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.

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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You have the press badge - but what to put on it?

The editors over at The Chronicle — the College of Saint Rose student newspaper where I served as a staff writer and Executive Editor for a few years — are currently considering a name change to coincide with changes being made to the Saint Rose Communications Department.

Deciding on a name for anything is usually a difficult task. Whether it’s your first-born or even just your fantasy football team, it’s easy to get caught up in a whirlwind of options. Names are so intrinsically tied to identity. Choose the wrong one, and it invokes all the wrong connotations for your product/publication/child. (Just think about the recent iPad debacle).

Names for publications generally encompass two things: the audience, and the purpose.

For newspapers, the audience aspect is usually location-based. The purpose portion, however, require some self-analysis.

What kind of publication do you want to produce? Do you plan to chronicle or record the happenings of your city or school? Are you going to ask the tough questions or sound the alarm to corruption? Or, is it more important that you be a voice for your audience and cover a wide spectrum of topics and ideas?

It’s imperative that you be confident in the identity and mission of your publication before deciding on a name. Really, you should already have these principles in place and written in an official mission statement or staff manual, but with the high turnover at college newspapers this can often get lost in the shuffle.

After the jump are some creative college newspaper names I found using the Campus Fundraiser College Newspaper Directory (not a complete directory, the Chronicle wasn’t listed).

University of Alaska-Anchorage — The Northern Light
A very creative way to reference location.

Hawaii Pacific University — Kalamalama
Not really sure if this is actually a clever name, but it is fun to say. Anyone know what it means? I couldn’t find a translation online.

Boise State University — The Arbiter
Sometimes newspaper names can be a fun vocab lesson. I didn’t know this, but an arbiter is like a judge.

University of Idaho — Argonaut
…Or a Greek mythology lesson. Wikipedia says: The Argonauts were a band of heroes who, in the years before the Trojan War, accompanied Jason to Colchis (modern day Georgia) in his quest to find the Golden Fleece.

Illinois State University — The Daily Vidette
More vocab: A mounted sentinel stationed in advance of an outpost or a small scouting boat used to observe and report on an opposing naval force.

Wichita State University — The Sunflower
It’s just such a happy name. Doesn’t it make you want to read that paper?

Tulane University — Tulane Hullabaloo
Awesome.

Assumption College — Le Provocateur
I wonder if they have some sort of French history at this college.

University of Massachusetts-Boston — The Mass Media
I don’t always go for puns, but this one is brilliant.

Side note: I like how the state of Michigan has a Western Herald, a North Wind, an Eastern Echo and a South End.

Central Missouri State University — The Muleskinner
Yes, their mascot is the Mules.

Youngstown State University — Jam Bar
I don’t get it, but I like it.

University of Rhode Island — The Good 5Cent Cigar
Once again.

Angelo State University — Ram Page
Another awesome pun, and their mascot is — of course — the Rams.

Do you know of any creative college newspaper names? Have any name ideas for the editors of the Chronicle? Leave them in the comments or contact them directly at chronicle@strose.edu.

She writes:

While I know I want to be a journalist; that is a relative term. I’m not sure if I want to write for magazine, newspaper, alternative press, blog, or just chalk my college education up as a loss and go work with my mother.

She goes on to say that one goal of her internship is to gain a more specific direction, but I don’t think that a lack of specific direction is necessarily a negative. Journalists these days have to be more versatile than ever and be willing to take any job that comes along – regardless of it’s print, web, journalism, or technical writing.

Maybe I’m biased, but I think that my lack of specific direction is one of my biggest strengths. It provides me with more options when I’m sending out resumes, and also allows me to take on more responsibilities in whatever position I do obtain – making me more valuable as an employee.

“Jack of all trades but master of none” is usually thought of as a negative, but more and more it is the specialized “master” writers that are losing their jobs at publications while those that are able to cover a variety of topics manage to hold on.

What do you think? Is it better to have a specific focus in your career goals? Does keeping too much of an open mind leave you unorganized and stretched too thin?

Either way, good luck to Kali on her interview Wednesday!