Nuts and Bolts
Winners reveal the strategies that helped make their programs tops in the world.
By Marina Hendricks and Jennifer Jhon
MARINA HENDRICKS
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Wendy Tribaldos talks about the multimedia approach that the NIE staff at La Prensa in Panama used to promote the newspaper among young children.
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In the session “How We Did It,” three recipients of the 2007 World Young Reader Prizes shared details about their programs.
“One needs to initiate new things to create that which is new,” said Deepti Mehra, assistant general manager at The Times of India.
The Times was named the World Young Reader Newspaper of the Year for the relaunch of its student edition, which reaches more than 2,000 schools and has achieved a peak circulation of 445,000.
Mehra said the new student edition was introduced to “devote itself exclusively to the attitudes, mindset and world views of young Indians.” Each page of the broadsheet publication for teens emphasizes interactivity, with articles by young people, teachers and parents.
The student edition offers a mix of “youth-centric” news: local, national, international and business. Two pages titled “Wassup @ School” are dedicated to school happenings. “Understanding ’Em” explores generational conflicts with input from both parents and teens. In addition, the student edition features sections on careers, science and technology, entertainment, sports and more.
The Times of India also received a World Young Reader Prize in the NIE category. The paper’s NIE program relies on a variety of methods to reach out to young readers, such as contests and “Times NIE Mindfield,” a newspaper-based teaching tool.
Through the “School Reporter” and “Star Correspondent” programs, more than 4,000 young people are invited to meet high-profile newsmakers and journalists. The “NIE Privileges” program enables young people to redeem monthly vouchers in the student edition for travel, entertainment, lifestyle and restaurant products. A “guest editor” program gives school principals, teachers and students the chance to be part of the production process for the student edition.
Other NIE activities at The Times include an idea seminar for principals, a skill enhancement program for teachers, a film festival, a splash painting competition and “School Rock,” a concert featuring student and professional bands.
Raising the bar
757: Teens Cover the Code, the teen program at The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, won a World Young Reader Prize in the editorial category. Anchored by a weekly section in the newspaper, 757 also relies on podcasts, online videos and a page on the social networking site MySpace.com to draw teen readers.
Editor Toni Guagenti said she partnered with “anyone and everyone” at the Pilot, finding co-workers who were eager to raise the bar.
Her efforts bore fruit, ranging from a 757 promotional banner to use at local events to house ads promoting 757 content. Meet-the-band and concert ticket contests were created to take advantage of 757’s reach in both print and online.
A teen editorial board and a newsroom mentoring program for future journalists were launched to augment the student staff already working on 757. The teen editorial board has even contributed pieces for the Pilot’s opinion section.
Without teamwork and creativity, “757 would still be a two-dimensional product on a sheet of paper,” Guagenti said. “We are willing to do new things, do different things and be creative to get 757 out there and into the community.”
Branding with fun
La Prensa of Panama was honored with a World Young Reader Prize in the brand category for “No Clowning Matter,” a multimedia show designed to promote the newspaper among young children.
La Prensa’s NIE staff of six put together a show that meshed newspaper elements with activities. Performers incorporated circus antics, puppetry and acting to deliver the newspaper message in various forms, such as clowns conducting a mock interview to demonstrate how reporters work. A souvenir book was created to emphasize key reading concepts using La Prensa brands, including a children’s magazine called Aprendo, as the hook.
A room at the newspaper was redecorated as a performance space so the show could be presented “on location” to foster brand loyalty. The show was promoted in editorials, ads, e-mails and stories. A local dairy company signed on as the sponsor, funding most of the program’s cost. As part of its sponsorship, the company provided product samples for kids to take home along with their souvenir books.
The program reached more than 3,000 kids from 57 schools in two months’ worth of shows. La Prensa’s executive board voted to make the program a permanent feature.
“We cannot afford to wait around until kids are 10, 11, 12, 13,” said Wendy Tribaldos, NIE Manager at La Prensa, adding that newspapers should become as familiar and welcome to children as brands like McDonald’s. “Do not wait for them to recognize the brand, but capture their attraction and loyalty now.”
Marina Hendricks is editor of NAA Foundation Update and Jennifer Jhon is youth editor/Next Generation coordinator at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale. They can be reached at 571.366.1009 or marina.hendricks@naa.org
