I’m writing in response to another Ask the Recruiter column, this time about an aspiring journalist with an impressive resume coming from a small college.

In his column, Joe Grimm offers some pretty good advice to the student — on his jaw-dropping sixth internship at a daily newspaper — who seems to be having some problems breaking into a bigger daily publication.

It is unclear whether he is trying to land another internship or an actual job, but as both processes are similar, the advice (network harder, reach out to recruiters) is applicable to either.

I want to elaborate on this topic, because while I don’t have nearly the amount of internships and accolades as this student, I do come from a small school and can relate to his situation.

I come from a private college with a relatively small (but growing) Communications department and an even smaller student newspaper.

I’ve been able to turn that into a positive, though, by playing up the fact that because the school/newspaper is so small, I had to take on more roles and become more independent.

I’m obviously biased, but editors at small schools/newspapers often have to be well-rounded, resourceful and willing to take the initiative to make things happen.

However, at a small school — especially if it’s also in a small town — it can be easier to get trapped inside the campus bubble. I’ve seen many students who are so focused on school, work or campus activities that they don’t bother to do any kind of off-campus networking until they reach that oh-crap-I’m-graduating-in-two-months-what-do-I-do phase.

Now, keep in mind that the student in the Ask the Recruiter column is going after a top-size newspaper — with his credentials he could probably have landed a job at a smaller pub now.

But, if you want to be a journalist and come from a smaller school, here are some things to keep in mind:

• Break out of the bubble — Don’t let a lack of media-related events or activities on your campus hold you back. Seek out professional organizations (many have student membership prices and mentorship programs) and attend every panel, workshop and lecture you can find and talk to people while you’re there.
• Take pride in your publication — Don’t play down the low circulation or small staff of your college paper. If, as Editor-in-Chief, you were also Web Editor, Advertising Manager, Business Manager and Layout Editor, put that in your resume. Working at a small publication makes you versatile, and that’s what makes you valuable.
• Use your professors — While larger universities may have more big-name professors with industry connections, at a smaller school, the professors will actually talk to you. Set up informational interviews and see if any would be willing to advise on a project. You paid a lot of money for those small class sizes — take advantage of them.
• Go it alone — So maybe your school doesn’t offer classes in multimedia production or have the resources for a daily student newspaper. That’s ok — you can still improve your skill set and experience by starting your own blog, Internet TV show or podcast. Sure, having the support of a college or university helps tremendously, but the benefit of taking on an independent project is that you’re no longer just a student, but an entrepreneur with obvious passion and initiative.

"Im starting to feel extremely overwhelmed by all the extra work I now have to take on."

Q:

I’m the editor in chief of a college newspaper. My staff is relatively small and there are several positions that have gone unfilled. I’m having a hard time getting some members of my staff to do all of the work they have been assigned – much less take on extra work to make up for the missing staff members. Everyone complains that they are too busy with school and other obligations, and some only do certain parts of their job duties. I feel that I’m to blame because I wasn’t assertive enough in the beginning — mainly because I was so desperate for editors — but I’m starting to feel extremely overwhelmed by all the extra work I now have to take on. Firing them obviously won’t help decrease my workload, and there’s no one to replace them. How can I get my staff to start pulling their weight?

A:

It can be very frustrating when you have a staff that keeps flaking on their responsibilities, because as editor, you’re the one left putting everything together at the last minute. Chances are your staff isn’t purposefully trying to screw you over — most likely, they either have a serious morale problem or they aren’t aware of how much work there actually is to be done.

Your staff might be shirking their duties because they feel underappreciated or are losing sight of the benefits of being on staff and consider it a waste of time. Or, they may not have a firm grasp on what their job duties actually are. It just might be that your editors don’t realize everything you are taking on.

The best way to find out why this is happening is to ask them.

At your next editorial meeting, acknowledge that there is a problem, but don’t come at them in a disciplinarian way — let them guide you to the solution.

Write all the necessary tasks on the board and say something along the lines of: “I know everyone is really busy and might not be able to do everything, but here are the things that need to get done. Let’s all figure out a way to get those things done fairly. What are you comfortable doing?”

With a small staff, it should be feasible to get this done in under an hour.

By including them in the delegation process, they will feel more in control of their responsibilities, and will help to make your staff feel like a team.  Writing all the tasks out lets your editors literally see all the work there is to be done, which might be a much-needed reality check for any staff members who think the paper just magically produces itself.

If it turns out that you do have a morale problem, it’s important to address it head on. I don’t know what your exact management style is, but you might find out you’re doing some things to alienate your staff. You should also try to reemphasize all the benefits of being part of the college newspaper editorial staff (clips, work experience, writing and communication skills, having an impact on your community, etc.)

Most importantly, don’t let your frustrations get the best of you. If you’re worried about keeping your anger in check, plan in advance exactly what you want to say, that way you won’t go off-book and say something you don’t mean (or at least something you don’t want to say, even if you do mean it).

Need some advice of your own? jQuery will be a semi-regular series where I do my best to answer your questions related to all things journalism (no, not javascript libraries). Send an e-mail or use the contact form in the right sidebar. Your question may be posted on the blog, but all identities and organizations will be kept confidential.

Small newspaper, big responsibilites.

This time last year, I, along with the rest of the staff at my college newspaper, boarded a plane to San Diego, Calif., for the 2009 Associated Collegiate Press College Media Conference. Coming from a relatively small weekly newspaper, I was surprised that so many college publications have circulations that rival my hometown paper. The concept of being in college and publishing a daily newspaper was beyond my comprehension.

As a panelist for the “Publishing a College Newspaper in Tough Economic Times” discussion, I was greatly outnumbered by large, advertising-funded newspapers. However, while speaking to other conference attendees, I found that many I spoke with worked at smaller college newspapers, and could relate to the unique challenges that go along with that.

A smaller newspaper means a smaller staff, fewer resources and often the lack of a consistent standard or protocol for the publication of the newspaper. You will often have a smaller pool from which to recruit, meaning you’ll have to spend more time training and working with your section editors and reporters.

As editor of a small college newspaper, you’ll have to take on a variety of roles, and might find yourself reporting, copy editing, doing layout and working with advertisers all in one day. I’m not going to lie to you: It’s going to be rough.

My former faculty adviser would always say that it was miracle every time a newspaper made it to publication. Here are some strategies to help you make that miracle happen without losing your staff or too much of your sanity.

1. Be honest — Having an open line of communication is critical when managing a small newspaper staff. Being open with your staff about what’s going on — good or bad — promotes a sense of camaraderie in tough times. If you’re worried that editors might bail if you tell them that reduced advertising will mean smaller stipends, give them the benefit of the doubt. Your staff members will most likely respect your honesty and it may motivate them to do some extra legwork to get revenue back up.
2. Be passionate – When you put your all into something, it shows. Your staff will be more willing to take on extra duties or work extra hours if they see you doing the same. Passion is invigorating – and contagious, and may be the only thing that will keep your staff together when it’s 5 a.m. and there’s still a hole the size of the Grand Canyon on page two.
3. Delegate – The former editor at my college newspaper did his best to emphasize the importance of delegation, but it can be tough advice to follow. If you’re a perfectionist, trusting others with your precious publication may seem like insanity, but in reality it’s the only way to make it work. Decide where you’re most needed — layout, administrative, copy editing, etc. — and put the rest in the hands of your staff. If you’ve trained them well, they won’t let you down.
4. Check your frustrations – No matter how organized you are or how well-trained your staff is, there are going to be times when it just doesn’t come together. A reporter flaked, an advertiser dropped out and Quark has decided to toy with your already-delicate emotions by crashing every time you try to save. It is crucial during these times that you resist the urge to unleash a holy hell of rage on your staff. Instead, have one or two trusted confidantes that will listen to you rant without repeating what you say to others. They can help save you from an embarrassing (and not to mention morale-crushing) blowout.
5. Ask for help – Some college newspapers have very little support on campus. For campuses without a journalism program, a college newspaper may be considered little more than an extracurricular club. Still, it is important to seek outside resources that can provide advice and be someone in your corner when you encounter problems. Utilize your faculty adviser, annoy your student government liaison and reach out to professors in other departments (a business professor can be a goldmine of budget advice). You may even have to go off-campus to find a mentor, but it’s imperative that you do. While you may have to take on additional roles as the editor of a small college newspaper, it doesn’t mean you have to do it all by yourself.

What are some the unique challenges you’ve face as part of a small college newspaper staff? Any advice I might have missed?

This is the first of hopefully many Survival Guide posts to come. Is there a particular topic you want covered? Leave a comment or send me a message using the contact form in the right sidebar.

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