Newmark J-School Creates a Journalism Curriculum for Underserved NYC High School Students

The Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY is developing an innovative high school journalism education curriculum as part of Journalism for All — a public-private effort to bring equitable journalism opportunities to New York City public schools.

The NYC Youth Journalism Coalition is now accepting applications for the program, which aims to provide three years of hands-on support to an initial cohort of 30 public high schools starting in early 2025. The launch coincides with the introduction of legislation in the City Council pertaining to high school journalism programs.

Selected schools will receive the new high school journalism curriculum, which is being produced under a grant from The Charles H. Revson Foundation. The 30 schools will also get paid professional development, startup funds, in-kind support from nonprofit service providers, and paid summer internship positions for students seeking out-of-school journalism opportunities, under the Coalition’s plan.

According to a 2022 Baruch College report led by Prof. Geanne Belton, only about 1 in 4 New York City public high schools has a student newspaper — a figure that drops to just 7 percent among the 100 schools with the highest student poverty rates. Even fewer schools offer journalism as a credit-bearing course.

One of the barriers to offering a journalism course has been access to a high-quality curriculum. Newmark J-School is changing that by creating a detailed, year-long journalism curriculum with units on reporting basics, news literacy, ethics, audio and broadcasting, and more. The curriculum, available starting in the 2025-26 school year, will be free not just to schools selected for the Journalism for All program but to any New York City public high school.

“We’re confident our curriculum will mark a major step toward ensuring equitable access to journalism opportunities in high schools across the city,” said Graciela Mochkofsky, dean of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. “This effort speaks to key aspects of our mission: fostering a civically engaged population and cultivating future generations of journalists from all the communities that make up our society.”

Over the first three years, an estimated 2,250 public high school students across 30 high schools will complete a year-long journalism elective course and have opportunities to publish stories in student news publications. Some 120 of these students will have the chance to participate in a paid summer internship at a local news outlet. The goal of Journalism for All is to create a model that can be replicated across all 500 public high schools, and in other cities around the country.

The NYC Youth Journalism Coalition’s members include Press Pass NYC, which helps city high schools start sustainable school newspaper programs; City Limits’ CLARIFY program, which offers afterschool and summer journalism training for city high school students; and The Bell, which leads the Coalition and specializes in audio journalism training for city high schoolers.

Coalition member Katina Paron, author of “A NewsHound’s Guide to Student Journalism,” was enlisted by the Newmark J-School to develop the curriculum, which was featured in a recent New York Times article.

Support from Lawmakers

In late September, City Council Education Committee Chair Rita Joseph introduced LS 14043, a bill that would require the city Department of Education to report annually on student journalism programming at every public high school. Joseph was the lead sponsor of a resolution passed in August that calls on the DOE to support a student news publication at every public high school.

“As we move the mantle forward on expanding access to youth journalism, this bill represents more than just a legislative effort, it’s a commitment to ensuring that our educational system prioritizes the voices of our students,” Joseph said.

She added: “These young writers, reporters, and creators are the storytellers of tomorrow, and it is essential that we provide them with the platform and tools they need to thrive.”

Funding for the Plan

Journalism for All is supported by private foundations, including The Charles H. Revson Foundation, D J McManus Foundation, and The Helen Gurley Brown Foundation. Additional funding is expected to come from public sources, including the New York City Council. The Youth Journalism Coalition is seeking additional private donors to achieve the full vision of Journalism for All, which carries a price tag of approximately $3 million.

“Student journalism is civic education in action for the student journalists and the students who consume the news created by their peers,” said Julie Sandorf, president of The Charles H. Revson Foundation. “Building an essential ‘muscle’ of discerning fact from fiction, and creating trustworthy information about everyday issues that matter to young people and their communities should not be a privilege enjoyed primarily by students attending the highest performing schools. It is a life skill and necessary element of good citizenry for all young people.”

All details surrounding the program and application can be found on the Journalism for All webpage. Applications from interested schools will be accepted until Nov. 4.