IHSPA Insider

By Katy Hollis

Franklin Community Middle School Adviser/IHSPA Board At-Large Member

If you want your journalism program to grow, or at least maintain, its numbers, recruitment is bound to be part of your year-to-year planning. If you have a robust J1 class, this might not be an issue for you. However, many schools deal with low enrollment, schedule conflicts, or just the fact that today’s students commit to *way too many* activities. How do you overcome these obstacles and find your core group of committed journalism students? The answer is hiding behind a fog of body odor and eye rolls: 8th graders.

Ah, 8th graders. Awkward, hormone-crazed, acne-ridden 8th graders. As a high school teacher, you may exist all day every day grateful that you don’t have to deal with the drama of middle schoolers, but alas, these little balls of pre-teen angst are actually the key to your program’s future success.

I’ve spent over a decade advising middle school student media programs. So, let me be your guide in planning an effective recruitment strategy for these incoming freshmen.

1. Create a respectful relationship with their teacher.

The first step is identifying who the middle school media teacher or club adviser is. Then, reach out. Some middle school media advisers may not have the experience that you do, but please, avoid unintentional patronizing when speaking to them or about their program. These teachers can make or break how their students feel about joining your program. Be kind, honor their time and effort, and let them know you value them as media educators!

2.Visit early and often.

This goes both ways. You visit them; they visit you. Consider inviting the middle school program over to your building to tour your space. Additionally, take a trip over there to meet, visit, and share about your program. If you’re able to visit once a semester, or even once a quarter, to better build those relationships, you will be creating a much stronger bond with your future editors and producers!

If your feeder school does not have its own media class, reach out to a guidance counselor or content-area teacher about finding a time to come and speak. Pro Tip: You may have more luck with social studies classes than language arts!

3. You’re not that cool, but your students are.

Whether the middle schoolers come to you, or you go to them, make sure your high school students are part of the visit. Middle schoolers look up to older students, and will be much more likely to find a journalism program attractive if they are able to interact with older teens.

4. Equipment? Also cool.

If you’re able to show kids some of your equipment, that can be really exciting for them. If you’re able to let them have hands-on experiences with your equipment, even better! For example, you can pair them with a high schooler to complete a photo scavenger hunt, or you can allow the broadcast students to do a show from your studio (supervised, of course!).

P.S. If you’re not naming your cameras, please start. Students care much more deeply about the health and safety of a camera named “Jerry” than a camera named “Canon 4.”

5. Be their hype person.

Middle schoolers have lots of big ideas. If during your visit they start on a brainstorming session full of fun or crazy plans, try your best to not shut them down or tell them, “that’s not the way we do things.” If they start to feel dejected, they’re going to find another activity where they perceive their opinions and ideas to be more valued. Middle schoolers need space to authentically express themselves, and you have the potential to be that safe place for them. Sometimes we’ve been doing things the same way for a long time, but we don’t know what’s possible until we open our hearts and minds to something new!

In the end, if you’re willing to brave the smell, attitude, and never-ending stream of unpredictable comments, the 2026-27 class of 8th graders might just be your key to unlocking unmatched program potential.

If you have an idea for a blog on a journalistic topic, lesson, or experience you'd like to write about, would love to have you as a guest author one month. Submit your blog proposal here, and we will be in touch.

Anderson University has announced the creation of the Veritas Awards to celebrate the great creative work of Indiana high school students in the following categories.

• Film and Video
• Journalism
• Photography and Design
• Public Relations and Strategic Communication
• Creative Writing

Entries will be judged for their standard of excellence. Using a 100-point rubric, a team of Anderson University professors and media professional will judge each entry, with entries scoring 90 points or above earning the Veritas Award of Excellence. Multiple students can be recognized for their work.

The competition is for grades 9-12. Entries must feature work created for class, student media, extracurricular activity, or independent project.

Important Dates

• Entries Open: September 7, 2026
• Submission Deadline: December 11, 2026
• Veritas Awards Announcement: January 25, 2027

Advisers: Katy Hollis

Cub News Network and The Paw Post are Franklin Community Middle School's award-winning student journalism programs. Cub News Network produces a live, daily announcements show each morning, which features school announcements, weather, sports, and a daily video. Students in The Paw Post publish a monthly student newspaper, and as of this year, take photos, write content, and are helping to design the FCMS yearbook. Both CNN and Paw Post operate as extracurricular clubs that students apply for and are accepted into.

Cubs New Network (Broadcast)

• CNN Q4 Broadcast 2026
• 2026 Speech Competition Winner Announced
• Lost & Found PSA

The Paw Post (Newspaper)

• Indiana football's route to success
• House Bill 1086 would allow schools to display the Ten Commandments
• U.S. 31 construction moves right in front of FCMS

Submit the best of your student's work here. Every month we'd like to highlight great journalism from IHSPA journalists. We'd like to high light a variety of journalism, including print, yearbook, broadcast, writing, photojournalism, podcasts, etc. So, keep submitting your student's work throughout the year!