How to Start a School Newspaper

Co-authored by Alicia Oglesby

Last Updated: August 4, 2021 References

A school newspaper adds a lot of value to the institution. It keeps the community informed of important happenings. A school paper reports the news and also highlights outstanding students and staff. Also, a school paper is a great way for students to get some real life journalism experience. If your school does not currently have a paper, don't worry. There are several steps you can take to start a school newspaper.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Recruiting a Team

1
Write down your objectives. Whether you are a student or a teacher, starting a school newspaper is a great idea. A paper is a wonderful addition to any school. Your first step is to figure out how to convince others that this is a great idea.^{[1]
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- Make a list of the benefits of having a school paper. Write down that it helps empower students.
- You could also note that working on a paper can prepare students for a variety of careers. It also teaches responsibility.
- Use your list of objectives when you are sharing your idea with people. When you are explaining your goals, it will be useful to have them written down already.
2
Find a faculty adviser. Whether you are in junior high, high school, or college, you will need a faculty adviser. A faculty adviser is a teacher who will help you to get organized and publish a quality paper. This person can also be an advocate for your organization.
- Talk to your journalism teacher. This person is the obvious choice to help you head up a student paper.
- If your school doesn't have a journalism program, head to the English department. An English teacher will be able to help you write and edit effectively.
- Be respectful and polite. Try saying, "Mr. Anderson, could we schedule a time to talk? I'd like to speak to you about advising the school newspaper I am trying to launch."
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3
Recruit a staff. It takes an entire team of people to produce a great school paper. Before you can really get started, you need to recruit other students to join the staff. Try advertising your project.^{[2]
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- Put up posters or flyers around the school. Make them colorful, inviting, and specific. Try saying, "Wanted: Enthusiastic, fun, hard working students to join the new school paper!"
- Talk to people you know. Ask your friends to help you spread the word about this exciting new organization.
- Reach out to students with different interests. Remember, in addition to writers, you will need photographers and graphic designers.
- As the leader of the newspaper, keep in mind that you'll be responsible for recruiting and organizing everyone who's involved in the paper. You also need to be comfortable working with adults.^{[3]
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  Expert Source
  
  Alicia Oglesby
  Professional School Counselor
  Expert Interview. 29 October 2020.}
4
Secure a printer or publisher. You should first decide whether you are going to produce a print or online newspaper. If you are going to make a traditional paper, you will need to find a printer. Talk to your local newspapers.^{[4]
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- Ask your faculty adviser to go with you to talk to the publisher of your city's newspaper. Discuss making an arrangement for your student paper to use their printing press.
- You can also use a company that specializes in student newspapers. Try looking at a website of one of these companies.^{[5]
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- If you are planning to create an online publication, you will need to figure out how to publish it. There are many websites that you can use to create a professional looking publication.
- Try contacting School Newspapers Online. You can also publish a paper online using wordpress.com.^{[6]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Organizing the Necessary Materials

1
Do your research. Starting a paper is a big job. You want to make sure that you are going to produce a quality product. Take some time to research all aspects of journalism.^{[7]
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- Collect examples of different types of articles. Then share these articles with your news staff members.
- Look for examples of news stories, features, and editorials. You can also collect examples of photojournalism.
- Read a variety of newspapers. Collect issues of your local paper and also national publications. You will have a wide variety of examples to inspire you.
2
Create a budget. Like most things in life, a school newspaper costs money. Before you produce your first issue, you will need to figure out some financial details. Ask your faculty adviser to help you create a budget.^{[8]
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- Write down the costs of all of your materials. For example, you will need basic office supplies.
- Don't forget to factor in major expenses. You will need to pay your printer or publisher.
- Ask your school administration for funds. Most school can offer some money to student organizations.
- Start selling ad space. Visit local merchants and ask them to advertise in your paper. This revenue will help cover your costs.
3
Secure a meeting space. You will need a place to work. Your workers will need a place to write and to put together the layout of the paper. You will also need a site for staff meetings.^{[9]
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- Ask the administration at the school for classroom space. You will need to secure a dedicated room where you can store your materials and meet.
- If an entire classroom is not available, ask for storage space. You can at least get some storage lockers where you can securely keep your supplies.
- If necessary, you can hold meetings in the library. Just make sure to also book time and space in advance.
4
Purchase office supplies. Before you can print your paper, you will need to get some basic supplies. Most layouts are done on computers. Make sure that you have access to some design software and can use your school computers. You will need Adobe InDesign and Adobe Photoshop.^{[10]
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- You will also need cameras. Try to purchase at least 2 digital cameras for your photographers to use.
- A scanner is a necessity. This will be used to scan artwork into your paper.
- Make sure to include all of these items in your budget. Remember that most of them will be a one time cost, but that you may need to make repairs or upgrades in the future.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Preparing Your First Issue

1
Hold a staff meeting. During your organizational period, you'll want to hold your first staff meeting. Once you have recruited other students, it is important that you all start working as a team. Call an introductory meeting.^{[11]
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- Gather your entire staff together. Your first meeting can be somewhat informal.
- Get some snacks and sodas. Treat this as a "get to know each other" event.
- This will be useful since some people might not know one another. It's a great way for everyone to learn to feel comfortable working with each other.
2
Assign duties. After the socializing part of the meeting, you can get to work. Your first step is to assign each staff member a responsibility. Ask each student what interests them most about working on a paper.^{[12]
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- Some students might be interested in photography. Assign them to take pictures of newsworthy events.
- If you have a staff member who is great at connecting with others, ask them to try writing feature articles. They will likely be good at interviewing people and finding interesting personal stories.
- You will need a business manager to be in charge of budgets and revenue. You will also need a staff member to be in charge of layout and design. Additionally, you will need at least 2 copy editors.
3
Create content. Once you have assigned jobs, it's time to start writing. The editorial staff can figure out what types of stories are needed, and how much space there is to fill. Then the editor-in-chief can assign each journalist a story.^{[13]
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- Your paper should appeal to a wide range of readers. Make sure to publish stories on a variety of topics.
- Most schools will have a sports section. You can highlight the achievements of school teams and local professional teams.
- You definitely want a news section. You can assign a reporter to cover important happenings, such as the local school board meeting.
- You can also consider adding some other sections. You might assign stories on entertainment, business, or science.
4
Polish and produce the paper. Once the reporters submit their stories, it is time for the copy editors to go to work. A copy editor will make any necessary corrections, taking care to fix grammatical errors. The copy editor will also make sure that the story reads easily and is coherent.^{[14]
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- Once the story has been proofed, the layout editor will make sure it is placed properly in the paper. Photos or illustrations will be added at this time.
- Once the layout is locked, it is time to distribute your publication. After a final proofing, send it to the publisher or printer.

Expert Q&A
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Question

How do I know if I'd be good at running a school paper?

Alicia Oglesby
Professional School Counselor
Alicia Oglesby is a Professional School Counselor and the Director of School and College Counseling at Bishop McNamara High School outside of Washington DC. With over ten years of experience in counseling, Alicia specializes in academic advising, social-emotional skills, and career counseling. Alicia holds a BS in Psychology from Howard University and a Master’s in Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology from Chestnut Hill College. She also studied Race and Mental Health at Virginia Tech. Alicia holds Professional School Counseling Certifications in both Washington DC and Pennsylvania. She has created a college counseling program in its entirety and developed five programs focused on application workshops, parent information workshops, essay writing collaborative, peer-reviewed application activities, and financial aid literacy events.

Alicia Oglesby

Professional School Counselor

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

First, you'll definitely need to be good at organizing. You should also understand all of the components of a newspaper, and you should be a strong writer. You'll also need to be willing to reach out to other students to help with the paper, and you'll need to be comfortable working with adults.
Question

How many days a week should we meet?

Community Answer

A newspaper staff should ideally meet every day, or at least every other day, depending on the frequency of your publications.
Question

Is it appropriate to publish a magazine on a school website?

Community Answer

Of course! I think that a lot of parents and kids would find a magazine or newspaper on the school's site easy to access, and it would not be nearly as expensive as a print one. If you're a student planning to publish the magazine, you will need to talk to school authorities about this, obviously.