Developing Your School’s Publication
By Jenna Laband
The key to success in creative subjects, including journalism, is a combination of finding opportunities and developing these to go further.
Many schools/colleges have existing publications running - some more developed than others. These publications can range from purely informational (featuring local, national, international news or school-based information/events) to being more cultural, discussing a diverse range of information, pop culture, sports, etc. The best advice I can give is to find what is currently going on at your school and find your place and where you’d fit within it. For example, if your college provides a cultural magazine, show interest by joining but then seek to develop the publication.
How do you do this?
You ask yourself questions:
How frequent/consistent are the releases?
Should a schedule be made?
Is the release physical, digital, or both?
How do you want to enhance this?
What is the reader base like for the magazine?
How do you think you could help expand this?
This list is extensive but not exhaustive. Your contributions to expand the existing publications at your college will vary based on your interests and areas of expertise. Personally, I looked to develop the promotion of our magazine using social media to widen our readership. This allowed me to use my graphic design and marketing passions in alliance with my interest in literature and writing. Others in my team have focused on expanding our writing into audio form and creating a podcast. There are options for everyone. By going above and beyond within these publications and actively showing interest in development, you fit yourself perfectly within the strategic “first, best, only” framework that employers and universities seek. You're not only participating in an extracurricular but you're the FIRST person to expand on its work, or maybe you’re the ONLY person who does a certain part of the publication. The opportunities to expand are endless!
