts, banners, posters, etc.
Finally, the 4 section editors and myself all make up a schedule of the classes offered at our university that cover topics related to the newspaper (journalism, English, business, mass comm., photography, etc.). We each divide up the classes according to our schedules, and we will go talk to the class for like the first 2-3 minutes about the newspaper. The professors usually don't mind; we just make sure we ask ahead of time. We leave applications, and usually get a couple of people who turn one in.
I know I wrote a lot, but I know how frustrating this is. Hope this helps out! Good Luck!
Blair, 6/21/2005, 2:01:26 PM
Those all sound like some great ideas, and I've tried a couple myself. Thanks for the input; I hope others benefitted from it as well.
Rob Velella
Red & Black adviser
Washington & Jefferson College
Michelle, 6/23/2005, 1:25:23 PM
Fliers, chalking, word of mouth, professors announcing in class... that's pretty much how we roll.
We don't have a problem with recruiting writers. The real problem is keeping them for longer than a year. It seems as though they want promotion, but they can't if they're not amazingly good.
Good luck! Don't for get to ask upperclassmen too. They need experience and clips. They also tend to be better writers.
