1. Publications philosophy How developing a vision, a mission, and goals can help drive coverage and increase staff motivation in your pub room

2. Vision What we want to see when we have done our jobs correctly Everyone needs to buy in to the same vision What does this look like? Be specific and describe it in terms everyone understands How is it different from what we see now? It has to be different, or there’s no reason to have it.

3. Sample vision statements Pfizer We will become the world's most valued company to patients, customers, colleagues, investors, business partners, and the communities where we work and live. Kraft Foods Helping people around the world eat and live better. The Walt Disney Corporation To make people happy

4. Re-Wa-Ne’s vision statement Producing a yearbook that has historical and cultural significance for both our student readers and extended audience.

5. How a mission statement differs Vision is what your world will look like. Mission is what your staff will do to create that world. Goals are the steps along the way that help everyone achieve the mission, and then the vision shows up.

6. mission Involve your stakeholders: Collect some parents, students, group leaders, administrative team members, editorial board, and staff Ask each what they would need to see in the publication in order to achieve your vision Questions should be framed so people don’t give you answers that won’t match. (What would it take for you to see value? May elicit “Cheaper price,” which won’t help you much in forming your mission statement.)

7. Re-wa-ne’s mission statement The staff of Reno High School’s yearbook, Re-Wa-Ne, is committed to creating an accurate portrayal of the classic high school experience that will be unforgettably eye-catching and will incorporate colorfully diverse styles of writing.

8. How did we arrive at this? I asked our editorial board what the non-negotiable elements of our work were Accuracy Coverage Fairness Diversity Innovation Award-winning quality What else?...

9. Then we asked our other stakeholders what they wanted Advertising sales & design quality Strong, In-depth Interviewing Variety in people and topics Responsibility of staffers Commitment to doing good work Community included Leadership from all staff members Creativity in design and storytelling Organization to communicate clearly Clear ideas of what belongs Matching design to concepts Not the same old, same old Outstanding Photography Rare stories and ideas Originality Good captioning Grammar & style Colorful design Unforgettable Wow factor Truthful & correct Interesting to wide audience A book students will enjoy Something that represents the values of the school (respect, honor, strength)

10. How did we get from the meeting to the mission? We used the list, kept it up on the screen, and we began to vote as an editorial board and staff on the most important (had students list their ideas of most important to least important). We chose the top concepts from their votes. We wrote the mission statement with all-staff input.

11. Re-wa-ne’s mission statement The staff of Reno High School’s yearbook, Re-Wa-Ne, is committed to creating an accurate portrayal of the classic high school experience that will be unforgettably eye-catching and will incorporate colorfully diverse styles of writing.

12. Now, how does it drive coverage? We put up this question on the big board: So what does that mission statement mean to me?

13. Editors took over the meeting I am responsible for… Meeting deadlines Developing new ideas to include more people Looking for innovative designs and coverage concepts Incorporating those ideas into my work Getting my own work done on time Helping others when my work is complete Refusing to allow or create silent failure Maintaining a positive attitude Staying focused on the group’s goal Enthusiastically participating in fundraising efforts

14. And now, on to the motto What’s a motto? Nothing. What’s a motto with you? A motto is a quick, snappy statement that can help redirect kids when they are flailing, floundering, and otherwise not working.

15. Re-wa-ne’s motto Capturing the year one day at a time. If a student isn’t actively doing something to make this true, s/he is immediately redirected.

16. How does this affect coverage? We have to make the book our public wants to buy. We have to create the newspaper our public wants to read. We have to distribute publications that give advertisers more bang for their bucks. We want to be proud of our publication. If we’re not doing something that causes these things to happen, we have to change what we’re doing.

17. So what happened after that? Editors made special efforts to find students whose stories may not have been included before. Staffers chased down students and found new and interesting stories we had not told. People section coverage increased tremendously. Sidebars and feature pieces were easier to select and fill. Staffers were already good at interviewing before they had “hard stuff” to cover.