Starting a school newspaper can be a huge deal. It takes a lot of work and planning but if the necessary steps are taken in the initial stage, it can be well worth it. The school newspaper gives students an avenue to air their opinions and serves as a source of information and entertainment. Here are some helpful steps that you can follow when planning to start an original school newspaper.
Get the authorization of the school
No matter how pure your intentions are and how beneficial the newspaper promises to be, if you do not get permission from the school authority before starting out your project, there would be pushback. Since the newspaper is to be affiliated with the school, you need to get the go-ahead from whoever is in charge. If possible, ask for a room that you can use for meetings and other editorial issues.
Build an editorial team
Establishing a school newspaper is not a one-man task. You will need to build a reliable team who has the same vision for the paper as you. To do this, you can ask a teacher who is familiar with newspaper publishing to help you in overseeing the interview process or you can simply ask for volunteers and try to establish a team that way. This team should include people with different skills like a photographer, graphic designer, cartoonist, staff writers and so on. You want to form an editorial team that would be free for the writer to express thoughts creatively.
Pick a design software
The design software that is used when structuring a newspaper is very important. This will impact the readability of the paper as a whole. You don’t want to put in so much work on a newspaper that no one will be able to read. When creating a newspaper, you have to settle on a newspaper print that is original and legible. You have to use designs that are catchy but not in an offensive or jarring way.
Fundraising for your newspaper
Money is a very important factor in any publishing establishment. You have to figure out how you will keep the newspaper running and the way to do this is to make a sustainable fundraising plan. You may want to do a fundraising sale, reach out to sponsors or sell ad spaces in your newspaper. Some schools also have budgets to the school newspaper, so make sure to ask.
Decide how many issues
This is another important decision you have to make as you are establishing the newspaper. You have to take time and money into consideration when deciding how many issues to publish in a year. Everyone on the team has school work and other important engagements. Be mindful of these factors when making your decision.
Deciding to establish a newspaper is a worthy task. It teaches discipline, commitment and helps to sharpen writing, editing and organization skills. It can also be a great way to explore your interests in editorial publishing. Hopefully, with these tips, you have gotten a clearer picture of what it takes to establish a school newspaper.