Only half of the public high schools in New York City have student newspapers or journalism programs, while three-quarters of the public high schools nationwide do, according to a new study.
Jessica Siegel, an assistant professor of journalism and education at Brooklyn College, which houses a 7-year-old program aimed at revitalizing high school journalism in New York City, and some of her students conducted a phone and e-mail survey of high schools in New York City between 2007 and 2009.
They found that principals see journalism programs as valuable, but struggle to keep them afloat because of budget cuts and difficulty finding and training faculty advisers. The replacement of big comprehensive high schools with smaller schools, which have smaller staffs, is a factor as well, the team found.
Preserving high school newspapers and journalism programs will take help from outside the school walls, the study said. It will require: professional development and ongoing support during the year for journalism teachers and newspaper advisers; the latest software and computers, and training to use them; money for printing, and chances to connect to adult journalists.
