Student Newspaper Deerprints Club Asst Sponsor

Position Summary:

Deerprints is Deerfield High School's student-led and student-published newspaper-a place where student journalists investigate meaningful stories, develop their voices, and contribute thoughtfully to the life of the school community. The assistant co-sponsor will help mentor these emerging journalists as they practice the craft of reporting and the art of writing, from the first story idea through publication. This role offers an opportunity to guide students in responsible storytelling, thoughtful leadership, and ethical decision-making in an evolving media landscape shaped by artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.

General Expectations

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Work with the head sponsor to supervise editors and support the productive, purposeful operation of newspaper meetings, and field trips.
• Mentor staff writers, photojournalist and graphic artist through every stage of the storytelling process, from developing a compelling concept and conducting accurate, responsible reporting to shaping structure, style, grammar, and an authentic journalistic voice.
• Coach students in the craft of journalism, including interviewing, research, organization, revision, audience awareness, and clear, engaging writing.
• Proofread and refine articles, photographs, captions, headlines, and other published materials with careful attention to accuracy, clarity, grammar, visual communication, and professional student newspaper standards.
• Work with editors to help them remain creative, organized, meet responsibilities and deadlines, and grow as thoughtful, inclusive, collaborative student leaders.
• Support editors in making sound editorial decisions and in creating a staff culture grounded in journalistic ethics, including accuracy, fairness, transparency, accountability, and responsibility to readers.
• Guide students in using artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies responsibly to enhance reporting, brainstorming, organization, and revision while upholding journalistic integrity, honest attribution, original thinking, curiosity, privacy, and the accuracy of published work.
• Supervise editors' updates to the Deerprints website, helping ensure that digital content is accurate, accessible, timely, and consistent with the publication's standards.
• Collaborate with Kenya M. Maize, head sponsor, in supporting the Deerprints staff and the ongoing development of the newspaper.

Work Schedule

• Deerprints meets twice weekly during the school year during EB/after school at 3:20 p.m. The role also includes occasional evening hours for virtual editors' meetings. In the spring, there are additional evening paste-up hours devoted to the production and publication of Deerprints' highly anticipated senior issue.