How to Add School Newspaper Writing to a Resume Effectively

In this guide, you’ll get clear steps on how to add school newspaper writing to a resume, plus examples that show exactly how to position it for different roles.

Adding school newspaper experience to your resume isn’t about filling space. It’s about showing real work, real writing, and real responsibility. According to several hiring managers in media and communications, student journalism can carry as much weight as an internship, if it's presented with clarity, results, and relevance to the role.

1. Use a Clear Job Title

Choose a job title that reflects your actual responsibilities and aligns with industry terms. Avoid vague labels like “Volunteer” or “Member,” which fail to convey what you contributed.

Examples of strong titles:

• Staff Writer
• Student Journalist
• Editor-in-Chief
• News Section Editor
• Graphic Designer
• Social Media Editor

Example:

Student Journalist, The Campus Chronicle

Editor-in-Chief, Skyline University Newspaper

If you held multiple roles, list them separately to show growth and scope.

2. Place It in the Right Section

Your school newspaper work should appear in the section that best matches its depth and relevance.

Placement options:

• Use Experience if it involved ongoing responsibilities or leadership
• Include it under Education section if tied to coursework
• Use Projects or Campus Involvement for part-time or limited roles
• List individual articles in a Publications section if they stand alone
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Example (under Experience):

Student Journalist, The Brookside Times

August 2023 – May 2024

Wrote weekly news and feature articles, reaching 1,200+ readers per issue

Always list entries in reverse chronological order, with the most recent first.

3. Start with Strong Action Verbs

Begin each bullet point with a verb that shows what you accomplished. This keeps your content direct and makes your experience easier to scan.

Effective verbs:

• Wrote
• Edited
• Reported
• Designed
• Published
• Interviewed
• Researched
• Managed
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Weaker:

Helped with editing the school newspaper

Stronger:

Edited 12+ articles monthly for clarity, tone, and AP style

Weaker:

Worked on the newspaper website

Stronger:

Published weekly articles using WordPress; optimized layout for mobile readers

Use one action verb per bullet point. Keep each line focused on a single responsibility or result.

4. Include Numbers and Results

Use metrics to give your experience scale and credibility. Numbers show consistency, impact, and professionalism, especially when most job seekers fail to include them.

What to quantify:

• Number of articles written
• Publishing frequency
• Readership or distribution size
• Digital engagement (views, shares)
• Team size (if you led or managed)
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Examples:

Wrote 18 feature articles over two semesters, averaging 600+ words each

Managed layout for 12 monthly issues distributed to 2,000+ readers

Increased online engagement by 35% through targeted Instagram promotion

Choose numbers that support your target role and industry, especially in a competitive job market where quantified impact helps draw attention.

Including how many articles you wrote shows scope and consistency, especially for content-heavy roles.

5. Mention Tools and Platforms

List tools that reflect your technical capabilities. This shows you're comfortable using software that’s relevant in professional settings and helps optimize your resume for applicant tracking systems.

Tools to include if used:

• Google Docs
• Canva
• Adobe InDesign
• WordPress or CMS platforms
• Social media schedulers
• Trello, Notion, or similar project tools
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Examples:

Designed layouts in InDesign and collaborated using Google Docs, streamlining the review process across the editorial team.

Scheduled and promoted weekly posts using Canva and Instagram

Mention tools within context. This is stronger than listing them separately under the skills section, and it helps applicant tracking systems recognize your qualifications.

6. Highlight Soft Skills with Examples

Instead of stating soft skills directly, show them through your work. Clear examples of communication, time management, and teamwork are far more effective than generic claims, which are among the most common resume mistakes seen by hiring professionals.

Convert soft skills into bullet points:

• Collaborated with four editors to publish weekly issues on deadline
• Conducted interviews with 10+ faculty members for investigative reporting
• Balanced biweekly publishing deadlines with a full academic course load

Keep your examples tied to action. That’s what hiring managers remember, especially when you're showcasing specific skills like deadline management or collaborative editing.

7. Tailor Your Experience to the Job

Align your bullet points with the job description. This helps your resume match the employer’s needs and increases visibility in applicant tracking systems. Recruiters in marketing, nonprofit, and corporate communications often look for transferable strengths, like audience engagement, message clarity, and team coordination over just job titles. With a few word choices, you can reframe journalism work as content creation, campaign support, or internal communications, depending on the role.

Adjust your focus based on the role:

• Emphasize research and accuracy for analytical or nonprofit roles
• Highlight editing and content volume for writing or publishing positions
• Frame social media or audience work as engagement metrics for digital marketing roles
• Present interviews, team meetings, or article coordination as stakeholder communication in PR or corporate jobs
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Example:

Researched and wrote weekly articles on university policy changes, reflecting strong communication and stakeholder awareness

Use language from the job posting where applicable, without overstating. This technique is often recommended by a certified professional resume writer when tailoring resumes for targeted roles.

8. Include Notable Articles or Projects

Mention high-impact work, especially if it shows quality or reach. Include the article title and any measurable results when possible.

Example:

Reported on faculty contract negotiations (Article Title: “Behind the Vote”); article received 1,500+ online views and was shared in the university newsletter

Create a publications section or link to a professional website if you have multiple writing samples. If needed, add a separate section for project-based articles or multimedia work. You can also create a publications list using consistent formatting to keep your resume organized and clear, especially when submitting applications that request writing samples.

Avoid outdated publications or early work that no longer represents your writing style or focus. Prioritize quality over quantity.

9. Show Leadership and Ownership

If you led a team, managed production, or trained others, include those details. Leadership experience, even in student media, reflects initiative and responsibility.

Examples of leadership tasks:

• Directed editorial meetings and assigned stories to a five-person staff
• Oversaw layout and approved all final content for print and web
• Mentored junior writers on sourcing and citation style

Highlight results where possible to add weight. This can set your application apart from other candidates who describe duties without measurable outcomes. This is especially useful when building a strong journalist resume that needs to demonstrate both editorial judgment and measurable impact.

10. Keep It Focused and Job-Relevant

Limit your resume to one page unless you have extensive experience. Every line should support your current career goal and strengthen your overall resume with relevant, concise information tied to your work history. A focused resume summary or professional profile at the top of the page can help draw the reader in quickly.

Final checks:

• Use a clean, easy-to-read resume template that avoids clutter and highlights your most relevant content at the top.
• Prioritize relevant skills and accomplishments
• Align bullet points with the job description
• Include a professional website or portfolio link if needed, especially when referencing published articles or design samples.
• List publications separately using a consistent APA style or MLA format, especially if you’re applying for roles in research, policy, or academic writing.
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Skip volume numbers unless required for academic or archival submissions, such as applications to a research lab, contribution to an international journal, or inclusion in formal book chapters. Keep your focus on clarity, quality, and relevance. Avoid crowding your resume with less impactful tasks that take up valuable space without adding strategic value.

Resume Example with School Newspaper Experience

When applying for internships, entry-level communication roles, or journalism-related positions, your resume should highlight your writing experience, ability to meet deadlines, and familiarity with publishing tools.

Journalism Internship Resume

Copy

Dante Ruiz

Chicago, IL

dante.ruiz@email.com

linkedin.com/in/danteruiz

Editor-in-Chief | Aspiring Journalist with Investigative Reporting and Team Leadership Experience

Professional Summary

Journalism student with leadership experience in editorial management, reporting, and print production. Brings strong journalism experience across both print and digital platforms. Skilled in research, interviewing, and AP style editing. Seeking newsroom internship opportunities to expand reporting skills and contribute high-quality stories to professional publications.

Experience

North Central Student News – Chicago, IL

Editor-in-Chief | August 2023 – May 2024

• Led a 10-person editorial board overseeing News, Features, and Opinion sections
• Edited and approved 30+ articles per month for grammar, tone, and accuracy
• Wrote long-form investigative reports on housing costs and faculty contract negotiations, earning recognition from career advisors and career coaches as standout student journalism.
• Managed print production schedules and ensured timely delivery of monthly editions, a key responsibility noted in competitive journalism job descriptions.

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, North Central University (Expected 2025)

Relevant Coursework: Media Law, Investigative Journalism, News Writing

Skills

• AP Style Editing
• Long-form Reporting
• Team Leadership
• Interviewing Techniques
• Layout & Print Production

Relevant Publications

• “Behind the Vote: Faculty Contract Negotiations” – North Central News, March 2024
• “Students Struggle with Housing Costs” – North Central News, January 2024

Need help formatting your resume? Use our AI resume builder as a starting point, especially if you want clean, readable templates that highlight writing experience clearly.

Conclusion

School newspaper experience is real, relevant, and worth including on your resume when presented with clarity and intent. Focus on your role, results, and the skills that align with your goals. If you wrote, edited, published, or led, it belongs on the page. This also applies to related volunteer work that used those same skills, even if it wasn’t part of a formal publication.