IHSPA Insider

By April Moss, CJE, IHSPA Executive Board President

Pike High School Adviser

Happy New Year! I hope that you were able to enjoy some much-needed time off.

As we begin a new year at IHSPA, I wanted to share a few things with you. I hope you have made plans to join us at Franklin College for the annual state convention. Our keynote speaker Chuck Todd will not disappoint, but that is not the only reason to attend the convention. It is an opportunity to connect with other advisers, for your students to attend sessions, and for your students to make connections with other students. Besides that, it is a chance to celebrate amazing work from last year’s staffs and to become inspired for this upcoming year. The deadline to register is Jan. 20. Register HERE to have an amazing experience and beginning to your semester.

Beyond the convention, I know many of us are also navigating how to build and sustain our staffs for the upcoming year. My school begins scheduling freshmen for next year next week, which barely gives me time to breathe let alone recruit. For some advisers, this process feels manageable, but for others it can be daunting, especially as graduation requirements continue to shift. I lean on my students, other teachers, and guidance counselors to help with the recruitment process. While I have an Introduction to Journalism class and a Digital Media class as pre-requisites, I sometimes have to go outside of the box to ensure I have a well rounded staff. Here are a few suggestions I have collected throughout the years.

1. Personal Invitations

• Ask current staffers to nominate 2–3 students they trust.
• Give them a short script: “You’d be great at this because…”
• Personal asks work better than announcements.

2. Teacher Recommendations

• Email ELA, art, social studies, business, and tech teachers asking for strong writers, potential leaders, and reliable students (not just “top kids”).

3. 30-Second Classroom Pitches

• Visit freshmen/sophomore classes.
• Bring students, not just you.
• One sentence each: “I joined because…,” “My favorite part is…,” or "You don’t have to be good at writing.”

4. Posters with Faces

• Use staff photos and quotes. Consider using the following statements: “I didn’t think I was a journalist—now I am,” or “This class helped me find my voice.”
• Include a QR code linked to an interest form.

5. Morning Announcements/Video

• A short, student-led video will be better than any script you might read.
• Feature travel, events covered, friendships, and leadership.
• Perhaps your media students can also create a highlight reel of class activities and field trips from throughout the year. This can also be shared via social media.

6. Remove the Fear from Students

• Say these things explicitly: “You do NOT have to be an expert writer,” “We teach everything,” and “Mistakes are part of the process.”

7. Show the Schedule Reality

• Explain how journalism/yearbook fits graduation pathways.
• If it counts as an English elective, fine arts, or career credit, emphasize that.

8. Advertise Incentives That Actually Matter to Students

• Make a resume and college pitch.
• Skills colleges love: leadership, deadlines, collaboration, and real-world publishing.
• Show a former student’s resume or college acceptance quote.

9. Advertise Access & Privileges

• Press passes, early event access, field trips/conventions, and a real audience (Their work gets seen.).

10. Connect with middle school advisers in your area to get the names of students who already have media experience.

11. Invite-Only Info Meeting

• Short, after school, or during lunch.
• Snacks help 🍪.
• Let current students talk more than you.
• As advisers, we can all feel overwhelmed and spring semester especially is a bridge between completing tasks and thinking beyond this year.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, please know you are not alone. IHSPA is here to support you. I encourage you to reach out to fellow advisers, ask questions, share strategies that have worked, and lean on this community. One of our greatest strengths is our willingness to help one another.

Have a great semester!

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.

Don't forget to register for the Indiana High School Journalism Convention. It is January 30, 2026. The event is a great resource for journalism students and advisors that features educational programming for all aspects of scholastic journalism, including workshops and a chance for students to network with other journalism students from across the state. Register here and read about this year's keynote speaker Chuck Todd below!

Chuck Todd is a renowned political analyst, Host of The Chuck ToddCast, a weekly podcast offering in-depth interviews with political figures and experts, and Head of Politics & Host of “Sunday Night with Chuck Todd" for the Noosphere App. A six-time Emmy® Award-winner, Todd was NBC News’s chief Political Analyst and moderator of Meet the Press from 2014 to 2023. He also hosted Meet the Press NOW, a daily show on NBC News NOW, bringing timely political analysis to a digital audience.

Known for his sharp insight and encyclopedic knowledge of politics, Todd has co-moderated multiple presidential debates, including the record-breaking 2019 and 2020 Democratic debates. He previously served as NBC News’s chief White House Correspondent and hosted The Daily Rundown on MSNBC.

Todd is the author of two books and has contributed to The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic. He teaches how Washington works as the inaugural Scholar-in-Residence for The University of Southern California’s Capital Campus, in Washington, D.C.. Todd resides in Arlington, VA, with his wife, Kristian, and their two children.

Check out Quill and Scroll, an international honor society for high school journalism students since 1926. This organization has a long history of supporting and recognizing excellent student journalists. Students who earn membership become lifelong members. Quill and Scroll offers both student and adviser scholarships along with contests and critiques. Furthermore, they offer resources for advisers of chapter members.

We want to highlight and share great journalism resources in our monthly newsletters. Use this form to suggest lessons, curriculum, classroom ideas, places to find resources, etc. in a future newsletter. Basically, please share anything you think would help your fellow advisors.

Adviser: April Moss

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!