The Case For Student Journalism

In 2025, student journalism is a dying art. It is no longer sponsored at many schools nowadays. It has little control of its own content sometimes. We, students at Casey County Middle School, have took it upon ourselves to start a new organization.

I still feel this effort is important, which is why we started the CCMS Weekly Journal. 

Under this new name, we have produced this new organization. And intend to publish it on Mondays. 

Anyone and everyone is welcome to write for us. As long as you are producing quality work, we would love to have you!

The Case

Journalism is an ancient art of reporting data, informing the public, and promoting transparency. It involves important skills such as creativity, English, and initiative. In students, this contributes to their critical thinking and communication skills. And if we don't teach them these skills, we may have a generation of students with no idea how to write journalistically. This risks an uninformed populace. Studies show that students in journalism programs demonstrate higher levels of critical thinking and analytical skills than their peers in other programs. For example, a study by the National Scholastic Press Association found that student journalists scored significantly higher on standardized tests measuring critical reading and writing.

From students’ perspectives, journalism builds characteristics and provides a voice for students to speak through. Students without a voice get boring, messy, and unorganized information. Maybe if we give students a voice, they will feel a lot better and perform better. Providing students with a platform for their voices through journalism can increase their engagement in school and improve academic performance. Research by the American Psychological Association suggests that self-expression and a sense of agency are linked to increased motivation and improved learning outcomes.

It is crucial that people like you and me, and others in school administration, support students' and teachers' journalistic efforts. It helps students develop essential writing and research skills, helping them to inform each other and themselves. If we do this, we are equipping students to become responsible, informed, and educated citizens. Supporting student journalism aligns with the educational goals of developing responsible citizens.