Any ideas of how to attract more people to join my newspaper? The school I attend is small and is in the middle of no where. I cover the news, features, do the layout, take the pictures, etc. It is hard to find good helping hands. We have lost 12 people in the two years we have existed (only one of those was a senior and one other moved to a different town). Any suggestions, ideas, etc. would be appreciated.
Alex, News Editor
Responses
, 7/9/2005, 10:21:08 PM
Try making some anouncements or flashy posters around the school buildings. Try something catchy, advertise the power of the press and how the staff will control who makes the paper.. stuff like that? Or try saying how if you didn't like the paper before, this is your chance to improve it.
I hope this is helpful. At our school, we have the exact opposite program, and this year we have 60+ members on two rotating staffs... chaotic...
Susan, 7/10/2005, 9:03:18 PM
Have your adviser talk to English teachers and try personally recruiting their suggested writers. The face to face, personal approach works well, especially if it comes from a respected teacher.
km, 8/28/2005, 12:29:53 PM
Name editors of sections (news, feature, sports, opinion, entertainment) and tell them they are responsible for recruiting a staff. They will usually recruit their friends, so if you have good editors, you should have a great staff.
Also, see if you can get it approved that staff can 'letter' in journalism. come up with requirements and then offer to buy letterman jackets for anyone who sells over a certain amount in ad sales.
Another idea is to offer a free plane ticket to attend national convention to anyone who sells over a certain amount in ads.
Another thing is to have the staff join Quill and Scroll and be sure to induct students into the society at the end of the year.
Another way to get students interested is enter contests. Once they see some of your students winning, they may want to apply next year. Columbia has Gold Circle awards and quill and scroll has Gold Key.
Then, come spring, take applications for positions and be sure to name the editors. Tell them they get to interview and 'hire' their own staff.
Alex, 8/31/2005, 4:58:10 PM
One thing is: there are no editors. There is no staff. I am the show and I need more people. Thanks for your ideas.
km, 9/1/2005, 7:26:56 PM
Alex, this will be tough without staff but can't you recruit a friend or two to be editors and tell them they can run the show and find two or three more people to be a part of their staff?
You might get the principal to agree to a letter ahead of time and maybe he/she will even agree to put some money into an account that could help pay for jackets if students letter.
you need to present to him the qualifications for lettering: So many hours after school working on the paper, an A in class, so many ad sales, etc.
maybe you could get a few faculty members to agree to write monthly columns for you such as an update on the English department, the counseling depts on scholarships, a letter from the principal, etc, until you get a staff going.
you can also use some press releases from local event centers and local colleges so you don't have to write so much. Get on their email lists.
Join a press association to get stories.
Ask the art teachers to have kids take photos, design ads or do editorial cartoons for you.
What about the pta? They might write something.
Good luck
Alex, 9/8/2005, 6:34:35 PM
All the friends I have asked to join have said they are bad at writing and the like. As I am looking into the future, there may not be room for this newspaper. I have been editor for the last two years and I do not want it to slip away. But, if we have no staff- I only have two people- then what is the use of continuing? I mean, if the school administration, teachers, and the students do not want to support it, then what should I do?
Those are some good ideas. I can and will look into those. Thanks.
