Columbia Scholastic Press Association

Digital Design for Newspapers

This sequence is for newspaper students and designers who want to kick the paper’s total package up a notch. We’ll look at page design that brings stories and photos to life, new trends that professional papers are utilizing and how to give your paper it’s own identity. Page designers, photographers, advisers and even writers who want to learn how to take the paper to another level are welcome.

Required: Digital camera with media cards, readers, batteries plus laptop with Photoshop and InDesign (or whatever you use to design your newspaper) installed. Working knowledge of all equipment and software is a prerequisite to this sequence. One laptop per school is fine. Also, bring copies of your newspapers from the last year that can be marked up.

Sequence assignments

• The week will consist of hands-on activities including shooting photos, gathering information and designing newspaper pages.
• We will look at newspapers section by section to make sure there is a clear division between front page, opinion, sports and entertainment – each section should have its own style, but they should all tie in together.  
• In design, we’ll talk about how photography and typography can push your paper above and beyond the rest.  
• We will also talk about Photoshop and tips and tricks you can use with the program for your newspaper.   
• We will take some time to look into the world of online newspapers – the biggest trend in professional journalism.  
• By the time, the week is over, you will have a file full of ideas that you can take back and use immediately.

Class Instructor

Jenny Dial is a sportswriter at The Houston Chronicle in the fourth largest market in the United States. A graduate of The University of Oklahoma, Dial has worked for publications such as The San Antonio Express News, The Dallas Morning News, USA Today and Sports Illustrated. She worked for the Gold Crown-winning Oklahoma Daily in college and was the editor for the Gold Crown-winning East Central High School yearbook (San Antonio, TX).

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