PITCH IDEAS
Each staff member is responsible for coming up with several ideas to pitch to the editors during a “News Tips” meeting. Pitch in order of seniority – by grade level, then returning staff members, then by birthday if it gets touchy who goes next.
All staff members need to fill out the worksheet to have backup ideas in case someone pitched the same idea before they did. It is also an easy daily grade.
The editors lead the discussion and adviser oversees to ensure adequate and balanced coverage for local, school, and world news, features, editorials and sports.
PLAN THE ISSUE
The editors work together to organize the issue. They map out a plan that includes the front cover, advertising space, and a page/spread for each article.
(Yes, “ladder” is technically a yearbook term, but we use it for our newspaper page plan, too! It makes sense, right??)
GET TO WRITING
When it’s time to actually sit down and write an article, it takes a little structure to get kids to understand the format. A worksheet like this can help to refresh their memory and guide their thought process.
