Full archive: The Lead, a newsletter for student journalists
8 min readJun 14, 2019
The Lead is a weekly newsletter providing resources and connections for student journalists in both college and high school. Subscribe here and read more background here. From 2020 to 2022, The Lead was produced in partnership with The Poynter Institute.
Contact Taylor Blatchford, who writes the newsletter, at blatchfordtaylor@gmail.com or @blatchfordtr on Twitter.
Full issue archive:
- Oct. 12, 2022: An update on The Lead
- May 11, 2022: School’s (almost) out for summer
- May 4, 2022: How student newsrooms can document — not exploit — a community with a photo story
- April 27, 2022: Workshops, scholarships and mentorship for your visual journalism
- April 20, 2022: How to teach video journalism in your student newsroom? Just let your reporters do it.
- April 6, 2022: Visuals aren’t an afterthought — they’re part of the story
- March 30, 2022: Catching up from break? Here’s a journalism reading list
- March 16, 2022: Digital flexibility and mental health setbacks in a work-from-home world
- March 9, 2022: What student-focused outlets learned from publishing during COVID
- March 2, 2022: How one newsroom embraced digital-first publishing and doubled its audience
- Feb. 23, 2022: Where’s your audience? Most of them aren’t reading print
- Feb. 16, 2022: Why do college football players die during practice? How students investigated the ‘great human toll in sports’
- Feb. 9, 2022: 10 months of reporting, little help from the athletics department
- Feb. 2, 2022: What 8 young sports journalists want students to know about starting their careers
- Jan. 26, 2022: Getting out of your comfort zone: Tips for integrating sports into your newsroom
- Jan. 19, 2022: Sports journalism is about more than just sports
- Dec. 8, 2021: The work student journalists are most proud of from 2021
- Dec. 1, 2021: Share your best work from 2021
- Nov. 17, 2021: How to create an ethics handbook for your student newsroom — and why you should
- Nov. 10, 2021: Student journalists ask: Is objectivity becoming obsolete?
- Nov. 3, 2021: How student journalists are challenging the industry’s traditional ethics
- Oct. 27, 2021: New to editing? Follow these four steps to streamline the process
- Oct. 20, 2021: From BFF to boss: How to manage your friends when you’re also their editor
- Oct. 13, 2021: ‘The fact-checking process can help you sleep better at night’: Tips from PolitiFact on bulletproofing your stories
- Oct. 6, 2021: ‘You’re not supposed to know everything’: Student editors share advice on leadership positions
- Sept. 29, 2021: COVID-19 pushed us to go digital-first, and it may have saved our newspaper
- Sept. 22, 2021: Student journalists need better editing and management training, and we’re here to help
- Sept. 15, 2021: Journalism curricula lack audience engagement skills. Here’s how to make up for it
- Sept. 1, 2021: Personal finance tips: Navigating your first job offer, budgeting and more
- August 25, 2021: Take these 5 steps to improve your privacy and digital security
- August 18, 2021: Building a relationship with a mentor is a two-way street. Here’s how to approach it with intention and respect
- May 26, 2021: Get the most out of your summer, no matter your plans
- May 19, 2021: Remote internships make the journalism industry more accessible
- May 13, 2021: Explore a new wellness resource for student journalists
- May 5, 2021: What one newsroom learned from introducing paid positions for low-income student journalists of color
- April 28, 2021: Are you explaining opinion content to your readers?
- April 21, 2021: Protest policies: The first line of defense for student journalists
- April 14, 2021: Reflecting on the state of student journalism
- April 7, 2021: Student newspapers raise more than $90,000 in fundraising challenge
- March 31, 2021: More than 25 places to find journalism jobs and internships
- March 17, 2021: College Media Madness: More than two dozen student newsrooms are facing off in a fundraising challenge
- March 10, 2021: Anne Helen Petersen on how student journalists can guard against burnout as they start their careers
- March 3, 2021: How student journalists can find mentorship without working in physical newsrooms
- Feb. 24, 2021: Issue 💯: Thank you and a highlight reel
- Feb. 17, 2021: ‘There’s nothing to lose and so much to gain’: More student journalists on how they’re using TikTok
- Feb. 10, 2021: How student newsrooms are using TikTok to entertain and engage audiences
- Feb. 3, 2021: Polish your online portfolio — or create one from scratch — with these tips
- Jan. 27, 2021: Letting story subjects appeal for a “fresh start”
- Jan. 20, 2021: Concrete steps your newsroom can take to build trust with readers
- Jan. 13, 2021: What student journalists can take away from last week’s Capitol attack
- Jan. 6, 2021: Jump into COVID vaccination coverage as the new semester starts
- Dec. 16, 2020: The work student journalists are proudest of this year
- Dec. 9, 2020: Consider “going dark” for a week this winter break
- Dec. 2, 2020: Take what you need to finish the fall semester
- Nov. 18, 2020: Why an investigative team might be right for your student publication
- Nov. 11, 2020: How four student newspapers covered a rollercoaster election week
- Oct. 28, 2020: A pep talk before Election Day
- Oct. 21, 2020: How your student newsroom can fact-check to combat misinformation
- Oct. 14, 2020: Mental health strategies for student newsrooms as the pandemic stretches on
- Oct. 7, 2020: Dozens of summer internships + resources to make your application stand out
- Sept. 30, 2020: How The Loyola Phoenix covered Black Lives Matter protests and responded to its critics
- Sept. 23, 2020: The Daily Orange launched a membership program to make its future more sustainable
- Sept. 16, 2020: Building trust in journalism: Lessons from a teenager in public media
- Sept. 9, 2020: The role of student journalism when schools are national news
- August 26, 2020: How our student newspaper advocated for racial justice by examining our college’s history
- August 19, 2020: What does a fall without college sports look like?
- August 12, 2020: Private universities vs. student journalists: How to pressure your university for access
- August 5, 2020: Campaign finances, misinformation and more election stories for student reporters
- July 29, 2020: Four strategies for covering science at your publication
- July 15, 2020: Freelancing is intimidating — here’s how to get started
- July 1, 2020: This summer, think ahead about how you’ll train new staff members
- June 17, 2020: A more diverse student newsroom will make your publication stronger
- June 3, 2020: Student journalist resources for covering protests safely and sensitively
- May 27, 2020: Public records can help you dig into the coronavirus crisis
- May 20, 2020: The Minnesota Daily adapted its annual photo project for the pandemic
- May 13, 2020: Here’s how student publications are covering graduations in the age of coronavirus
- May 6, 2020: Your summer internship got canceled. What can you do now?
- April 29, 2020: An exciting announcement + ten coronavirus story ideas
- April 23, 2020: Here’s how you can help #SaveStudentNewsrooms
- April 14, 2020: How an investigation of university donors uncovered $36 million tax evasion charges
- April 7, 2020: To print or not to print? How student publications are handling a coronavirus dilemma
- March 24, 2020: Covering coronavirus: Resources, tips and student journalism examples
- March 12, 2020: Help shape a coronavirus reporting guide for student journalists
- March 3, 2020: ‘Don’t undersell yourself’: From college journalism to covering presidential politics
- Feb. 25, 2020: A student’s guide to 2020 journalism conferences
- Feb. 18, 2020: Time to talk elections: Resources and tips for student coverage
- Feb. 12, 2020: Investigate your professors’ conflicts of interest with ProPublica’s help
- Jan. 29, 2020: It’s Student Press Freedom Day — here’s how to get involved
- Jan. 21, 2020: How California high school journalists uncovered $8,000 missing from a student account
- Jan. 14, 2020: A strategy to prioritize your 2020 goals
- Dec. 11, 2019: Nearly 100 pieces of student journalism that inspire, challenge and entertain
- Dec. 3, 2019: Tell us: What work are you most proud of this year?
- Nov. 26, 2019: Community journalism lessons from “overlooked” stories reported by rural teens
- Nov. 19, 2019: What exactly happened at the Daily Northwestern?
- Nov. 12, 2019: ‘We have to be taking care of ourselves’: Addressing burnout with a staff wellness initiative
- Nov. 5, 2019: ‘Beware the plot summary’: Professional tips on the art of reviewing
- Oct. 30, 2019: Leveraging a sports rivalry for fundraising and collaboration
- Oct. 22, 2019: A wealth of knowledge in the Journalists of Color Resource Guide
- Oct. 15, 2019: Covering presidential campaigns with a student audience in mind
- Oct. 8, 2019: We could all use a reminder to find balance
- Oct. 1, 2019: Quick tips to sharpen your journalism resume
- Sept. 24, 2019: How one college class took a new approach to reporting on campus drinking
- Sept. 17, 2019: It’s The Lead’s first birthday + we celebrated at ONA 🎂
- Sept. 10, 2019: Crowd estimates, press freedom laws and tons of internships
- Sept. 3, 2019: A student journalist’s primer on public records
- August 20, 2019: Advice for entering college journalism from 20 students and pros
- August 6, 2019: It’s okay to step away from the 24-hour news cycle
- July 23, 2019: A starter kit for engagement journalism
- July 9, 2019: It’s time for a check-in at the midpoint of your internship
- June 25, 2019: Tips for managing campus coverage over the summer
- June 11, 2019: Starting a newsletter? Think about these things first
- May 28, 2019: No internship, no problem: 5 ways to put your summer to work
- May 21, 2019: Making the most of your summer internship
- May 14, 2019: More great work from 2019, from mold to the mafia
- May 7, 2019: Mental health, women in sports and a giant meatball: Your favorite pieces of the semester
- April 30, 2019: The steps one college newsroom took to diversify its staff
- April 23, 2019: 25 tools to help all areas of your journalism
- April 16, 2019: Join the campaign to #SaveStudentNewsrooms
- April 9, 2019: Summer’s coming soon. What do you want to know?
- March 26, 2019: The secret to making a good April Fool’s edition: not making one at all
- March 19, 2019: Tapping into readers’ curiosity to build trust (and better stories)
- March 12, 2019: How to write a cover letter that will land in the ‘yes’ pile
- March 5, 2019: Staying optimistic (and realistic) in an uncertain journalism climate
- Feb. 26, 2019: Looking back at lessons from the first 20 newsletter issues
- Feb. 19, 2019: How 200 student journalists told 1,200 stories of American kids killed by guns
- Feb. 12, 2019: Looking for stories? Try eavesdropping, analytics or hyperlocal poetry
- Feb. 5, 2019: It’s the Year of the Student Journalist. Here’s how you can get involved
- Jan. 29, 2019: Taking a detour across the world: Why I chose not to go to journalism school
- Jan. 22, 2019: How Florida students turned Jim Crow-era voting laws into a TV news special
- Jan. 15, 2019: Live from the sidelines of a national championship game
- Jan. 8, 2019: New year, new projects: Making plans and staying organized
- Dec. 11, 2018: The best of 2018: Here’s the work student journalists are most proud of
- Dec. 4, 2018: There’s not one “best” journalism school, but there’s a best one for you
- Nov. 27, 2018: Meet the South Dakota student pushing state legislators for student press freedom
- Nov. 20, 2018: “Why do you want to be a journalist when newspapers are dying?” and other fun Thanksgiving conversations
- Nov. 13, 2018: A recipe to investigate inequality in public schools
- Nov. 5, 2018: Taking care of yourself when the news gets personal
- Oct. 30, 2018: Nine election story ideas for student journalists
- Oct. 16, 2018: Publishing a bilingual edition: “We don’t want this to be a one-time thing”
- Oct. 9, 2018: How one Missouri high school spoke out about press freedom
- Oct. 2, 2018: Your guide to internship application season
- Sept. 25, 2018: Georgetown student journalists traced their school’s history of slavery to Louisiana
- Sept. 18, 2018: Welcome to The Lead
