how to write an article in your school magazine

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Accessing Magazine Archives Online

If you love to get rid of clutter, you probably don’t save old magazines. But what about if you have to get your hands on an article for a research project or personal interest? If you can’t head to the library, there are other ways to get help online.

Online Library Archives

One of the best places to read magazines online is from your local public library’s digital site. Libraries across the country offer electronic magazines that you check out and read on your device or desktop in the comfort of your own home, as reported by CNET. To access your library’s selection of digital goodies, you’ll need your library card number. Go get one if you don’t have one; it’s worth the effort.

Log onto the library website, check for digital resources, then search for databases with magazine and newspaper resources. Specifically, look for a resource under digital resources called RBDigital, a large collection of ebooks, audiobooks and popular magazine archives all in one place, according to CNET.

A Publication’s Own Archives

Many publications that are still in print have online archives. You may not be able to see the current issue, but you can access either 100 percent or a portion of older issues.

Head to Issuu.com, a bookmark-worthy site to find a number of archived print magazines. Type in what you’re looking for in the search box, including the year, and you may be able to read the entire issue intact. The site adds newly uploaded publications, magazines, newspapers, catalogs, DIY guides and more on a daily basis.

The Way Back Machine

There are a couple of invaluable resources to bookmark that have free access to newer and older magazines and other publications:

• Internet Archive: Also called the Way Back Machine at Archive.org, you’ll find billions of archived web pages, including many once in-print publications. This non-profit organization began in 1996 to archive the Internet itself and captures web pages from millions of pieces of text. Type in titles, article titles or anything you have that the archive can search and see what turns up. You’ll be happily surprised.
• OpenCulture.com: For vintage publications, head to OpenCulture.com and type in what you’re looking for, or simply type in magazines, publications or newspapers. It’s a treasure trove of old, many alternative and now digitized publications.

What If the Publication Folded?

It’s a hit or miss chance that magazines which have folded keep archives. However, there are a couple of ways to access old issues or specific publications that are no longer available:

• Buy it on eBay

A number of magazines remain online but are moving away from print editions, including teen magazines Glamour, Seventeen and women’s magazine Redbook, according to Adweek.

International Publication Archives

Thanks to digitization, there’s easier access to international publications. For example, find out what’s happening in parts of Canada by logging onto The Vancouver Sun’s archives where you’ll see all the magazine’s coverage for free. Head to Magatopia.com for free reading of international publications. Many magazines and newspapers have free access to archived articles and issues.

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Write a School Magazine Article People Want to Read

• Writing Tips

Say what you want about traditional school communications, but no matter how trends shift and change, there are some staples that will always hold a special place in school storytelling.

For example: the school magazine.

Whether an alumni magazine, an annual report/magazine hybrid, or an online version of a traditional publication, school magazines have the important job of both keeping legacy alive and documenting current happenings for posterity — all while driving diverse audiences to take action.

That’s quite a job description.

I’ve seen beautiful, impressive magazines in the school marketing space, and my clients dedicate both their hearts and their resources to perfecting these publications and maintaining their integrity year after year. So how can school marketers ensure these intense efforts create tangible results? How can schools better utilize this important communications tool to connect with their communities and grow school influence?

Here’s how to craft school magazine content that makes all the effort worthwhile.

Recommended Resource: Audience-First Storytelling Kit

ACCESS NOW ON-DEMAND

Want to learn exactly how to win over dream families with breakthrough school storytelling? This on-demand kit includes instant access to:

• In-depth video workshop
• Workshop workbook
• Family survey template
• Email template
• Voice of Customer research spreadsheet
• Audience persona template
• Sample dream family persona

The key to ensuring people are reading the school magazine you put so much time, effort, and love into is simple:

Make it something they want to read.

Ok, I know that’s simpler to state than to practice, but the sentiment is something that is so easy to forget when we’re deep in deadlines and page counts and design changes.

If we want readers to open our school magazine and actually flip from front to back, engaging with the stories we’re telling, we need to give them stories they care about . We need to make the news, updates, changes, and reflections shared on those pages matter to their lives. And how do we do that?

Audience-first, always.

Those who have been reading this blog for a while may have guessed where I was going with that, but it’s always where I begin when I’m writing feature school magazine articles. I look at the story or concept that my client wants to share and ask myself, “ So what? Why will the reader care about this? What about this will they find most interesting, or appealing, or shocking? What will capture and keep their fickle interest?”

You may have a wonderful story to tell, important updates to deliver, or a heartwarming retrospective to share, but just because you want to tell it doesn’t mean your audience wants to read it. However, you can entice them to read it if you write with their cares and concerns in mind.

For alumni, perhaps that means tugging at their heartstrings and reminding them of a special moment in their lives, or it’s giving them the opportunity to see themselves in the school’s future. For donors, it could be demonstrating the tangible difference their generosity has made. For current families, it may be updating them on new opportunities that will have a direct impact on their child’s life.

Whatever the article topic, make sure you have your specific audience in mind before you put pen to paper (or fingertips to keyboard). And once you begin writing…

Hook them quick.

Repeat after me: NO MORE BORING HEADLINES.

Too often, school feature articles are given a title such as, “A Look Back!” or “Celebrating the Graduating Class” or “Our Theatre Program!” While factually correct, these headlines don’t connect with the reader’s desire to learn more, or answer a question, or find out how or why.

Instead of using a headline as a label, try writing your school magazine article headlines with these tips in mind:

• Be specific. Tell people the problem you are going to solve and the solution you are going to provide. Use figures and facts.
• Promise your reader something valuable. Be bold, and deliver on that promise.
• Make sure it stands alone. If readers only read the headline, will they take away a clear message?
• Be clear. Avoid being creative if it costs you clarity.
• Prompt action. Convey a sense of urgency.

For example, I recently used the headline “A Call to Excellence for Generations of [School] Students” on an article that spoke about the history of the school’s motto (a much more compelling headline than “The History of Our Motto.”). By connecting the reader to the motto and what it meant to them as a student and now as an alum, the headline drew the reader into an article they might have otherwise overlooked.

However, a good headline can’t do all the work. An article’s intro is equally as important.

Engage them with a story.

Consider this your permission to stop being so literal. Instead of jumping right into the main point of the article, paint a picture. Draw the reader in. Get them thinking, imagining, questioning.

This is how I approached one recent feature article for a client, which was supposed to be a simple “then/now” retrospective. Instead of diving in with an introduction that read, “So much has changed in the past 10 years…,” I decided to talk about nostalgia . How does it affect us? Why do we feel it so deeply? The article began:

Have you ever heard a forgotten song from childhood and felt instantly transported back to a specific moment in time? Caught the lingering scent of pine trees or felt the leaves crunch underfoot in just the right way, and you’re suddenly sixteen again, walking across your high school quadrangle on the way to AP Bio class?

By prompting the reader to mind-travel back to their high school years, the article instantly connects on both an emotional and rational level. It then goes on to briefly talk about the science behind nostalgia and links that to why the school’s heritage and legacy are meaningful today. The final article does everything a traditional retrospective would — it provides updates, reports statistics, and talks about the future — yet in a way that’s more engaging than a typical timeline.

Keep the meaningful. Cut the rest.

William Faulkner said: “In writing, you must kill all your darlings.” And then Stephen King took it up a notch, saying: “Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.”

It’s the best writing advice I’ve ever heard.

If you want to write a fantastic school magazine, you need to be willing to cut, delete, and forget elements that you may love but that may not serve the reader. This means that not every point on the timeline, every update on the program, every key message from the strategic plan can and should make it into print.

Remember: Every article should pass the “So What?” test . Every story should be written for the reader. Keep the meaningful, and cut the rest.

Those are my top tips for writing a school magazine article that your audiences will want to read. Want more school marketing and storytelling tips? Get them FREE in our Resource Library — the ultimate collection of ebooks, worksheets, and on-demand tutorials created specifically for school marketers.

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• Education and Communications

How to Write an Article for Your School Newspaper

Last Updated: August 30, 2023 References

This article was co-authored by Gerald Posner . Gerald Posner is an Author & Journalist based in Miami, Florida. With over 35 years of experience, he specializes in investigative journalism, nonfiction books, and editorials. He holds a law degree from UC College of the Law, San Francisco, and a BA in Political Science from the University of California-Berkeley. He’s the author of thirteen books, including several New York Times bestsellers, the winner of the Florida Book Award for General Nonfiction, and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. He was also shortlisted for the Best Business Book of 2020 by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 590,295 times.

Writing an article for your school newspaper can be exciting and rewarding, especially once you see your name in print! If you don't already belong to your school newspaper, you may need to try out or talk to the editor about submitting some sample pieces. To write an article, you'll need to decide which type of article you'd like to write, check on submission guidelines, research your topic, interview sources, and write it in the proper newspaper format.

Joining the Team and Writing Different Types of Articles

• Check to see if there are deadlines for turning in mock articles, what the editor is looking for in a new staff member, and if there are any meetings you can attend to get more information.

• If you've been on staff for a while, you may have the freedom to choose your own article topics. But until you know your position, it's always a good idea to ask for assignments.

• Feature stories are the largest articles in a newspaper, and they often go beyond simple facts to the reasons behind something, like why an event happened and what it means for students moving forward.
• An example of a feature story would be an article about a new scholarship being offered in your state. How it works, who is eligible, and facts about the work that went into making the scholarship program a reality would make a compelling story.

• News articles are generally more straight-forward than feature stories or opinion articles. They convey relevant information in an unbiased way.

• For example, you could write an editorial about school rules, events or groups on campus, sports, programs, or teaching methods.

• If you want to be a regular columnist for your school newspaper, present a plan to your editor for a series of articles that you'd like to work on. For example, you could propose a 4-week series about starting a club or practicing self-care.

• For example, you could write an article called “Top 10 Tips to Manage Stress,” “How to Develop Good Study Habits,” or “How to Get in Shape before Tryouts.”

• For example, if you review a new movie that came out, you could write about who would most enjoy the film. Perhaps it would be great for someone who likes action movies but not as enjoyable for someone who prefers comedies.

Researching, Interviewing, and Fact Gathering

• Talk to your editor, production manager, or faculty advisor for more information.

• Who? Find out who was involved, whether that would be students, administrators, or other people in your community.
• What? Write down exactly what it is that you are writing about. Is it an event, a person, or an idea? Be as specific as possible.
• Where? Identify where the event took place. Is this a subject that is particular to your school or community, or is it a national subject?
• When? Make note of important dates and times.
• Why? Determine the reasons behind the subject. Was there a catalyst?
• How? Connect the rest of your information together to determine how an event or subject came together.

• When contacting a person for an interview, let them know who you are and what topic you're writing about, and give them an estimate of how much of their time you'll need.
• When you finish an interview, take 10 minutes to write down additional notes right away. They'll be fresh in your mind and you'll be less likely to forget important details.

• Ask if you have someone's permission to use their name and words in your article, and write down their quote verbatim. You can use anonymous sources, but quotes are more compelling when they can be traced back to a specific individual.

• Fact-checking makes you a more trustworthy writer and ensures that you're taking the time to communicate as truthfully as you can about any particular subject.

• Some reporters dictate notes to themselves or write out daily logs about their interviews and research. Figure out what works for you and your lifestyle, and then stick to it.

Writing the Article

• A lot of times, readers will decide if they want to continue reading an article based off of the first sentence or two.

• Sometimes you'll come up with a great headline before you even write the article, but most often you won't know exactly what you're presenting until after you've written it. Try waiting until after you've written your article to come up with the headline, and then make sure it fits in with the given topic.

• People who want to know more about the topic will continue reading past those first 2 paragraphs, but people who just wanted the basic information will get their answers without having to search through the entire article.

• For example, instead of saying, “Principal Miller comes from rainy Washington state and had been teaching before becoming a principal for 15 years,” you could say something like, “Principal Miller previously lived in Washington, and she has over 15 years of experience in the educational system."

• Always ask for permission to quote someone when you're interviewing them.

• Being able to proofread your own work is an essential part of being a successful member of the newspaper staff, and the more you work at it, the better you'll get.

Expert Q&A

• Be careful when writing to avoid plagiarizing other sources. It's okay to use information from others, but make sure to reword it in your own way so it's unique and to cite sources when needed. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• If you're having trouble coming up with an idea for an article, ask for an assignment from the editor. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you'd like to learn more about writing as a career, check out our in-depth interview with Gerald Posner .

• ↑ https://www.pilinutpress.com/Articles/Writing/WritingArticlesfortheSchoolNewspaper.html
• ↑ https://makemynewspaper.com/how-to-start-a-school-newspaper/
• ↑ https://schools.firstnews.co.uk/blog/journalistic-writing/how-to-start-a-school-newspaper/
• ↑ https://study.com/learn/lesson/newspaper-article-format-examples.html
• ↑ https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55a158b4e4b0796a90f7c371/t/571ec8f14d088ebb71604a41/1461635326642/2.+Op-ed+guidelines+-+3.29.16.pdf
• ↑ https://blog.flipsnack.com/school-newspaper-guide/
• ↑ https://www.makemynewspaper.com/how-to-write-a-school-news-article
• ↑ https://www.aresearchguide.com/write-a-newspaper-article.html
• ↑ https://www.thoughtco.com/the-secret-to-writing-great-headlines-2073697

About This Article

To write an article for your school newspaper, start with a lead paragraph that explains the who, what, where, when, and why of what you're writing about. Then, for the second and third paragraphs, include any additional facts and details that your readers should know. You can also include quotes from witnesses or school officials in this part of your article. Finally, conclude your article with the least important or relevant information. To learn how to research and come up with article ideas, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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• How to write a school magazine article

IGCSE ESL Exercise 6 How to write a school magazine article helps you to write this text style with the appropriate content and language to gain a high mark in this part of the exam .

This video shows you how to write an article for Exercise 6 of IGCSE ESL extended paper. The task is to write an article for a school magazine article about a snack machine.

School Magazine Article

• Exercise 1 & 2 (Extended)
• Exercise 3 & 4 (Extended)
• Exercise 5 & 6 (Extended)
• Listening Questions 1-5
• Listening Exercise 3 & 4
• Listening 5 (Extended)
• Videos (Extended)
• Speaking Test
• Exercise 1 Extended Video introduction
• Exercise 1 Keeping Bees in the City
• Exercise 1 Living for 200 years
• Exercise 1 Walking to the North Pole
• Exercise 2 Cheating in Exams
• Exercise 2 Different Collectors
• Exercise 2 Different Shops
• Exercise 2 Different Summer Camps
• Exercise 2 Different Writers
• Exercise 2 Extended Video introduction
• Exercise 2 Pizza Companies

Exercise 3 - Make brief notes related to a piece of text.

• Exercise 3 Being Bilingual
• Exercise 3 Extended Video introduction
• Exercise 3 Finding time to do things
• Exercise 3 Frozen Caveman
• Exercise 3 Kite Surfing
• Exercise 3 Life in 2069
• Exercise 3 World’s Sporting Champions
• Exercise 3 Young Mountaineer
• Exercise 4 Allergies
• Exercise 4 Citizen Scientists
• Exercise 4 Cooking
• Exercise 4 Family Meal Time
• Exercise 4 Medical Gadgets
• Exercise 4 Reducing Noise Pollution
• Exercise 4 Shipwrecked
• Exercise 4 Travel Writing
• Video Gaming in the Olympic Games

Exercise 5 - Write an informal email.

• Bonfire Night
• Exercise 5 Birthday Party
• Exercise 5 Cousin Visiting (Description)
• Exercise 5 Favourite Film
• Exercise 5 Going for an Interview (Advice)
• Exercise 5 Going on Holiday
• Exercise 5 Interesting Meeting
• Exercise 5 New Attraction
• Exercise 5 Restaurant Visit (Narrative)
• Exercise 5 Returning Home

Exercise 6 - Write a report, review or article.

• Animal Sanctuary
• Becoming Vegetarian Article
• Ed Sheeran Concert Review
• Exam Advice Article
• Exercise 6 Career’s Talk Report
• Exercise 6 Dangerous Shopping Book Review
• Exercise 6 Eating Out in Berlin Travel Report
• Exercise 6 Important Developments Article
• Exercise 6 Living in Different Places
• Exercise 6 Recycling Centre Report
• Exercise 6 Subject Choices Article
• Exercise 6 Thai Restaurant Review
• Mission Impossible – Fallout Review
• Online Gaming Article
• Smartphone Review
• Snack Machine Article
• Sports Lessons Article
• Work Experience Day Report
• Working in the Summer Holidays Report
• Questions 1-4 Test 1
• Questions 1-4 Test 2
• Questions 1-4 Test 3

Exercise 2 - (Question 5) Gap-filled exercises

• Ancient Structures
• Halloween Disco
• Portable Fridge

Exercise 3 - Matching

• City or Countryside
• Writing a Blog

Exercise 4 - Multiple Choice

• International Space Station

Exercise 5 - Gap Fill Part A

• Future of Shipping
• Photographing endangered species
• Seashells Part A

Exercise 5 - Gap Fill Part B

• Seashells Part B
• Ships with No Crew
• Taking photos

Here are videos to help you with the reading and wrting sections.

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• Exercise 6 Becoming Vegetarian
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• Exercise 6 How to write a report
• Exercise 6 How to write a review
• Exercise 6 How to write an Event Report
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Speaking Test Examples:

• Changes in the weather
• Following Trends
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Education and Learning Puzzles Film Puzzles Idioms Crossword Puzzle Natural World Puzzles Seas and Oceans Puzzles Shopping Puzzles Sport and Fitness Puzzles Travel Puzzles

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• Try something new for 30 days
• Mermaiding Listening Exercise
• London Travel Guide
• Working for the BBC Listening Exercise
• Makeup Artist Listening Exercise
• BBC Controller Listening Exercise
• Riding a Motorbike Listening Exercise
• Great Ship Adventure Listening Exercise
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• Prepositions before Nouns
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Article Writing If you are writing an article for your school magazine then you are writing for your fellow students. They are people who are the same.

Published by Frederick Cross Modified over 7 years ago

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• Article Writing

Write an article for your school magazine in a competition that was recently held in your school. Write the article in about 300 words using the points given below: Name of the competition-nature of event-organizers-number of participants-chief guest-judges-quality of the competition-criteria for the judgement-winners-overall experience.