Joining the school newspaper can be a fantastic opportunity to showcase your writing skills and creativity. It’s a platform where you can bring your words to life through engaging articles and stories. Plus, it’s a great way to work on communication skills and social work.

There are two categories for journalists in the KHS Newspaper: Editor and Staff Writer.

Writers are responsible for the majority of written content in the newspaper. They research and pitch story ideas, interview sources, and write articles that are then included in the school paper.

An Editor has the same task as writers in addition to editing. Editors are the overseers; they ensure that the publication is of the highest caliber. They are responsible for developing concepts for new articles, approving article ideas, and editing finished works to ensure they are flawless, well-written, and free of spelling and grammar mistakes.

Often, writing for the school newspaper takes a significant amount of time. As a result of spending so much time together on the job, you and your staff of journalists frequently become good friends and even family. “Mrs.Bates is always there for us anytime we need her”, said junior Makenzie Marshall.

In the Mirror Newspaper at KHS, we celebrate the big things as well as the little ones. One of our favorite celebrations is Cookie Day. Every month, we honor students who have birthdays during the month. Everyone receives a cookie to celebrate. We also have pizza work nights and cereal work nights where we can chit-chat, work, write, and edit pages. “We provide information on stories that interest our readers, but more than that we are writers who get to write about what we’re excited about. I think that newspaper helps students not only grow as writers and thinkers but also as communicators in general. Being in the halls, talking to people interviewing. All of those skills get better. It’s also a great place if you have a busy schedule because Newspaper is a place where we work hard but we don’t work hard all the time. That sounds bad, but what I mean is if you have a test to study for is a family environment”, said Amy Bates.

 Being a journalist, even just for a high school newspaper, also introduces you to many people as you research for stories. If you work on your paper for a while, you will probably meet a lot of new individuals in your community and school.

Interviews can initially be the most nerve-wracking experience you have ever had. You’re supposed to strike up conversations with strangers you encounter at events or reach out to random people when covering a topic. Acquiring quotes for a piece is crucial to the validity and precision of your reporting. 

You go out to sports games, fine arts events, community events, etc. You get quotes from the members participating in these organizations and take pictures of the activities happening. By doing this, you’ll make A LOT of new friends. “I love newspaper because you get to choose what you write. You also get to take pictures around the school and off campus”, said sophomore Breleigh Warlick.

The Mirror Staff travels off campus to schools in our district to talk to grades below us and provide some of our work to view and be appreciated. “Being able to go off campus during class is a fun privilege. We get to do things like delivering papers, selling ads, etc. It gives us a sense of responsibility and independence. I enjoy going off campus mostly for the occasional stop for a snack”, said junior Leslie Smith.

Newspaper isn’t just a good way to touch up on your communication skills though. It’s also a fantastic extracurricular. 

You’re always busy with newspaper, whether you think about it or not. There is always a story to cover. Always action happening around you. You’re involved in the school and community, you provide others recognition as well as yourself. You get to travel, learn, speak, teach, etc. There are so many different things that newspaper introduces you to.

It also helps you develop a portfolio. The newspaper will provide you with numerous work samples that you may present to prospective employers and schools, making it an excellent extracurricular activity. Additionally, these pieces offer verifiable proof of the work you completed for the newspaper.

Participating in newspaper exposes you to all of these work-related components. If you want to pursue a career in journalism, the best way to learn is through practical experience. Many students who enjoy writing aspire to work in journalism, but many soon discover it’s not for them after seeing the day-to-day operations of the industry. If you think journalism is a good fit for you, joining your school newspaper might help you get started early.