PAPER TRAIL
The Life Cycle
The latest catch-phrase, 'The Newspaper throughout the Life Cycle,' may serve as a big boost to youth readership
by Jim Abbott
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For many years, or many years, there have been catch phrases to describe how the newspaper can be used from cradle to grave. The latest of these seems to be “The Newspaper throughout the Life Cycle.”
Other phrases have included lifelong learning, the living textbook and future readers. It makes little difference what we call this process, but it is vitally important that we examine it closely and make those changes necessary at our newspapers to make this a reality.
Can the newspaper be used from cradle to grave? Well, almost! Preschool children used to be introduced to the newspaper by their parents. Some of my fondest childhood memories are the Sunday afternoons that I would sit in dad’s lap while he read me the Sunday comics. I made a connection between the printed product and my own enjoyment. That was an impression that lasted. (I am still an avid reader of the comics!)
The Bush administration has crafted No Child Left Behind as the centerpiece of their education program. NIE professionals around the country are learning many ways the newspaper can be used with young children. It is the perfect vehicle to reach this young audience. Reading First, a new curriculum produced by the NAA Foundation through a grant from Abitibi Consolidated, is one of many tools being used to that end.
There are several syndicated pages available to newspapers that also reach this audience. We cannot ignore this important readership group.
By middle school, our NIE programs are providing a wealth of resources to help teachers use the newspaper as a teaching tool. We have NIE programs that reach slightly more than 40 percent of all school-age children in this country.
At the high school level, both traditional NIE programs and others supported by the Youth Editorial Alliance are drawing those readers to the newspaper. Many quality youth sections are giving high school writers an audience for their work and they, in turn, are attracting more readers to the newspaper. The talent pool of young writers for many of these products is truly impressive. Within this issue of Foundation Update you will see examples of these sections.
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Some of my fondest childhood memories are the Sunday afternoons that I would sit in dad’s lap while he read me the Sunday comics. I made a connection between the printed product and my own enjoyment. |
Beyond high school, newspapers are beginning to focus on the needs of the 20-something generation. Some of these new products are separate from the parent newspaper while others have chosen to include them as special sections within the main newspaper.
Finally, changes are being made at newspapers to accommodate the change in lifestyles of the adult reader. The reduction in the number of afternoon newspapers is one response. New formats, type styles and columns continue the trend.
We are making strides toward producing a product that is truly useful throughout the life cycle. But we are just beginning. The small steps we are making now are not enough to ensure the future of the newspaper industry.
What needs to be done? First, there needs to be a solid commitment to youth readership from the top levels of management at every newspaper. This needs to go beyond lip service. Publishers need to put their money where their mouth is and make certain that NIE and YEA professionals are supported at the newspaper. This includes making space available when it is needed, providing a legitimate budget for the NIE program and the youth editor, and providing training opportunities for these professionals – including attendance at both the annual NIE and YEA conferences.
Keeping readers engaged in the newspaper throughout the life cycle is critical. It is a progression. Any break in that chain inevitably leads to a loss of readers. NIE programs are working hard to capture school-age readers, and NIE and YEA professionals are teaming up to maintain that readership through high school, college and beyond. To support readership initiatives without including NIE and YEA is foolhardy. Newspapers who choose not to encourage and develop both NIE and YEA professionals do so at their own peril. |