Newspaper In Education is a cooperative effort between a newspaper and a local school system to use the newspaper as a tool for instruction. The newspaper provides copies to the school, usually at a reduced rate, for use in the classroom. The newspaper may also sponsor teacher-education programs and may offer curriculum materials to help schools use the newspaper as a meaningful resource for student learning.
Each NIE program differs according to the needs of the local educational community. Newspapers are used as instructional tools in many subjects and grade levels. Typically most NIE programs focus on language arts, reading, social studies, math and science. New NIE programs often focus on a specific grade level or area, such as elementary or middle school, when launching a program.
The goal of the NIE program is to use the newspaper to help teachers with the subjects they are already teaching. It is not intended to simply teach about the newspaper. A good NIE program will help teachers learn to develop their own activities using the newspaper to teach in the classroom.
- National Newspaper Association of America Foundation
A good NIE program offers many benefits to the weekly or community newspaper. With a moderate amount of effort the newspaper can create a program that will return far more than is invested in it.
- NIE builds readership and reading skills
Building readership through the NIE program is a natural fallout of sending newspapers to the school. Children who have newspapers available in the classroom often go home and request that partents and other adults have newspapers in the home environment.
Many NIE programs encourage students to take the newspaper home after it has been used in the classroom. For many families this may be the first time that a newspaper has been in the home. Some of those families will become regular subscribers once they develop the habit of reading your newspaper.
Several studies have shown that children and/or adults who regularly read a newspaper demonstrate significant gains in reading skills.
- NIE builds circulation
ABC guidelines indicate that NIE copies of the newspaper must be paid at a minimum of 25 percent of your basic subscription rate. That is usually interpreted as the home-delivered price rather than the newsstand price. The cost of newspapers can come from the school, the teacher or outside sponsors. If you have any questions regarding ABC rules, please contact ABC at (847) 605-0909 or www.accessabc.com.
Several small weekly and community newspapers have added significant numbers to their circulation through NIE programs.
- NIE builds community goodwill
Don't overlook the positive benefits of using your newspaper to help improve local education. By placing your newspaper in the classroom, you are giving teachers the opportunity to use the most up-to-date textbook on the market. Make sure your community is aware of your commitment and dedication to the educational opportunities the NIE program can offfer.
Take every opportunity to showcase NIE students, teachers and sponsors in the newspaper. Many times pictures speak louder than words!
The newspaper advertiser loves it when a shopper tells them they saw their product in a newspaper advertisement. They love it even more when it is a student that saw the ad in the newspaper!
The community appreciates those who show an interest in the education, health and safety of their children. NIE can help children in all of those areas.
- National Newspaper Association of America Foundation
For complete information, there is no substitute for a newspaper. Television, radio and the Internet can give the news quickly. Understanding of the news usually comes, however, with the longer, more thoughtful appraisal of facts and details found only in newspaper accounts.
Young readers quickly learn that a newspaper is more than news. It is feature articles that tell them of interesting people and activities in the community. Advice columns may provide information of value. Advertisements serve as entertainment guides and provide style, price and utility information concerning items they are interested in buying.
Unlike the daily newspaper, the weekly newspaper provides a dimension of local news and the opportunity to relate to the student's own life as well as the lives of family and neighbors. The closer to home a story is, the more motivation is provided to read that story. A student in your town is more apt to find his or her name in your newspaper than in a larger regional daily!
The following have been noted as specific strengths for weekly and community newspapers:
- The weekly or community newspaper can, in most cases, offer more space to local school news, features and photos because of its relationship to the community.
- Many classrooms use only one delivery of newspaper per week. A daily newspaper used for more than one day is an "old" newspaper. A weekly newspaper is the current issue for the entire week!
- Content of the weekly or community newspaper is more local and, therefore, less overwhelming to students. It covers their community, not the whole world. Community news is important to the functioning of our democracy because most citizen involvement occurs at the local level.
- Many community newspapers serve an area including only one or two school systems. A staff person at the newspaper may work closely with local educators.
- The community newspaper is geographically closer to its reading audience and easily accessible for plant tours by students if you use your own printing facilities. Even if you print at another facility, students can visit the newspaper office.
- Local sports coverage is more detailed in the local weekly or community newspaper. Students know and relate to local athletes.
- The editor and staff of a weekly or community newspaper are usually more accessible to the public and to the local schools.
- A weekly or community newspaper can offer several days of lead-time to plan educational activities based on the content of each issue.
- A combination of peak and slack days of activity at a community newspaper makes staff members more available as a resource.
- National Newspaper Association of America Foundation
