1. REinventing the high school newsroom

2. RE
organize
staffs

3. All Media Staffs Must Merge
Newspaper
Photo
Yearbook
Video/Broadcast
Radio

4. Editor-in-Chief
Newspaper Yearbook Visual Business
Section Editors Coordinators
Staff Reporters

5. RE
brand
yourself

6. Your staff/publication should be Noticed
Create a Logo and Brand yourself
Pens, Magnets, Lanyards, Cups, Window Stickers

7. RE
learn
how to write stories

8. 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

9. RE
locate
yourself

10. 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

11. 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

12. Convergent Program Must Have a Web Presence
If You’re Not Breaking
News, You’re Not an Online
Newspaper!

13. RE
save
your staff’s works

14. A Convergent Program Must Run Smoothly
Use tools to keep your staff together
Google Docs
newsroomdirector.com
Staff Website
Wiki Space

15. RE
print materials

16. 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

17. RE
think coverage and writing

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

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

22. 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

23. 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)

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

25. RE
grade
students’ work

26. 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

27. RE
learn
your reader

28. 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

29. Leland Mallett
Mansfield Legacy High School
mallett@therideronline.com