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MHS Pitchfork, 8/15/2005, 5:39:19 PM
Okay, here is our situation:
We have a newspaper that has been run by an advier for the past 10-12 years. She is in the process of getting out and may only be around another year or two.
She asked me to come on and take one of the classes. Right now there is no prerequisite to join - just an application and interview. We had so many this year we split into 2 classes.
I teach the 2nd period one and it is full of kids who have no experience on the staff - all first years. She teaches the 3rd block one - all previous staff.
The newspaper has kind of gone downhill, but it seems like the new staff really wants to make something good out of it. A quote from today "the paper is like a bad People magazine and should be more like Time." You can see there are some good thoughts on changing it.
My issues:
-I want to change the reputation but I don't want to step on any toes.
-Can I really change anything this year, or do I wait for my turn at the helm?
-What are some simple, easy to enfore and put in place rules/ideas I can institute?
Any other advice would be GREATLY appreciated.
King
Responses
Susan, 8/17/2005, 9:52:34 PM
I'd sit down with her and see how you are going to divide up the work. Is her class going to do certain sections and yours another or what? Or could your class do an issue and her class do the next?
If not, use your young class as a training ground for the next year. Teach them the basics and they will be ready to go when she is gone.
Brian, 8/17/2005, 10:42:13 PM
I know exactly what you're talking about - we had a similar situation at my school. Last year I was News Editor of our paper, and (for scheduling reasons) put in a class of inexperienced journalists (but inspired and brilliant ones, nonetheless). I was amazed as many of these people who had never written for the paper before were outshining editors of our "experienced" class. Similar to your situation, they got little recognition for their ideas or hard work.
The way we operate this year is similar (with the inexperienced group writing most stories and the experienced group being editors and such), but now that I am Editor-in-Chief I try in every way I can to recognize the inexperienced class. I feel your scenario is probably like the one at my school, and so I offer the advice that you stress the importance of your inexperienced class gaining actual experience, and that, whenever you are given the reigns, you continue this same course of action, with even greater emphasis on the inexperienced staff writers.
Once again I cannot stress the importance of actual newspaper experience and production in the inexperienced class! You need people prepared to take over layout, editing, etc. when the experienced people leave.
Hope I was of some help, and good luck!
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