You could say, “I’m really interested in journalism, and I’ve noticed we don’t have a school newspaper. I’d like to start one. Would you consider being the sponsor?” In some schools, you may be required to have a sponsor to start something like a newspaper.
Even if you do find a sponsor, you’ll still likely need to go talk to the head of the school, but your sponsor should come with you. Set up a formal appointment with the principal or vice principal by talking with the administrative office. You could say, “I have a strong interest in journalism, and I’d like to start a school paper. How do I get started?”
Don’t just ask your friends. You want diversity on your staff. Ask people from different groups, organizations, and cliques, so your paper will represent your school better.
You may be able to gain revenue for the newspaper by selling ads to local retailers. Set aside certain sections of the paper, then determine how much you want to sell ads for. Approach or call local businesses to see if they’d be willing to pay to advertise. You can also ask the school for money, but budgets are often tight. If that doesn’t work, consider approaching the PTA/PTO. They might hold a fundraiser for you. Alternatively, you could run your own fundraiser, such as a bake sale or car wash.
Your audience also helps you determine your format. If you just have a small audience, you probably want an easy electronic format, such as a blog.
You could also create a newspaper distributed through a blog service, such as Blogger or WordPress. An electronic newspaper is a great way to save money. Plus, you can easily update it as much as you want. Also, you don’t have to waste time running to the printers or printing the paper off yourself. To promote your electronic paper, consider printing out promotional fliers. You can have a web address, or you could even use a QR code so students could access it.
For instance, maybe your school has a heavy focus on academics and the arts. You could have sections such as news, features, arts, and editorials. If you’re going for a print paper, keep in mind that the longer your paper is, the more expensive it’s going to be. You may want to include a section with little snippets of news, an area where you can write anecdotal tidbits that don’t warrant a full article. You can always start smaller. You can always work up to a bigger newspaper later. In fact, you can just stick to one section to begin with, such as news.
Eventually, you may want to move to once or twice a month.
For instance, one person could cover sports, while another covers entertainment. Often, the faculty sponsor will act as one of the editors. Also, the teacher will likely be the one to hand out the jobs.
You can even use your smartphone to record interviews. Just remember to always get consent from the person before you record them. If you’re writing an article about the school, get other students’ opinions. Talk to as many people as you can to get quotes. Try asking around at lunch or after school.
Your first paragraph is called the lead. It should give readers the basic information, including what you decided was most important. Once you’ve established the major facts, you can provide supporting details in the following paragraphs. [11] X Research source
For instance, “There are many reasons that she ate pie,” is in passive voice. To switch to active voice, find the subject who’s doing the action, “she” in this case, and switch the sentence around: “She ate pie for many reasons. " Also, the main verb in the sentence is now an action verb instead of a being verb.
Look for a good lead upfront that lets the reader know what’s going on. Also, make sure the writer follows up with clear details. [13] X Research source Try letting a student edit them first, and then run them by your faculty sponsor. Don’t forget to add a snazzy headline.
For print editions, you may want to have stacks of newspapers all around the school that kids can pick up.
You should also be reading other papers. Try reading your local paper, for instance. Reading newspapers helps you learn the journalistic style.
The goal of your paper should be to help build a community at your school. Be as inclusive as you can.
