From The Top
Wise Words
Teens may know best when it comes to ways of reaching out to young readers.
When teen journalists are asked why their peers don’t read newspapers, answers like these are common:
“Every teen has had an adult trivialize, discard or just plain ignore his or her opinion at some point. Parents, teachers and other authority figures are always right.”
“One of the reasons teens don’t read newspapers is that they are only in them if they are star athletes or criminals.”
However, young journalists also say the best way to draw their peers into the newspaper is by offering teen-produced content laced with plenty of teen input:
“By showing them that this section cares about teens’ opinions on all topics, the young readers will develop a sense of loyalty to the publication. It also will satisfy their curiosity about how their peers feel about a subject that they haven’t yet made up their own minds on.”
These comments from participants in the Youth Editorial Alliance [ YEA] Teen Fellowship Program illustrate the value of reaching out to young people, both as readers and as writers, photographers, illustrators and Web site designers. Since 1997, the NAA Foundation has sponsored the fellowship program to bring teens affiliated with youth sections across the country to the YEA Conference.
While there, the teens work nonstop for two days to put together a presentation for the adult editors. The presentation, which features the teen fellows’ ideas and suggestions on the “ideal” youth product, is annually considered to be the highlight of the YEA Conference.
As the 2004 teen fellows observed, “Giving teens an outlet … is crucial to building a solid readership base.”
Nevertheless, teen journalists also believe they should not be held to a lesser standard.
“Teen sections deserve good writing,” the 2005 fellows emphasized. “Sloppy writing and boring concepts deserve a swift demise. If teen photographers are unable to … convey the attitude of the story, turn to the professionals and have them work in concert with teens. A focus on quality of teen input, rather than on teen input regardless of quality, is critical.”
Even things as simple as headshots of teen writers go a long way toward attracting and retaining young readers.
“Teens can glance at the photos and quickly identify that one of their own is on the page, and then soon after learn that the entire section is produced by their peers,” the 2004 fellows said.
Above all, they want newspapers to give them something they can’t get anywhere else.
“There are so many ways to find out what’s going on in the country besides a local paper,” the 2004 fellows said. “To get teens to read, localize news and put things in a way to make [them] important to them. … Teens long for their own identity and will respond more favorably if they can see that this is not like the rest of the newspaper.”
Sincerely,
Margaret Vassilikos
Senior Vice President/Chief Financial Officer
NAA and NAA Foundation
(703) 902-1629
vassm@naa.org
