From News Deserts to Informed Communities: Youth Journalism Project

Newspapers are closing at a rate of more than two a week. As newspapers close, "news deserts" expand, and residents turn to social media, where disinformation is unchecked. Many communities could help fill the news void by training student journalists to document local government meetings, community events, and voter guides. Ellen Austin, an award-winning journalism educator, and Anne O’Keefe, Assistant Director of Community Engagement at Rockford Public Library, shared Rockford’s success story with a youth journalism project. Through this project, students strengthened their reporting and communication skills. This collaboration between the Rockford school system and the Rockford Public Library may inspire similar youth journalism projects.