Public schools need student newspapers as vehicle of literacy and civic engagement, says City Council

August 14, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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CITYWIDE — City Council is reiterating a push for helping high schools, especially in high-poverty neighborhoods, to publish student newspapers, reports Gothamist. City Councilmember Rita Joseph of Brooklyn drafted the bill, titled “Department of Education to provide support for a student newspaper at every high school,” and it was introduced on April 18 and was laid over in the Education Committee for almost four months. Several other Brooklyn Councilmembers are also co-sponsors, including Rita C. Joseph, Justin Brannan, Farah N. Louis, Crystal Hudson, Chi A. Ossé, Mercedes Narcisse, Sandy Nurse, Amanda Farías, Alexa Avilés and Shahana K. Hanif. The resolution argues that school newspapers provide students with a platform to express their ideas, be creative and develop critical-thinking skills. It cites a 2022 report from CUNY’s Baruch College which found that only 7% of schools in areas with high poverty and with Black or Hispanic students had student newspapers, thus placing another obstacle in talented writers from these groups pursuing careers in journalism. “Student journalism programs are essential to helping students develop writing skills, build community, hold school leaders accountable and develop a more racially and socioeconomically representative pipeline of professional journalists,” the resolution states, and that “participation in a student newspaper not only expands a student’s knowledge and abilities but also contributes to a future of democratic freedoms, government accountability, and a more news-savvy, better informed society.”

The resolution is on the Council’s Education Committee agenda for its Thursday, Aug. 15 meeting.

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