The goal of the Print Press Program is to provide students with an opportunity to understand the role of media in a participatory democracy. Members of the Print Press Program engage in the actual skills of newspaper and magazine production, which include writing, interviewing, commentary, editing, layout, photography, graphics, production, and circulation.

Participants in the Print Press Program are given an opportunity to view the political arena from the eyes of a neutral observer and gain knowledge and experience in journalism as it relates to government. They will have opportunities to work in a team setting with other dedicated, highly motivated individuals. Participants in the Print Press Program will get an opportunity to learn technical and stylistic reporting, editing and layout.

Students will also get a chance to put their creative skills to practical use in writing, photography, graphics, page composition, and/or line art. Participants are trained on computers and utilize industry standard layout software and tools. While stories are reviewed by the Program Coordinators, the content and style of each publication is entirely determined by the student staff.

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The Print Press Program demands individual initiative and responsibility. Members work as part of a newspaper and magazine staff. The structure of the program mirrors those of a newspaper and magazine and individuals are assigned to cover the functions. These areas include:

• Management: story assignment and editing.
• Developing articles and reporting: interviewing, covering activities, events, individuals, and issues, as assigned by editors and Program Coordinators.
• Graphics and layout: creating headlines, overall layout, artwork, and graphics.
• Photography: providing photo coverage to record the State Convention.
• Production: printing, collating, and distributing the newspapers.

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Youth leadership opportunities for the newspaper and magazine staff may include an editorial staff consisting of the following positions:

• Editor-in-Chief or Co-Editors-in-Chief
• Art/Layout Editor
• Technical Consultant
• Photo Editor
• Executive Branch and Elections Editor
• Legislative Branch Editor
• Judicial Branch Editor
• Distribution Manager
• Opinions and Editorial Editor
• Feature Editor

Other positions may be assigned as needed. The Magazine staff may have other special roles not included here.

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