A Plan to Fund High School Newspapers Seeks to Revive Student Journalism

NEW YORK TIMES—September 26, 2024—New York was hit with an onslaught of record-breaking rain last September …  As the storm pummeled the five boroughs, a leak sprung at Pace High School in Chinatown, soaking the rubber flooring of its basement gym. When the floor dried, it was bumpy and uneven, rendering it almost unusable. For months, the school’s pleas to the City Council for funding to replace it went unanswered. Then, in December, The Pacer, the high school’s student newspaper, ran a 700-word article on the worsening issue.

This time, the City Council responded, agreeing to provide $750,000 for the gym’s renovation, according to the local council member and the school’s principal.

It was a big win for the 4-year-old, student-run outlet — and it exemplified a vanishing experience for New York City’s students. Only 27 percent of public high schools in the city have a student newspaper, down from roughly 50 percent in 2009 … And now, New York City will have its own initiative, Journalism for All. The pilot program is a collaboration between the Youth Journalism Coalition, which is run by The Bell, a nonprofit; the City Council; and the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York.