The Norfolk Daily News is shaking things up with all-staff, semi-spontaneous reporting field trips to rural communities surrounding the newspaper’s headquarters in Norfolk, Nebraska, population 25,000. Almost half of the newspapers subscribers are from these smaller, rural communities, and it’s been a great way to create buzz among readers. Fourteen newsroom staff members dispatch to 14 different communities, one each, all on the same afternoon and are given two hours in that community, from which they must come back with a story, photo or video to share with readers. Each August before school starts, we work with a designated liaison from each school building from elementary to high school. We create an individual website page for each school that they are encouraged to post as much information as they would like — photos, honor rolls, etc. Because it's part of the Daily News website, the resulting traffic is considerably greater, especially because each week the Daily News publishes a sponsored ad in its print edition highlighting a recent post from one of the schools.

1. Ideas from Nebraska
Or . . .
How any newspaper can get lucky with an
idea every once in a while

2. ⋙The premise:
⋙Get staff members
out of the office.
⋙Create a positive
buzz in communities or
neighborhoods.
⋙Generate interesting
stories and advertising
possibilities.

3. ⋙The details:
⋙Decide how many staff members
can participate and then choose a
corresponding number of towns or
neighborhoods.
⋙Staff members are told in advance
what day road trip planned for but not
where they’re being sent.
⋙Staff members have two hours to
decide on and come back with a story.
⋙Stories, photos and/or videos can
run in subsequent edition or special
section.

4. ⋙The results:
⋙Interesting stories
⋙Appreciation from
participating towns.
⋙Requests from other
towns to participate next
year.
⋙Cost of time away
and mileage easily
outweighed by
advertising revenue of
about $9,200.

5. ⋙The premise:
⋙Individual school websites don’t
generate a lot of traffic.
⋙Getting students, parents, grand-parents
and others to visit
newspaper’s website can only be
positive.
⋙Schools are interested in seeing
their information and student news
be seen by as many people as
possible.
⋙Making students aware of
newspaper website has potential
long-term benefits.

6. ⋙The details:
⋙Create basic website page for each school
building involved.
⋙Provide log-in, password and training to
designated school representative.
⋙Encourage schools to post as much
information and as many photos and videos as
they choose.
⋙Publish weekly ad in print edition
highlighting one of the posts from previous
week.
⋙Promote the newspaper/school
collaboration in print and online.

7. ⋙The results:
⋙Increased traffic to newspaper
website.
⋙Good will fostered between
newspaper and school district.
⋙Fewer complaints that the newspaper
isn’t paying enough attention to schools.
⋙School district has started doing more
advertising in the print edition.
⋙School district has encouraged more
teacher and student participation in NIE
programs, resulting in higher
subscription and sponsorship totals for
newspaper.