Much has been written about the need to revive civics education after years in which standardized-testing requirements emphasized math and English language arts at the expense of instruction in history and government.
High school journalism builds on the same logic for promoting civics. It also provides a cost-effective way to strengthen students’ writing and research skills, while giving them early lessons in how to report and edit responsibly and assess the quality of the information they are bombarded with.
Nationwide, school newspapers have weighed in on local conflicts like classroom mask mandates and school-board wars; reported on hot-button issues for students like the redesign of the SAT; and even investigated allegations of sexual misconduct by teachers.