Some have debated the importance of school newspapers, journalism programs, clubs and anything of the sort. However, it’s also important to look at how beneficial they are to their members and their audience.
So, how beneficial are they, and should more schools seek to implement them?
Aside from the community benefits, student newspapers are very beneficial to students looking to further their education. Lara Bergen, a proponent of school newspapers, stated, “Working on a student news publication teaches critical thinking, writing, research, leadership and teamwork — skills valued by colleges and employers.” The issue here is that schools are actively lowering the number of journalism programs. Bergen continues stating, “A national study by Kent State found that 45 percent of public schools had newspapers in 2021, down from 64 percent 10 years earlier.” The interest in these programs have declined as news has become less serialized and more distributed across other various forms, particularly social media. Unfortunately, not everyone is interested in participating in the program; however, they can continue to support it.
At Struthers, our journalism program, The Student Prints, keeps growing, and the students involved love the class, which is even more reason to promote these programs, especially locally. Bergen elaborates, “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.” Promoting these programs is incredibly important, as Bergen furthers, stating, “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.” Without the ability for individual expression, students will never see a point in expressing themselves through writing in general, whether it’s journalism, or any other form.
While it may seem to be a vague argument, so is self-expression, and that’s it’s important to support it. Schools are built on a foundation of trying to educate students, so they should advocate for more news, more freedom of press. All of that is involved with allowing students to have the freedom to express themselves and their thoughts. School journalism programs could be introduced through their English departments, whether just as an after-school program or something closer to Struthers with a whole class dedicated to it. No matter the means, it’s the result that matters, it’s important to advocate for the freedom of speech, expression and thus, press.
