Convergent Media: REinventing the high school newsroom

REinventing the high school newsroom

RE organize staffs

All Media Staffs Must Merge

Newspaper Photo

Yearbook Video/Broadcast

Radio

Editor-in-Chief

Newspaper Yearbook Visual Business

Section Editors News, Feature, Sports,

Entertainment, Personalities

Coordinators Newspaper,

Yearbook, DVD, Web

Ad Manager

Marketing Mgr

Sales Mgr

Staff Reporters

RE brand yourself

Your staff/publication should be Noticed Create a Logo and Brand yourself

Pens, Magnets, Lanyards, Cups, Window Stickers

RE learn how to write stories

How an Convergent Story looks Attend Event: Twitter Updates, Shoot Photos/Video

After Event: Post a Brief Online The Next Day: Write a News Story for Web

Soon Thereafter: Create Podcast or Sound Slide The Next Week: Gather a news package for Web/Print

Afterwards: Change to Past Tense for YB

RE locate yourself

Convergent Program Must Utilize Social Media Outlets Create a Student Media Twitter Account

Create a Fan Page in Facebook Create a MySpace Group

Create YouTube, School Tube & Vimeo account Use Issuu for interactive PDFs of Print Editon

Convergent Program Must Have a Web Presence A Media Web Site Should Include:

News Sports Briefs

Print Edition Yearbook Ordering

Video/Photos Interactive (comments, up/downloads, polls)

Yearbook Sales/Supplement Blogs

Updates Daily

Convergent Program Must Have a Web Presence

If You’re Not Breaking News, You’re Not an Online

Newspaper!

RE save your staff ’s works

A Convergent Program Must Run Smoothly Use tools to keep your staff together

Google Docs newsroomdirector.com

Staff Website Wiki Space

RE print materials

Why Keep your Print Editions? Yearbook: It never outdates!

Not Everyone Has a Computer Creates More Ad Revenue

Hard Copies are Important for Historic Reasons Design Skills (which can be lost in Web Publications)

Print Copies Publicize/Promote your Web Edition Print Editions can be Read Anywhere

They are still liked by High School Students

RE think coverage and writing

News/Editorial/Sports Sections • Brainstorm and write DAILY! • Listen, Ask, Follow Up on EVERYTHING • Every Staff Member is assigned a BEAT • Weekly Meeting with Principal • Use District’s PR/COMMUNICATION team • Follow up on RUMORS • Read/Analyze LOCAL news outlets • Utilize VIDEO for stories

Feature Section • Each Staff Member has a FEATURE PACKAGE due each 6-Weeks • PHOTOS and SECONDARY COVERAGE must be included • SCHEDULE the 12 best to POST the next 6 Weeks • Save ONE or TWO for the PRINT EDITION • Use some for the YEARBOOK

Entertainment Section • Find a FEATURED COLUMNIST to write each week • Post REVIEWS each week • SUGGEST things in the community (picks) • Showcase talents of STUDENTS (personalities) • Update WEEKLY

Blogs •  Each student must BLOG once a six-weeks •  ORGANIZE blogs (community, school, sports, etc)

The POWER of Video • At least TWO videos should post each week • Use VIDEO for stories where writing is difficult • FIND things to discuss (Hall Walking) • Always be a professional REPORTER

Filler Assign TWO fillers each 6-Weeks to every staff member

• Personality Profile/Athlete Profile • Where you there? • Link Up (list of links on the web) • Students are Talking • Faculty Spotlight • That’s What She/He said • This one time at…

(store in a library to post when the site is stale)

Reader Needs Ownership • Comments on stories • Letter to the Editor • Upload stories/videos/projects

RE grade students’ work

6-Week Grades News Story 20 points

*Feature Story 25 Points Editorial 15 Points

Blog 10 Points * Personality/Sports Profile 10 Points

* Filler 5 Points Podcast 10 Points

(a story a week) *required each six-weeks

RE learn your reader

Know how/what your reader reads • Google analytics • Have Staff post in social media outlets • Track how many hits per story • Weekly “unique users” chart

Leland Mallett Mansfield Legacy High School

mallett@therideronline.com