North High School Newspaper Advisor
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| Mr. Simms |
The time has come for North High journalism to be online, says Joe Simms, the adviser for North's student newspaper, Polar Prints.
"A newspaper that exists only on paper has certain limitations," says Simms. "For one, it's hard to make it timely for the readers. A student might write a wonderful article about a school event, but if it doesn't reach the student population for more than a week, not as many people will still be interested in reading it."
On the internet, Simms points out, the delivery time is much quicker.
"Here's a scenario I'm imagining: a North student attends a Friday night sports event. He or she takes notes and interviews players, coaches, and fans. Then the student types up the article, posts it online, and flags it on Facebook before going to sleep that night. The next morning, North fans can go online and read that game story while it's still fresh news!"
Simms admits that there are some concerns that go along with this change.
"My biggest worry is that with the speed at which we will be publishing, there will be fewer opportunities to fix mistakes. I have always taken pride in putting out material that is accurate and error-free. It will be a challenge to keep meeting those standards."
Nevertheless, the timing feels right for this change: "We try to look at what the major newspapers do, such as the Star Tribune. They went online a long time ago, and they now are available in both paper and computer form."
The paper version of Polar Prints isn't going anywhere yet, says Simms.
"Polar Prints on paper has been an important part of the identity of North High School for decades, and it will continue to be so," he says. "I'm hoping to see a point where online journalism increases interest in the paper version, and vice versa."
