Six Universities Selected for National High School Journalism Project - American Society of Newspaper Editors chooses the University of Maryland, the University of Texas, the University of South Florida, Hampton University, Kent State University, and Ball State University - Brief Article

Black Issues in Higher Education, Jan 4, 2001

COLLEGE PARK, MD.

Six journalism schools have been selected to create and host an intensive two-week high school program designed to increase diversity within the nation's newsrooms. Diversifying the nation's newsrooms has been a long-time goal of the American Society of Newspaper Editors. Studies show that the number of high school newspapers nationwide is declining, and a University of Maryland study in 1998 showed that schools with large minority populations were less likely to have newspapers than schools with mostly White populations.

"Diversifying our nation's newsrooms is critical in order to give readers news products that truly reflect our society," says Thomas Kunkel, dean of the College of Journalism at the University of Maryland-College Park.

The American Society of Newspaper Editors received $500,000 earlier this year from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to administer the high school program. In addition to the University of Maryland, the other schools selected by ASNE are the University of Texas, University of South Florida, Hampton University: Kent State University and Ball State University.

The high school journalism institutes will train high school teachers from around the country, who will go to the universities next summer.