Media Now Editor Training
Training Options for 2025-26
› Editor Leadership Playbook (asynchronous)
› Editor Leadership Accelerator (synchronous)
› Adviser Game Plan (adviser-only)
Most student leaders are thrust into positions without having the training they need to be successful room managers, leaders, motivators and visionaries. Most advisers are juggling so many roles between grading and coverage across their school communities to multiple publications and organization of day-to-day activities.
That’s why veteran advisers Aaron Manfull and Sarah Nichols set up leadership programming options to help give editors and their advisers tools they need to be successful for the entire school year.
Whether you're an adviser looking for help training your editors or some additional support, or a high school student looking for some extra guidance, these program offerings are sure to set your media rooms up for success in the upcoming school year.
ASYNCHRONOUS
New Format! Editor Leadership Playbook
New for 2025-26, we're offering a flexible framework that can be used when and where you need it.
Helping editors become great leaders is something Sarah Nichols and Aaron Manfull have both been doing individually for more than two decades now. Their belief is that a strong editorial team not only helps students grow as individuals, but helps staffs reach their potential together.
The asynchronous Editor Leadership Toolkit provides detailed training and tips advisers can use throughout the year to help their leaders do everything from building daily calendars to creating stronger teams, all based on a flexible framework to use when and how you need it.
Playbook Program Pricing
$20/editor
or
$150/school (unlimited editors)
Skill Video Add-Ons
Add technical skill training to any program offering. All of our Newsroom Bundle Training Videos with more than 170 videos in everything from video and writing to photography and social media, for only $99 (reg. $199)
Schools participating in the asynchronous Editor Leadership Playbook will receive:
- 30 leadership tips that each include a lesson, supplemental links and practical activities that help editors put the tips to work
- A variety of tips covering topics from being more organized and working with their adviser to communicating with their peers and finding their replacement
- The ability to use the tips for the year for all editors at the school no matter how many advisers the school has
Advisers will have access to the full 30 tips beginning Monday, August 25.
You can see a sample of what the tips look like here.
SYNCHRONOUS
Editor Leadership Accelerator
Our established leadership training program has been leveraged by hundreds of students over the past three years. It offers real time conversation, activities and application of the leadership tips released throughout the school year. Helping editors become great leaders is something Sarah Nichols and Aaron Manfull have both been doing individually for more than two decades now. Their belief is that a strong editorial team not only helps students grow as individuals, but helps staffs reach their potential together.
The synchronous Editor Leadership Accelerator provides detailed training in three rounds, spread throughout the year. One round will be in August/September, the second will be in October and the final round will be in January with all participating schools and editors going through the tips at the same time. Our established synchronous format has been successfully shaping editors in newsrooms for three years with this proven approach.
Accelerator Program Pricing
$20/editor
or
$150/school (unlimited editors)
Skill Video Add-Ons
Add technical skill training to any program offering. All of our Newsroom Bundle Training Videos with more than 170 videos in everything from video and writing to photography and social media, for only $99 (reg. $199)
Schools participating in the synchronous Editor Leadership Accelerator will receive:
- 30 leadership tips that each include a lesson, supplemental links and practical activities that help editors put the tips to work.
- A variety of tips covering topics from being more organized and working with their adviser to communicating with their peers and finding their replacement
- The ability to use the tips for the year for all editors at the school no matter how many advisers the school has.
- An opportunity at the end of each round to join a Zoom call with Manfull, Nichols and participating editors from around the county to talk about how things are going and get even more great ideas.
The first round of the synchronous editor tips will begin Monday, August 25.
Three Batches of Tips Throughout the Year
Each round will include 10 tips that will be released over the course of 10 days totaling 30 tips for the school year.
Round One - School Year Kick Off
August 25-Sept. 5, 2025
Round Two - Settled Into the School Year
October 6-17, 2025
Round Three - Mid-Year Push
January 12-23, 2026
You can see a sample of what the tips look like here.
The below is an adviser-only program
Adviser Game Plan
High schools frequently only have one adviser, making it difficult to collaborate and get fresh ideas to make it the best year possible. Advisers balance everything from creating lesson plans and grading to organizing equipment and making the room a fun space for students.
As a result, veteran advisers Sarah Nichols and Aaron Manfull, who have more than 50 years of advising experience between them and are certified as Master Journalism Educators from the Journalism Education Association, have created a weekly game plan to help advisers be more organized, keep students motivated and have some fun. These adviser-specific tips address everything from grading and empowering students to preventing overwhelm and managing one or multiple publications. The Game Plan will be your pocket guide to helping you have a great year.
Adviser Game Plan Pricing
$150/year
Skill Video Add-Ons
Add technical skill training to any program offering. All of our Newsroom Bundle Training Videos with more than 170 videos in everything from video and writing to photography and social media, for only $99 (reg. $199)
Participating advisers will receive:
- 30 adviser-focused weekly email tips spread out from August-March
- A 30-minute call once a semester with Manfull and/or Nichols
- Access to an adviser-only group chat
The 30-Week Game Plan starts Monday, August 18.
A Note for Advisers
The Media Now Editor Training Programs: The Playbook and The Accelerator, are ideal for filling a curriculum gap without spending hours in development. You can focus on journalism while we provide the leadership training your students need. This program meets CTE standards and includes the leadership component necessary for honors credit in most states. All you have to do is identify students and share this content with them. And at the end, you can report back the additional work that has been completed.
Meet Your Instructors
Sarah Nichols
Whitney High School (CA)
Currently in her 26th year advising, Nichols advises Whitney High Student Media (Details yearbook, The Roar newsmagazine and Whitney Update news website) in California, where her students have earned top honors such as NSPA Pacemakers and CSPA Crown awards. Nichols just finished six years as president of the Journalism Education Association and also is past president of the Journalism Education Association of Northern California as well as a member of its board of directors. She is certified as a Master Journalism Educator and serves on JEA’s Scholastic Press Rights and Digital Media committees. Nichols was recognized in 2011 as the Cal-JEC High School Journalism Teacher of the Year for California. She was named the 2010 National Yearbook Adviser of the Year and received a Medal of Merit from JEA as well as the Pioneer Award from the National Scholastic Press Association and Gold Key from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Her published works include a yearbook adviser curriculum for Jostens Publishing and the NSPA Yearbook Guidebook. She also teaches Advising Yearbook, a graduate course for the Center for Scholastic Journalism’s online masters program at Kent State University.
Aaron Manfull
Camp Co-Director, Francis Howell North High School (MO)
Aaron Manfull is a former Dow Jones News Fund National Teacher of the Year and has spent the last 26 years advising student media in Iowa and Missouri and for more than half of that time his students have been working online with digital media. Aaron currently advises media at Francis Howell North High School in St. Charles, MO. In addition to his teaching and advising duties, Aaron serves as the Journalism Education Association’s Digital Media Chair, heading their site, JEADigitalMedia.org.
Aaron has taught numerous web design courses for students and advisers. The National Scholastic Press Association honored him with their Pioneer Award and the Journalism Education Association named him the Linda S. Puntney Teacher Inspiration Award winner in 2023.
Editor Training Sign Up!
Sign up now for the 2025-26 Editor Training. Add on the bonus videos and Adviser Game Plan to bundle and save!
Questions?
You can drop a quick line to Aaron Manfull at [email protected] or feel free to call/text the Media Now team at 636-778-8501.