Covering Elections in Your Yearbook

ICYMI: It’s a presidential election year!

Whether it’s a student government election or a larger political event, here are some tips to help you effectively cover elections in your yearbook.

Instead of just following what’s going on in the local or national news, your staff and adviser are the best judge of your school’s climate and what appropriate coverage looks like. Balance is always crucial as there are two sides — and no one should be able to tell which side the adviser/staff are on.

Cover the people not the politics.

Rather than focusing on the politicians, focus on the people in your school and their level of interest and involvement. Remember, your job as a journalist is to be objective.

Start planning your coverage ahead of time.

Discuss with your staff how elections fit into the broader narrative of the school year. Decide whether you want to focus on local elections, student government elections or even larger political events that impact your community. This will help set the tone and direction for your coverage.

Localize the voting and elections to your school community.

Here are a few ideas:

Many seniors will be 18 and eligible to vote for the first time. Ask students about their voting experience without taking sides. Were they shocked about the wait (or lack thereof)? Did they receive an “I voted.” sticker? Where did they place it?
What about the government and history teachers? Does an election year change their curriculum? How?
If your school has Young Republican or Young Democrats groups, covering both groups equally might be a way to include the topic.
Create an infographic on if students watched the debates or if they were tired of political ads (not which ones!).

Looking for photos?

National Scholastic Press Association developed a Campaign 2024 Photo Exchange. If you’re a student journalist and your school is a member of National Scholastic Press Association, you’re eligible to contribute to and download from the archive at no cost. All photos not taken by a staff photographer should be licensed and credited.