Yesterday, we talked��. Today, we’re focusing on��the badges themselves. Whether you want to earn one or two before the year’s up or achieve all six and become a ������ Distinguished Site, check out a few pointers from our Distinguished Site advisers below.

• Best of ������:��“…I would say to submit to Best of ������ often, but only do so with quality contenders: we looked at and analyzed other schools’ winning pieces to better understand what ������ is looking for in terms of content.” – Leslie Fireman ()

• Audience Engagement:��“…I already have two students dedicated to social media coverage, so they worked to make sure they had a plan for every day of the month….They planned ahead and designed posts and even scheduled them sometimes.” – Julieanne McClain ()

• Multimedia:��“For most staffs, the Multimedia badge is the hardest. Work multimedia coverage into your normal routine. Whether it’s a couple of people or the whole staff, there should be people creating��,��,����for your publication throughout the year, not just for badge submission time…” – Brit Taylor ()

• Story Page Excellence:��“Assign two students the job of master builder. They are responsible for learning about the different ways to build stories. Then have them work with people on picking the build that best enhances their story. Essentially, they will train everyone else on creative builds. Also show them how the Best of ������ recipients usually have creative and engaging builds–it’s part of good storytelling.” – Mary Long ()

• Continuous Coverage:��“…we created a giant chart/spreadsheet on the white board of our publications lab with each section of our website (news, features, etc) and 5 weeks at the top. We planned for a story in each box (one story per section per week). We planned for more than 4 sections and more than 4 weeks so that in case something fell through, it didn’t ruin the entire plan. That gave us a Plan B (and a Plan C) if we needed it.” – Julieanne McClain ()

• Site Excellence:��“Our editors have found the����and accompanying videos to be a huge help in this area.” – Keith Harrison ()

As we mentioned in yesterday’s report, we think an important part of the��process is remembering the��“why.” Earning badges is fun, but ultimately we hope that in doing so,��your online publication will improve.

• “It isn’t easy to become a ������ Distinguished Site. In fact, the process of becoming a ������ Distinguished Site can be time consuming and frustrating, especially when a badge submission is rejected. HOWEVER, the SNO Distinguished Site program absolutely has made Wingspan a better site as it has forced us to evaluate our current practices while at the same time leading us to try different things and take advantage of the options offered by ������.” – Brian Higgins ()

Looking for��more badge-specific guidance? Check out our����for a breakdown of each badge.

We recently reached out to advisers whose publications have already earned Distinguished Site status this year for��suggestions and insights about the process, and boy did they deliver! We’ll be sharing their ideas in multiple batches throughout this week.

Let’s kick things off with��organization. If you and your staff are on a quest to earn badges (or to����as a ������ Distinguished Site), you’ll need a solid game plan to get it done. Here’s what our Distinguished Sites advisers had to say.

• Make it intentional.��“[T]he biggest things we do to get the Distinguished Site Award is to focus our time and energy directly on those badge requirements. It has to be an intentional effort.” – Michael Reeves ()

• Don’t feel obligated to reinvent the wheel.��“We brainstorm together and find stories that we would normally cover that would also fit within each [badge] category.” – Rachel Hurlimann ()

• Delegate, delegate, delegate…��“Basically, one leader on staff claims the responsibility for each badge and/or section of each badge. Each leader can delegate and/or get all of the help they each need to achieve the assigned badge. But, one or two people oversee and report daily on the progress of each badge and/or each badge section until the badge is earned.” – Lisa Roskens ()

• …and then trust in that delegation.��“Create teams to focus on different badges. Each badge doesn’t need to be a whole team effort. Trust your students to learn the requirements of each badge and allow them to manage their progress.” – Brian Smith ()

• Check your progress regularly.��“All newsrooms become chaotic, so it’s easy to forget the goals you’ve set. We have found it helpful to assign ‘badge management’ to a student or two. Those students keep our goals at the forefront during pitch and planning days. If we know we need to use a new story format or we need quick coverage of an event, those students help to ensure we are assigning such tasks in planning.” – Maureen Dyer ()

However you and your staff choose to coordinate your efforts, we hope you’ll always remember your “why” in pursuing the Distinguished Sites badges –��to help your publication excel online.��Many advisers echoed this in their responses to us, so we’ll be sharing their reminders at the end of each report this week.

• “At the end of the day, trying to achieve Distinguished Site status forces your students to create good journalism. It will make your programs better.” – Mary Long ()

Now go get your staff organized and check back tomorrow for more Distinguished Site tips!

Congratulations to all of the Online Pacemaker winners! We are incredibly proud of them. In alphabetical order by site title, the winners are:

• , Hagerty High School, Oviedo, Florida

• , Coppell High School, Coppell, Texas

• , Foothill Technology High School, Ventura, California

• , Legacy High School, Mansfield, Texas

• , St. Paul Academy and Summit School, St. Paul, Minnesota

• , Carlmont High School, Belmont, California

• , Southwest Career and Technical Academy, Las Vegas, Nevada

• , University of Chicago Laboratory High School, Chicago, Illinois

• , Wayland High School, Wayland, Massachusetts

• , West Chicago Community High School, West Chicago, Illinois

• , Liberty High School, Frisco, Texas

Congratulations again to the Online Pacemaker winning advisers and staffs!

To stave off the spring slump, here’s a giant (and random) list of ideas our ������ staff loves that might spark a little inspiration. We can’t motivate your staff for you, but maybe a little bit of peer pressure will help!

1. This creative use of the����format (with additional customization) to elevate a��cookie review��

• ��(St. Paul Academy and Summit��School)��

2. This (or that) fun topic idea for a new������

• ��(Southwest Career & Technical Academy)

3. The��clickable��photo next to this site’s��Sports Score Carousel��that links out to their����page

• ��(Brimmer and May School)

4. These awesome seasonal����

• ��(Iowa City West High School)
• ��(Inlet Grove High School)��
• ��(Pleasant Valley High School)

5. Using a����as a featured image in combination with one of our immersive templates��

• ��(Carlmont High School)

6. These visually striking image comparisons created using Knight Lab’s����tool��

• ��(Van Nuys High School)

7. This fun category idea to highlight all your publication’s awesome photos (and photographers)��

• ��(McCallum High School)

8. The��inclusion of a��Senior Spotlights display on this site��

• ��(Brunswick High School)

9. This great example of our newest ������ Story Element, the����

• ��(Foothill Technology High School)

10. The subtle use of our����option on this site’s internal pages (click on a tab in their menu to see)����

• ��(Community High School)

11. This site’s��use of dual����in the header – a Menu Bar��to display the major categories, and a Hamburger Menu to display additional pages like SNO, Staff, etc.��

• ��(Los Alamitos High School)

12. And lastly, in the spirit of this list, the random article generator button at the top of this site��

• ��(The Masters School)

One thing we see regularly among submissions is staffs wanting to cover major national or international news. If your staff wants to pursue these kind of stories (and have them considered for Best of ������ publication), here are two things to keep in mind:

1.��Make sure that you have a strong local connection.��If you are not near the event being reported, your school or community needs to have some sort of connection that allows you to report on the broader topic in the background while keeping the focus on what is happening locally. Check out a few examples below.

��by Reese Duncan, Lincoln High School��

In this piece, the Lincoln High School staff managed to link to information about the war in Gaza, but kept their main focus on a fundraiser being done by a business in their community.

��by Abigail Kapur, Dougherty Valley High School��

Dougherty Valley High School didn’t necessarily mention the national teacher shortage in this story, but instead focused on that problem at their district and how they are trying to find a solution.

2.��Send reporters into the field to cover national stories and how they are impacting your community.��With 2024 being a presidential election year, there will be ample opportunities to cover political events in or near your school. For non-election coverage, keep your eye out for how major national stories (wars, immigration, technology changes, etc.) are present in your school’s community.

��by Rohin Shah and Cherish Curtis, The Latin School of Chicago��

The Latin School of Chicago sent reporters to talk with migrants who found themselves in downtown Chicago. They provided a lot of information about the broader topic via links, but kept their reporting on interviews they conducted with individuals.

��by Nyah Rama, Coppell High School��

With the Presidential primary in full swing, it is going to be a great opportunity for your staff to go and see or hear the candidates, or their surrogates, live. Coppell High School attended a rally where they were able to talk to voters and quote the (former) candidate in their story.

All of these stories involved the staff going out in the field and talking to multiple individuals. That is the type of coverage Best of ������ is looking for regarding national or international issues.

Have a great spring, and keep those stories coming!

Thirty-four of the����Gold Crown winners for digital or hybrid categories are part of the SNO network. The awards were announced at CSPA’s Spring Convention on March 15, 2023.

We’re incredibly proud of these outstanding programs! They are listed below.

College Yearbook Hybrid News��

• , Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY

High School Hybrid General Magazine��

• , Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto, CA

• , duPont Manual High School, Louisville, KY

• , Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto, CA

• , Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto, CA

High School Hybrid Literary Magazine����

• , Westwood High School, Austin, TX

High School Digital News

• , Prosper High School, Prosper, TX

• , Carmel High School, Carmel, IN

• , Altoona Area High School, Altoona, PA

• , Southwest Career and Technical Academy, Las Vegas, NV

• , Brimmer and May School, Newton, MA

• , La Salle Catholic College Preparatory, Milwaukie, OR

• , The Archer School for Girls, Los Angeles, CA

• , Legacy High School, Mansfield, TX

• , Wayland High School, Wayland, MA

• , Liberty High School, Liberty, TX

High School Hybrid News

• , Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, FL

• , Monta Vista High School, Palo Alto, CA

• , Kingwood Park High School, Kingwood, TX

• , Francis Howell North High School, Saint Charles, MO

• , Shalhevet High School, Los Angeles, CA

• , Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto, CA

• , Algonquin Regional High School, Northborough, MA

• , McLean High School, McLean, VA

• , Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, Rockville, MD

• , Marquette High School, Chesterfield, MO

• , Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, West Palm Beach, FL

• , St. John’s School, Houston, TX

• , St. Paul Academy and Summit School, Saint Paul, MN

• , McCallum High School, Austin, TX

• , Midtown High School, Atlanta, GA

• , The American School in London, London, United Kingdom

• , Texas High School, Texarkana, TX

• , University of Chicago Laboratory High School, Chicago, IL

��to view a list of all Gold and Silver Crown recipients.

The sky’s the limit when it comes to interpreting all that data, but if boosting site traffic is your goal, here are a few suggestions to get you started.

1. Story Views��– Which stories are generating the most views, and what do they have in common? Maybe it’s��, interactive elements like��, or just more mentions of students at your school. Whatever it is, try to emulate it in your other stories.

2. Bounce Rate��– Bounce rate refers to the percentage of site visitors who view only one page before leaving, so aim to keep it as low as possible. Try to decrease it by encouraging��visitors to click through to other site content. Use one of the����(and make sure you have����in the sidebar), or consider a����or���������� Story element��to make more content readily accessible (and clickable) as visitors interact with��your stories.

3. Acquisition��– Note which method of acquisition is most popular, and aim to��boost the others. For example, ask the school to share a link to your site on the school website to improve referral traffic, or share links to new stories on social media to increase organic social traffic. The more ways people are getting to your site, the better.

4. Retention��– Aim to increase the number of repeat site visitors. Our biggest suggestion is publishing content at established intervals to keep people to regularly returning. You can get creative here, or����we shared earlier this year to generate some ideas.

5. Tech��– Which��devices are people using to view your site? If you have a lot of mobile users (we’re guessing you probably do), make sure your site’s����looks the way you want��or consider adding the����to your account to drive even more mobile traffic.

Most importantly, we hope you and your staff will take time to reflect on what you found when exploring your analytics. Celebrate your strengths, make an action plan to address any weaknesses, and set some goals for the future.

������ Analytics

Easily access most of the basic analytics information you need using the�������� Analytics plugin��in your site’s dashboard.��It’s organized into several, easily accessible tabs with adjustable date ranges.

1. Site Analytics��– Access��a general overview of your site’s analytics data over time, including number of visitors, number of pageviews and stories read, average session time, and bounce rate (percentage of visitors who viewed only one page during their session).

2. Most Viewed Stories��– Take a look at which stories are generating the most traffic.

3. Most Viewed URLs��– Similarly, see which URLs are most visited (categories, pages, etc.).

4. Trending Stories Widget Preview��– If you have a ������ Trending Stories����(or want to add one), use this tab to update and adjust which stories are displayed there.

5. Google Analytics��– Give yourself (or your staff) access to your full����dashboard.

6. Maps��– View which states and countries your visitors are coming from.

Google Analytics

If you grant yourself access to your site’s Google Analytics (via the tab mentioned above), you can explore the Google Analytics dashboard. It’s a much more robust interface with a lot to see, but we’d recommend starting with the following in the “Reports” section.

1. Realtime��– Monitor activity on your site as it is happening.

2. Acquisition��– Learn more about where your site users are coming from and how they’re getting there (search engine, direct link, etc.).

3. Engagement��– Find out how much time people are spending on your site and what they’re doing while they’re there.

4. Retention��– See the ratio between first-time site visitors versus returning visitors.

5. Tech��– Discover which technologies your visitors are using to access your site, including operating systems, devices, and browsers.

Now that you know where to go, we encourage you and your staff to take a deep dive into your��analytics. And keep an eye out for next week’s ������ Report, where we’ll share suggestions for how to use that data!

The SNO Patrol is immensely proud of these exemplary websites! The sites are:

• , Carlmont High School, Belmont, California
• , Brea Olinda High School, Brea, California
• , The Archer School for Girls, Los Angeles, California
• , Van Nuys High School, Van Nuys, California
• , Foothill Technology High School, Ventura, California
• , Hagerty High School, Oviedo, Florida
• , Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Florida
• , Midtown High School, Atlanta, Georgia
• , Antioch Community High School, Antioch, Illinois
• , University of Chicago Laboratory High School, Chicago, Illinois
• , West Chicago Community High School, West Chicago, Illinois
• , Carmel High School, Carmel, Indiana
• , Mill Valley High School, Shawnee Kansas
• , Brimmer and May School, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
• , Wayland High School, Wayland, Massachusetts
• , Community High School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
• , St. Paul Academy and Summit School, St. Paul, Minnesota
• , Francis Howell Central High School, Cottleville, Missouri
• , Francis Howell North High School, Saint Charles, Missouri
• , Southwest Career and Technical Academy, Las Vegas, Nevada
• , Coppell High School, Coppell, Texas
• , Liberty High School, Frisco, Texas
• , Legacy High School, Mansfield, Texas
• , McLean High School, McLean Virginia

Winners will be announced at the JEA/NSPA April 4-6, 2024 in Kansas City.

������ is again offering a covering the design options available on your ������ Site, and time to begin work on a redesign.