School Newspaper Adviser's Survival Guide Book

	Acknowledgments	iii
	About the author	iii
	About this resource	iv
Unit 1	Gaining Perspective, Gaining Control
	Focus: Your role as adviser	1
	So much to do, so little time	1
	A key to success: FOCUS	2
	Priorities and expectations	3
1-1	Priority and progress assessment	5
	Whose paper?	6
	Wanted: A staff that works	6
	What works ... works	6
1-2	Staff application	12
1-3	Application for editor and staff positions	14
	Creating a sense of teamwork and responsibility	11
1-4	Code and contract for staff members	16
1-5	Staff manual: Job descriptions	19
	Grading: The need for creative solutions	25
1-6	Reporters' special duties	26
1-7	Special duty assignment sheet	27
1-8	Portfolio contents	29
1-9	Progress report: Special duty assignments	30
1-10	Daily staff diary	32
	Defining your publication's purpose and personality	33
	Questioning your role	33
	Assess your position	33
	What is the major concern of the school newspaper?	33
1-11	Purpose and advantages of publishing a school paper	34
	Settling on size	36
	What works--what doesn't	38
1-12	How medium affects message	39
	School newspapers as a laboratory for learning	49
1-13	Dialogue box: Your chance to speak out	50
1-14	Checklist for fine-tuning your paper's coverage	52
	Students' rights ... and Hazelwood, too	54
	The need for student press freedom	54
1-15	It's the law! Hazelwood School District vs. Kuhlmeier January 13, 1988	57
1-16	The student press as public forum: Right for schools and students	60
1-17	Sample policy statement	61
	Where you fit in as adviser	59
	Successful approaches for advising without begging or threats	62
	Defining your paper's mission	62
1-18	Mission statement	64
1-19	Ground rules for reporting sensitive and controversial issues	65
	Outside and inside pressure groups	66
1-20	Controversial and sensitive issues: What course to take	67
Unit 2	Newswriting Workshop
	Good reporting: The key to good papers	71
	What makes a story newsworthy	71
	How to find "hard" news for a school paper	72
	Where stories come from	73
	School coverage	74
	Getting on the beat	74
2-1	Beat coverage of clubs	76
	Building on beats	78
2-2	Coverage form: Department chairpersons	79
	Community coverage	82
	Local concerns	83
	Community problems and possibilities	83
	Entertainment and activities	83
	Participatory journalism	84
	National and world issues	84
	Bringing the world closer	84
	Avoiding pitfalls of issue-oriented reporting	85
	Getting the issues in focus	85
	Getting good interviews	88
	Reporter guidelines	92
	Reporter guidelines: Beyond the 5W's and H	94
	Newswriting Workshops
	Newswriting workshop: Note to advisers	95
Newswriting workshop 1
	The clean, lean style of newswriting	96
	Exercises	97
Newswriting workshop 2
	Developing the newswriter's mindset	106
	Exercise	107
Newswriting workshop 3
	Focus on newswriting	108
	Exercises	110
Newswriting workshop 4
	Focus on newswriting--Using quotes correctly	117
	Exercises	118
Newswriting workshop 5
	Write it right--Obeying the rules	123
Newswriting workshop 6
	Write it right--Who's who and what's that	124
	Exercise	125
Newswriting workshop 7
	Write it right--Little words, big problems	127
	Exercise	129
Newswriting workshop 8
	Write it right--A theory of relativity	130
	Exercise	131
Newswriting workshop 9
	Write it right--Making difficult choices	133
	Exercise	134
Newswriting workshop 10
	Write it right--Words for the wise	135
	Exercises	138
Newswriting workshop 11
	News stories--Putting first things first	143
	Exercise	144
Newswriting workshop 12
	Getting a good start	146
2-3	Get the essentials in every summary lead	147
	Exercise	148
Newswriting workshop 13
	Writing the lead	150
	Exercises	152
Newswriting workshop 14
	The new newswriting	154
2-4	Organizing straight news, inverted pyramid style	155
	Exercise	156
Newswriting workshop 15
	News briefs--Sharpening your skills	159
	Exercises	160
Newswriting workshop 16
	The time is now	166
	Exercises	167
Newswriting workshop 17
	Note to advisors	171
2-5	Copy editing via symbols	173
	Exercises	174
Newswriting workshop 18
	Paragraphs in transition	176
2-6	Steps for organizing complex news stories	178
	Exercises	179
Newswriting workshop 19
	The whens, hows, and whys of using quotes	186
	Exercise	187
Newswriting workshop 20
	Choosing the sidebar route	189
Newswriting workshop 21
	Variations on the lead	190
	Exercises	193
Newswriting workshop 22
	Featuring features	203
2-7	Getting your features in focus	206
	Exercises	212
Newswriting workshop 23
	In-depth reporting--Covering all the angles	215
	Exercises	223
Newswriting workshop 24
	Original approaches to columns and humor	227
	Exercises	234
Newswriting workshop 25
	Accent on entertainment	237
	Exercises	245
Newswriting workshop 26
	Room for opinion--Editorials	248
	Exercises	255
Newswriting workshop 27
	Problem or promise--School sports writing	258
	Exercises	267
2-8	Preparation of copy	270
2-9	Tracking sheet	271
2-10	Interview evaluation request	272
2-11	Reporter's assignment sheet	273
	Newswriting workshop: Answer key	274
Unit 3	Newspaper Layout: The Sense Behind the Style
	Getting attention	283
	Choosing Style	283
	This above all: Content	284
3-3	Designing reader-friendly copy blocks	287
	Exercise	288
	Recreating a dummy	290
3-13	Guidelines for marking dummy layouts	295
	Exercise	296
	Setting attractive standards	298
	An introduction to popular type families	298
	What's in a nameplate?	301
	Laying out pages: From the beginning	303
3-14	Writing effective headlines	305
3-15	Newspaper headline schedule	306
3-16	Character count chart for writing headlines	310
	Exercises	311
3-19	Headline assignment form	314
	Refining the method	315
	A note about bad copy	315
	Exercise	316
	Page layouts: The total effect	317
3-21	Guidelines for avoiding layout pitfalls	318
	Exercise	327
	Adding advertising	330
	The pluses of advertising	330
	Making advertising an asset to layout	330
	Ad placement comes first	331
	Achieving sharp-looking advertising	331
	And then there's the business card	331
	Varying ad shapes and sizes	332
	Make it a rule	333
	Thinking like a copywriter	334
	Questioning classifieds	324
	Exercises	335
	Photography--Picturing the news	339
	The double duty of a good photograph	339
	Step one to better photography: Planning	339
	Step two: The view through the camera	340
3-39	Photo assignment sheet	341
3-40	Photo identification form	342
3-41	Guidelines for better news photos	343
	The final step: Creative cropping makes a difference	348
	Manipulating photos by computer	348
3-51	Guidelines for creative cropping	349
Unit 4	Managing to Find Time, Finding Time to Manage
	Curing financial woes	351
	Believe in the need!	351
	Sources of support	352
4-1	Ten reasons today's school newspaper is a vital tool for learning	353
	Setting your goals	354
	Mounting your advertising campaign	359
	Launching your campaign	362
	Getting started	363
4-7	Letter to potential advertisers	368
4-8	Request letter to past advertisers	369
4-9	End-of-year thank-you for support	370
4-10	Advertising contract	371
4-11	Invoice	372
	Organizing the school newsroom	373
	Creating a system within a system	373
	Dealing with space	373
	Preparing for action	373
	Keeping kids posted	374
	Space of their own	374
	Planning ahead with forms and files	375
	Contribute to recycling	375
	File as much as you can by computer	375
	Count on the computer--Keep it organized	375
	Make your space work-oriented	376
	Shortcuts worth taking	376
	Adopt a 'no excuses' policy	376
	Organizing for efficient computing	377
	Direct your--and your students'--energies	377
	Assess your true needs	377
	Learn by doing	380
4-12	Glossary of keyboard shortcuts for computer commands	381
4-13	Glossary of shortcuts for keyboard-generated icons	382
	Making a good paper better	383
	Assess your own progress	383
4-14	Self-checking critique: 100 points for judging school papers	384
	More than 50 hints for every phase of publication	390
	Appendices
Appendix 1	Glossaries for Desktop Publishing and Journalism	395
Appendix 2	Style manual	399
Appendix 3	Ideas for stories, ads, money raisers	404
Appendix 4	Resources for additional information and support	407