Story ideas for your college newspaper during syllabus week
From protest policies to election coverage — here's your guide to top stories for fall 2024
I’ll admit it: I didn’t have a story lined up for this week. I needed a few ideas.
Then I realized you’re probably in the same boat, looking for things to write about. So, here’s a story about story ideas.
I scanned a bunch of newspapers over the past few weeks to see what’s being covered at various campuses.
Here are some quick-turnaround stories you might consider for your paper:
✊ Protest follow-up
Last semester ended with demonstrations on campuses nationwide, calling for Israel-related divestments and resulting in arrests, police crackdowns, resignations, disciplinary actions and expulsions. As protests resume, consider these angles:
New protest, speech rules: Some public universities in Virginia and California have them. Investigate the decision-making process (maybe FOIA email correspondence between officials) and find out how students feel.
Consequences for student protesters: The Daily Texan reported the University of Texas at Austin is upholding sanctions against pro-Palestine protesters, while The Columbia Spectator reported that the Manhattan DA’s office dismissed cases against protesters.
Costs of police crackdowns: Check out these stories from The Independent and The Intercept about Los Angeles and New York City police.
Other potential stories include administration responses to divestment petitions, student government’s actions and repeated suspensions of the Student for Justice in Palestine chapters.
🗳️ 2024 elections
It’s a big year for political writers, with just 63 until Nov. 5. A lot happened this summer, including a nominee swap and an attempted assassination. Beyond student reactions, consider these:
Local and state election guides: In a news desert? Become the local news source, providing information on candidates and issues. See examples from the Washington State Standard, Delaware Online and Axios.
Faculty and staff donations: Check campaign contributions on the FEC database. It's a fun story to dig into — like the one I did for The Quinnipiac Chronicle in 2021. See similar stories from The Daily Pennsylvanian and The Cornell Daily Sun from previous years.
Campaign spending: Use FEC spending disclosures. Put your city and state. You might discover that Conor O'Callaghan’s campaign for a U.S. House seat spent $110.15 at a pizzeria in Scottsdale, Arizona, April 10 or that the Republican Assembly Indiana Southwest bought “8 ribs; 1 package of Chicken” for $163.40 from Sam’s Club in Evansville, Illinois.
Other potential stories include young voter turnout, voter registration and on-campus polling locations.
Give me some story ideas: Is your publication doing something cool this year that you’d like to share? How might you approach covering these topics? Reach me at nutgrafnews@gmail.com.
📋 Local city politics
Expanding your coverage beyond campus can help you reach a broader audience. Here are some ideas:
New laws affecting students: Many states have laws that took effect over the summer. For example, The Post at Ohio University covered the beginning of recreational marijuana sales, and The Miami Hurricane at the University of Miami did an explainer on Florida’s political climate.
Local proposals impacting your school: Review city council agendas for relevant proposals. The Pipe Dream at Binghamton University covered a mayor's zoning reform proposal aimed at addressing a housing crisis.
👷 Construction projects
Schools often undergo construction or renovation during the summer. Cover the progress, any delays and how they impact your community. Check out The Northwest Missourian and The Arkansas Traveler on this.
No construction? Look into future plans through your school’s master plan or building applications filed with local authorities.
🍴 Business feature
Highlighting businesses, whether on- or off-campus, is always popular. These stories showcase your community’s character. Check out The Daily Lobo’s feature on a tea party venue and The Daily Beacon’s piece on new dining hall restaurants.
🧭 Guides for new students
Being a freshman is tough. Help them out with guides on resources, housing, culture, events, sports schedules or even the best dorms. I found many good examples from The Hoya, The Daily Toreador, The Beacon and The Shorthorn.
⚖️ Lawsuits
Is your school being sued? Search state and federal court databases to see if anything comes up. I do this regularly for fun. You might also find updates on unresolved cases.
For instance, I just found a class action lawsuit against The New School, where I am now, seeking a tuition refund from the COVID-19 shutdown. It hasn’t been covered yet — should I text The New School Free Press? 👀
📅 Mark Your Calendar:
Join this webinar to hear how college journalism prepared these young journalists for their first jobs/internships. Please share it with your network! Register here.
When? Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 5-6 p.m. ET
Story Spotlight:
I saw a lot of editorials and letters from the editor in the first week of class, with new leadership outlining their goals. Here are a few worth reading:
Student protest coverage tests journalistic freedom at CSU, beyond (The Rocky Mountain Collegian): Protests are a uniquely difficult thing to cover. There’s a rare sort of power subscribed to standing in the middle of so much human energy and being calm. We exist between the reality of our surroundings and the potential of our coverage.
You can count on us (Technician): North Carolina State had a monumental year, for better or for worse, and our staff did what they always do — reported the news. But our reporters didn’t merely stumble upon big issues on campus, they ran toward those stories with the hunger and drive that great journalism requires.
Students behind bylines (The Daily Targum): The expectation that student publications should operate with the same efficiency and scope as established, professional outlets like The New York Times is not only unrealistic but also unfair.
Featured Opportunities:
The SPJ is hosting a panel on AI and election coverage Sept. 4.
WUMN (Milwaukee) is hiring an Eric Von Fellow to work for a year. Deadline’s Sept. 4.
SPJ 8 & 12 Regional Conference in New Orleans is Sept. 13-14. Register here.
The Latino Newsletter/New England Public Media is seeking a high school student intern for its Latino Election Project.
Detroit Public Media is looking for a social media intern.
PBS NewsHour is looking for a communication intern and a production intern for its Student Reporting Labs.
Newsday is looking for a social media intern to be based in Melville, New York.
Technical.ly is looking for a social media intern with a preference for applicants in Baltimore, D.C., Delaware, Philly and Pittsburgh.
Application submission for WBUR’s year-long news fellowship closes Sept. 27.