High school newspapers are going online — how about yours?
For a little online inspiration, check out the National Scholastic Press Association’s Online Pacemakers. NSPA gives its highest honor, The Pacemaker Award, to student online publications based on the following criteria: design, navigation, writing/editing, graphics, and interactivity.
The judges had this to say about the finalists: “The best online entries had a few things in common. They effectively used multimedia (videos, photos, blogs) as a storytelling tool. They allowed users to comment on the sites. The pages were well organized. Their writing and photography stood out far above the rest.”
From the 2008 winners, I chose a favorite: the Granite Hills Grizzly Gazette, put out by students at Granite Hills High School in Porterville, Calif.
What I like about the Gazette:
- 100 percent student designed, written, and managed
- site is updated daily, including a student blog
- well organized and easily navigated
- designed using Dreamweaver instead of a generic template
- interactive features: sidebar with student surveys, letters to the editor posted online
- bright photography that attracts visitors without distracting them
- campus news as well as coverage of global issues
Will your high school’s online publication be a Pacemaker this year?
