8 Ways to Start a School Media Club
If your school does not have a media club or a student-run newspaper already, you can start one on your own. A media club is a great way to get students more involved in school and community concerns, either as club participants or readers and viewers.
Either way, you will likely form new friendships, share concerns, and discuss issues happening in your school, community, or even the world. You might even inspire social change. Plus, you will learn great leadership skills and improve your writing, editing, and video skills. If you are serious about starting a media club, though, there are necessary steps you must follow to succeed. Here are the eight most important ones:
1 Make sure a similar club does not exist
Talk to the principal and make sure a similar club does not already exist. If not, find out the requirements for starting a new club, and make sure you follow all of them. You want the principal as an ally, and having their support is the most important.
Without it, you will not get far. Not following your school’s requirements can cause unnecessary problems for your club, and you could lose your principal’s support.
2 Find your club sponsor and advisor
Once you get permission to start the club, you will need to find a teacher to be your club sponsor and advisor. Make sure you ask a teacher who has an interest or background in writing, journalism, or media.
Try asking a teacher with whom you are already familiar to be the sponsor. Carefully consider who you ask, however, because you want a sponsor who will help attract new members, not one who might intimidate or repel them.
3 Find other students to join the club
Start by asking friends and having them ask their friends. You could even set up an information booth during lunch or hang fliers around the school. Use social media to get the message out about the club – it is an effective tool for spreading information quickly. The goal is to get as many interested people as possible to attend your first meeting and decide if they want to join.
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4 Set a meeting time and place for the first meeting
Make sure you have an agenda and that you are prepared to provide a lot of information about the club, including its purpose and its opportunities for student involvement. Once you have provided that information and explained student responsibilities, those who are really interested in signing up will. Make this meeting the time to do that.
5 Host your second meeting and create a plan for the year
During this meeting, you can also choose to delegate roles and responsibilities to members or vote on them. You might consider having students apply for certain positions, such as editor, writer, or blogger.
It is best you and your club sponsor agree on the best way to determine student positions and responsibilities. You should also decide on the club’s focus and its methods for delivering information – whether online, print, or both – so you can establish a budget and find available resources.
6 Decide how often you want to meet and continue meeting
Most clubs meet on a weekly or monthly basis. However, meeting weekly would probably work best for a media club, otherwise, you can’t discuss ideas or produce a lot of content. Remember, in the world of media today, things happen quickly and news gets old fast.
7 Host a couple of fundraisers or see if you can get community donations
Selling ad space for in your print newspaper or online site can be a great way to raise money. You could even come up with ways to advertise business donors using social media, such as tweeting weekly specials or current sales. The opportunities for fundraising are endless, thanks to the internet.
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8 Do not forget to promote your club
Some ways you to do this are through community service, blog posts, social media, and your club’s website. This last step is the most important if you want to establish a presence.
Starting a media club is not difficult if you understand everything involved and follow the necessary steps. Even if you are homeschooled, you can still start a great media club, especially if you belong to an area homeschooling group.
Whether you attend school or you are homeschooled, a media club can help you expand your reach and circulation to the school, community, and beyond.
