NewsBeat

February 2023 NewsBeat 8 By JUDY PATRICK As high school newspapers disappear, programs aim to revive student journalism H igh school newspapers may be mak- ing a comeback. Once commonplace, student newspapers have been on the decline in recent years although nailing down how significant the decline has been is difficult. But there is good news. In New York City, Baruch College and the non-profit Press Pass NYC are finding renewed inter- est among students and staff in bringing student newspapers back to school. First the bad news: In a study released last year, Baruch, found nearly 73 percent of public high schools in New York City don't have student newspapers or websites, or access to student journalism programs. Geanne Belton, an attorney and journal- ism professor in Baruch's Weissman School of the Arts and Sciences who led the study, said in a release that "the lack of news- papers and journalism programs in NYC public high schools is troubling –– and a huge loss for students. Today, news literacy education is more important than ever and should be easily accessible to high school students." Belton's study, "Haves and Have Nots: Newspaper Prevalence Among NYC Pub- lic High Schools," found that schools less likely to have student newspapers are those with high poverty rates, higher percentages of Black and Hispanic students, locations in the Bronx and Brooklyn and lower four-year graduation rates. Historical data is limited, making long- term comparisons difficult but a 2007-2008 survey of a smaller number of New York City schools, found that half of the schools didn't have papers. For the latest studay, Baruch researchers contacted 439 public high schools, exclud- ing charter schools and some alternative programs. The study didn't gather data on why schools did not have papers. Anecdot- ally, researchers found that some papers closed because the adviser or teacher left the district or that money had shifted toward STEM (science, technology, engi- neering and mathematics) programs.. Long-established schools are more likely to have a successful student newspa- per than some of the small, new schools in the city, said Lara Bergen, founder and director of Press Pass NYC. Her non-profit organization helps city schools establish high school papers. Some schools run their high school newspapers as an extension of an existing for-credit classroom course. Others run the papers as an extracurricular activity. "Both models work," Belton said. "It really is whatever works best for your school." "What's really important is that students are doing this voluntarily through their own passion," Bergen said. Bergen's program, in its second year, provides resources and advice to fledgling papers. "I almost think of myself as curat- ing all the resources out there, and giving them a roadmap to get a program started," she said Easily accessible online platforms have put production of digital papers within reach for the students. But some schools are still going to print, especially for special sections. Both Bergen and Belton say interest in starting a high school paper is strong. As part of the Baruch study, Belton's team reached out to schools without papers and heard, to their surprise, principals say they would love to have a paper. One big obsta- cle: Finding a teacher or adviser with the expertise needed to oversee the work. Support was so strong, Belton said, that Baruch has launched a course designed to teach high school teachers the basics of running a high school paper. The program began in the fall of 2021 with 10 sessions focusing on the basics but has since ex- panded to include supplemental classes on, for example, technology platforms. "The teacher training Baruch does is just crucial," Bergen said. The Baruch program is focused on New York City schools but Belton envisions eventually extending the offering national- ly. "But we're not there yet," she said. The Google News Initiative provided the financing for the Baruch study. "Despite New York City being home to numerous iconic media institutions, many young peo- ple don't have access to journalism training through high school newspapers," said Ashley Edwards, U.S. Partnerships Manager at Google. "Baruch's program to bring jour- nalism training to students and advisors is aligned with Google News Initiative's mis- sion to advance and strengthen the practice of quality journalism. "It's great to see that several schools have already established student newspa- pers giving students the opportunity to get hands-on news experience, and we hope to see more. As a New Yorker and former journalist, I know how important early opportunities are that help spark a passion for news." Judy Patrick is vice president for editorial development for the New York Press Associ- ation. Photo courtesy Press Pass NYC

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