What to expect from newspaper class

By Bethany Harker


I spent the past three years on the newspaper staff. These people have blessed me with many memories and have encouraged me to grow as a person. My favorite newspaper year was my first year, as a sophomore. The class had thirty plus people and the advisor was overwhelmed by students and news, but the people in the class made it fun and exciting, and there was never a dull moment.

That said, here’s what I think you should know about newspaper class.

There will be work. Maybe not homework, but you’ll be expected to work every day in the class and be held responsible for your own actions and story assignments.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions about your story from the class advisor, friends, or an internet source. Asking questions means you’re thinking about your story, and you have to start somewhere, right?

Write about what you know because you’ll enjoy your story a lot more if you know the subject or it interests you. But on the other hand, you will be asked to write stories out of your comfort zone. Don’t be intimidated by this. Just go into it like you have been doing this for a long time. By doing these types of stories, you may learn something about someone, a sport, or event that you may have not known before.

Be professional. Nobody likes being interviewed by someone that acts like an idiot or is so unorganized, which means you are just being lazy, so get off your butt and get to work. Work never hurt anybody, and it builds character, and you’ll need that character later on in life.