About
The Paw Print is the official school newspaper of Woodside High School, entirely run by students in the Digital Journalism elective. Established in 1958 in Woodside, California, The Paw Print strives to keep readers informed, up-to-date, and engaged by practicing ethical and accurate reporting. Staff reporters learn the basics of story pitching, news writing, interviewing and editing while producing content for The Paw Print.
Students in Digital Journalism I, II and III are equipped with writing, communication and multimedia skills necessary to succeed in collaborative and technology-driven industries. By managing The Paw Print, students learn how to write and publish articles in accordance with industry-standard guidelines, follow professional journalistic ethics, manage School Newspapers Online (SNO) and WordPress website design, create content for the school’s announcements, reach out to and interview sources, and collaborate as part of a team.
In years past, The Paw Print staff has also collaborated with KQED Public Radio to produce content for the annual Youth Takeover on KQED in late spring. Students have traveled to participate in the annual National Journalism Education Association Convention in Chicago and Washington D.C. along with traveling to local journalism competitions, workshops, and newsrooms.
In January 2020, The Paw Print began offering some articles in both English and Spanish in order to make articles more accessible for everyone in the Woodside community.
Around spring of 2023, The Paw Print began producing print magazines to be distributed to Woodside students at the end of each semester. Each semester’s magazine follows a certain theme, such as sustainability in the spring of 2025. The Paw Print staff work throughout the semester to write stories and design spreads based on the semester’s theme.
The Paw Print was previously named “The Woodside World,” and most print editions of The Woodside World published before 2017 are available on UC Riverside’s California Digital Newspaper Collection, which can be found here.
Mission Statement
The Woodside High School Paw Print will be a student-led, student-run publication which sheds light on issues of concern to our school and local communities. It is a learning instrument for the student journalists of Woodside High School, in which students will responsibly report in a fact-based and unbiased way in a limited public forum for student expression. Further, the paper will foster a climate in which students learn to develop their voice as journalists and emerging adults in our society, develop their understanding of the critical role journalists and journalism play in our democracy, and build the foundation necessary to pursue a career in this field. In these ways the advisor and staff will expand and grow this critical resource for the students, staff and community of Woodside High School.
Ethics Policy
We follow the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics, which includes the core pillars: seek truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently, and be accountable and transparent.
For questions, comments or concerns about ethics or our ethics policy, you can write us a letter to the editor here or send us an email at [email protected].
Other:
Opinion Policy: Any opinions presented within The Paw Print do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the writer, The Paw Print, Woodside High School, or the Sequoia Union High School District as a whole.
Comment Policy: All comments should be attached to your real name and email—we do NOT accept anonymous comments. Comments will only be published if they engage substantively and respectfully with the points of an article.