Do Something New: Writing for the Newspaper 

This will be part of a series of columns about how to get started with a new activity. Many students have discussed feeling like social skills are a little rusty following a year of virtual learning, and this column is aimed at helping people ease back into the habit of discovering new hobbies. 

So, you want to start writing for the newspaper; here are some tips on how you can start. I joined the newspaper club and enjoyed it, so this first column will focus on that experience. First of all, you might want to come to our club in room A233 Tuesdays on gold block and Thursdays on Black block. Club members share new ideas and motivation to write strong articles and have writing conferences with editors-in-chief, Caitlin Alexander and Ryley Douglass, managing editors Anna Porter and Jenelle Thomas, and with our staff advisor, Mrs. Audrey Ruoff. 

The first thing you need to do to write an article is to get ideas. Come up with something that you’re interested in and you think other people will be as well. Something like sports, movies or music but don’t be afraid to get creative, you can really do anything you want. If you attend a club, student editors will help you brainstorm ideas. 

After you get your idea you need to research your topic, gather all the information that you will need for your article. This is also the time to get any interviews if you need them, remember to have a list of questions ready for the interview. Don’t forget to cite any sources you use in the final paper.

The next thing you will need to do is put the ideas down on paper. I usually start with an opener that grabs the reader’s attention and explains what the article will be about. If you’re doing an opinion piece, this is where you will give your points and/or opinions about the topic. The last thing you should add is a closing sentence, this should just be a very quick restating of what you wrote. 

The last thing you will need to do to get that article published is to edit it. This is the time to fix any grammatical errors, take out anything unnecessary, and spice up that word choice. While you can just send it to one of the club editors, I usually like to go over it a few times by myself to make sure I’m happy with it. After sending it in all you need to do is wait for it to be published

So if you’ve ever thought about writing for the school newspaper, this is your call to start. newspaper is a fun place to let your creativity and interest shine so go and make the best articles you can. 

I will be exploring different clubs and interests this year, so feel free to comment if you have a club or hobby I should look into.