Misinformation is rampant and increasingly dangerous. Americans are losing trust in journalism and turning away from legacy media. Local newspapers are closing at an alarming rate, while national news organizations are capitulating to government pressure.
There is a great way to address these challenges: School newspapers.
Working on a student news publication teaches critical thinking, writing, research, leadership and teamwork — skills valued by colleges and employers. It also teaches students that responsible journalism is important. Our schools reflect our values as a society, and a school without a student news publication sends a powerful message to students that journalism is neither a helpful tool for living nor a worthwhile career choice.
Elite private schools understand this, which is why so many have student newspapers. But too many public schools don’t. A national study by Kent State found that 45 percent of public schools had newspapers in 2021, down from 64 percent 10 years earlier.
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All public school students deserve the same opportunities as their wealthier and suburban counterparts. There will always be a need for accurate reporting, no matter how the media and technology evolve. One way to win over new audiences and ensure the survival of accurate journalism is by teaching teens what real journalism is and the important purpose it serves.
That is why I founded the nonprofit Press Pass NYC (PPNYC) in 2021 — to help the city’s public schools launch sustainable student newspapers. Since then, hundreds of New York City public school students have benefited. They’ve created their first stories, received their first bylines and learned what it’s like to serve their community through journalism and be recognized for it.
My inspiration for PPNYC came from teaching English at a Manhattan public high school, where I started a newspaper to engage students who had fallen behind in credits. Writing articles about subjects that interested them and working together as a team was a transformative experience both for my students and for me.
I knew if I could recreate that opportunity at other schools, I could also duplicate that profound joy so craved by students and teachers.
PPNYC has helped 27 public schools launch student newspapers in just four years. We are helping to close the journalism opportunity gap in New York City, where a 2022 Baruch College survey found that 73 percent of 439 district high schools had no student newspapers. The survey also found that the schools with newspapers were more affluent. Today, 70 percent of our PPNYC partner schools have more economically disadvantaged students than the citywide average.
We believe we’ve cracked the code for how to create more student newspapers in New York and nationally.
Each year we conduct extensive outreach. Schools that want newspapers contact us, and we help teachers with no background in journalism become advisers to student news outlets through a multi-year fellowship program. We start with a summer boot camp followed by monthly coaching and professional development. Each teacher receives a $1,000 stipend and an experienced mentor to work with. Student news team leaders are trained, as well, through editor boot camps and student fellowship programs.
Our partnerships help students learn about urgent national issues, firsthand. For example, at Bronx River High School, the Bronx River News is reporting on immigration policy; it ran a series of articles without any bylines as a show of solidarity with all students who fear using their names.
National initiatives like Press Forward are working to reinvigorate local news, and local school news can help. Today’s teenagers can provide both a pipeline of talent and a future audience for news — on any platform. If we hope to have a nation of adults (and voters) who value facts and accountability, we need to plant the seeds during adolescence when teens develop their identities and values.
As for teachers, they feel reinvigorated by becoming part of a greater journalism educator community and by hearing from students who were previously silent in class. Working on a news publication helps students discover their voice and, as I’ve heard many students say, feel like they have a purpose. After we helped revive The Pacer at Pace High School in Manhattan, its article about a run-down gymnasium led to hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants from a local city councilmember for renovations, and it was named best student newspaper in the city.
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At PPNYC, we are committed to ultimately serving all the city’s public schools. We believe our mission is more urgent than ever, and can be replicated nationally via partnerships with educators and local news outlets.
Newspaper training and support does not require a huge financial investment. But it does require a school principal committed to student press and at least one teacher who’s willing to put in the time and effort to be trained to confidently advise a journalism class or club.
As a member of the NYC Youth Journalism Coalition, we’re heartened that New York City’s Department of Education is piloting a new journalism curriculum at 30 high schools this fall. We look forward to partnering with those schools to help them launch newspapers, as well.
Starting school newspapers takes committed educators and trainers. People who recognize that the future of our democracy depends on the type of news literacy and engagement that comes from working on a student news publication.
Our students deserve an investment in scholastic journalism. And our country does, too.
Lara Bergen is the founder and CEO of Press Pass NYC. She was previously a high school teacher and a children’s book author and editor. Kevin Benoit, a journalism educator at PPNYC, and Beth Fertig, executive director of PPNYC, contributed to this piece.
Contact the opinion editor at [email protected].
This story about high school newspapers was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for Hechinger’s weekly newsletter.
