5 Noteworthy Ideas From #ACPLA

I love conferences, probably because I’m a huge nerd. I enjoy learning. It’s just such a great feeling to know you’re learning from experts and you can pass their knowledge on to others.

See? I told you I was a nerd.

I spent part of last week at the Associated Collegiate Press Midwinter College Journalism Convention in Los Angeles. I caught up with friends and meet some amazing students at the convention. I also gathered five noteworthy ideas that I hope you will find helpful.

Take the temp

Laura York Guy, adviser of GC3 Student Media, advised student leaders to have staff members use a weather term to explain in writing their perceptions of the current climate in the newsroom. Reading this anonymous feedback can help student editors get a better idea of what staffers think about student media life and identify areas in need of improvement.

Find benchmarks

Mark Witherspoon, adviser of the Iowa State Daily, told students that they needed to find other newspapers that are better than them and study what they’re doing. He said editors should ask:

“How will your paper get to where you want it to be based on where your peers are?”

Witherspoon encouraged editors to use the answers to this question to guide strategic planning.

Market your publication

Paul Bittick, general manager of the Mustang Daily, gave students advice on marketing their publications to increase distribution and readership. He encouraged students to pay attention to what stories are in the papers that are picked up most, host events and contests to increase readership, include puzzles in the paper, diversify coverage, create special editions, distribute an annual readership survey, and focus on designing Page 1 with content that people really want to read.

Seek out readers

Marc Duvoisin, managing editor of the Los Angeles Times, assured students that journalism is important and more sought after than ever before. Journalism also reaches more people than ever before, Duvoisin said. At the same time, he said journalists must focus on the content that only they can provide. He also said journalists need to learn how to develop a following and promote their content via social media because it’s now the journalists’ job to find the readers, not vice versa.

Do no harm (to yourself too)

Reporters Greg Lee (abc7) and Ryan Hagen (The San Bernardino Sun) spoke about their experiences reporting on the Dec. 2 murder of 14 people at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino. The reporters urged students to focus on the facts and humanity when covering traumatic events. They also encouraged student journalists to remember they are human and not be afraid to seek help if they are suffering emotionally after covering difficult stories.

These are just a few of the noteworthy ideas I took from ACP’s conference in LA. I’m sure those of you who were at the conference learned many other things too. I hope you brought those things back to your staff and helped them learn from your experience, as well.

Dr. Kenna Griffin is an assistant professor of mass communications and director of student publications at Oklahoma City University. She is the author of the Prof KRG blog, which serves as a practical resource for student journalists. She is a journalist, reader, shoe lover, wife, mother of two, and the spoiler of a couple of adorable dogs.