What student editors are excited about this fall
Print comeback. Centennials celebration. Newsreels.
The Nutgraf is back… with its first online panel Sept. 18.
The “Beyond College Journalism: Post-Grad Life” webinar will feature four young journalists based in California, Texas, North Carolina and New York City. See details below.
To mark the beginning of the academic year, I reached out to editors-in-chief at different college newspapers asking what they were excited about. Here’s what some told me:
📰 Sofia De La Espriella of the University Press at Florida Atlantic University: “We have the big challenge of bringing print back after more than one year of not having it while — for the first time in the paper’s history, building an Instagram account as part of our journalistic content creation.”
The paper is keeping an eye on its presidential search after the process was suspended for almost a year, she said
Finding best practices to cover campus dynamics amid hot-button political issues in Florida and the 2024 election.
“It’s a challenge, but one that I embrace wholeheartedly,” the editor said.
💯 Abigail Turner of The Eagle at American University: “This academic year, our paper celebrates its 100th anniversary. Some of our big goals to mark this milestone include hosting campus-wide events, reconnecting alumni with the paper, raising donations to pay our staff for their hard work and more.”
Turner said she will prioritize in-person interviews and opportunities for the campus community to meet with journalists informally.
📹 Matthew Schmitz of The Northern Light at the University of Alaska: “We have a new process to produce short news videos, which I’m calling newsreels. There are staff positions, a script template and editing process all created around this.”
“Visually interesting” newsreels consist of b-rolls and narration, so only minimum copy editing is required.
“Everything is geared toward simplicity,” he said.
Beyond College Journalism: Post-Grad Life
For me, I’m looking forward to The Nutgraf’s first online event.
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.
📅: Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 5-6 p.m. ET
Story Spotlight:
One story worth reading from The Independent Florida Alligator: Former University of Florida president channeled millions to GOP allies, secretive contracts. A student journalist uncovered how former Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse’s spending during his UF presidency went up to $17.3 million — compared to only $5.6 million by his predecessor.
The report prompted a state government’s call for a probe, a long response from Sasse and more stories in national outlets.
ICYMI During Summer:
Investigative report by student journalists reveals systemic flaw in federal campaign finance (The Reynolds Center for Business Journalism): Arizona State University students’ investigation revealed how elected officials might be taking advantage of a loophole in campaign finance law — and the repeated calls from federal agencies to close it up.
Meet the student journalists who report on Florida’s most influential and powerful elected officials (Poynter): They follow the money. They take the time to read mortgage documents and other public records. They scrutinize what public officials say to hold them accountable.
Kansas school board’s spyware renewal leaves student journalists’ concerns unresolved (Kansas Reflector): The editors’ concerns centered around constitutional protections for freedom of speech, specifically school newspapers, and unreasonable searches and seizures for all students.
The State News wins FOIA lawsuit against Michigan State (The State News): The lawsuit was after the MSU president “disagreed” with the fact that the redacted names of employees in investigation reports were needed for the paper’s reporting.
How students are bringing new perspectives to 2024 election coverage (Current): Students from 15 states and Puerto Rico are reporting stories and collaborating to produce a special seven-episode season of On Our Minds, Student Reporting Labs’ teen life and wellbeing podcast.
Illinois student journalists get firsthand experience at the DNC (WGN News): They say it's never too early to learn a craft. Eyeshuh Khan is experiencing it firsthand by practicing journalism at the Democratic National Convention.
NYC elected officials push for student newspapers at every high school (Gothamist): Only 7% of 100 non-charter public high schools with the highest poverty rates had student newspapers, while schools with high percentages of Black and Hispanic students were less likely to have a campus publication, a report finds.
Student journos react to Trump at NABJ (Associated Press): Here’s what student journalists in attendance thought of the NABJ interview that quickly turned hostile.
Deploying student journalists to help local ‘news deserts’ (Inside Higher Ed): The University of Vermont’s Center for Community News supports efforts to re-energize local news coverage in underserved regions in the state and beyond.
Knight Foundation commits $1.2 million as SPLC evolves to meet student journalists’ expanding role (Student Press Law Center): The group will expand its pro bono legal support for thousands of student journalists who are increasingly filling the gaps in local news for millions of Americans.
Featured Opportunities:
Chalkbeat’s 2024-25 Student Voices Fellowship applications are live for high schoolers in New York City and Detroit. Deadline’s Aug. 30.
The Chicago Tribune is looking for a full-time intern for spring 2025. Apply before Aug. 30.
Hearst Connecticut is looking for an audience producer intern.
NBC Connecticut is looking for a political focus producer intern for the academic year.
The Denver Post is looking for a breaking news intern.
NPR is looking for an Inaugural Petra Mayer Memorial Fellow for its Arts and Culture Hub.
Youthcast Media Group accepts applications from high school students for its introductory-level journalism boot camp until Sept. 1.
College juniors and seniors can apply to ProPublica’s year-long Emerging Reporters Program before Sept. 3.
Early bird registration for the National College Media Convention in New Orleans is open until Oct. 8. The convention takes place Oct. 30 - Nov. 2.
I want to hear from you: What are you looking forward to this fall? Is your student publication doing something cool that you’d like to share? Reach me at nutgrafnews@gmail.com. I will respond! Also, please share.