Here's Why I Believe Journalism Should Be A Mandatory Class In High School

When my youngest son, Jesse, told me he plans to go to college for journalism, I could barely contain my excitement. Having my own exciting journalism career for the past 16 years meant he grew up around it and I guess it caught on and sparked some interest.

Jesse, 17, is in a journalism class this year in high school, which I thought was a great place for him to really experience the career firsthand instead of just by watching me. And that's proven to be so right.

During a recent assignment where the students had to find a news story to answer questions, Jesse used one of my stories from The Blast. When he told his teacher, Ms. Laura Householder, that the story he chose was one of mine, she wanted to know more.

Up until that point, he never mentioned that I'm a professional writer. That intrigued her and she asked me to come in to speak to her two journalism classes about the career, which I was more than happy to do. This experience truly made me think that every school should have a mandatory journalism class.

Why do I think it should be mandatory, you might be wondering? After hearing from some of the kids about the things they've learned in the class, it became very clear that even a person who's not interested in being a professional writer as a career can really take a lot away from this course.

Creativity, learning something new that can potentially help you in any career, being able to better understand the news and how and why it's delivered the way it is are just a few of the reasons I feel a journalism class is important for everyone to experience. I think the most important reason that sticks out the most to me is learning to let your creativity flow, because that one lesson can drip into so many different areas of life, mental health, and overall wellbeing.

Journalism students write the school newspaper with assignments that teach them how to choose a relevant topic, interview the right people, write and edit the story. By the end of the course, each student will be a published writer. That small aspect of class can actually give a huge boost to a teen's confidence; and who couldn't use more of that?

After I talked about what it's like to be a professional writer and answered the student's questions about the field, it was time to hear from the kids.

Householder's journalism class teaches some fundamentals of being a journalist - what news is, how to format an article vs. an essay, ethics, bias, editing and of course, writing. This meant that a lot of what I talked about, they either already learned it or are in the process of learning it now.

While some of the kids in the two classes plan to pursue a career in journalism after high school, most of them took the class for other reasons, but were interested in what I discussed, nevertheless.

Ninth grader Samantha, 15, decided to take the class because she enjoys writing and keeping up with current events. "We have learned about the ethics of journalism. As journalists, we strive to exchange authentic work," she said. "We have core values applicable to our writing."

While being a journalist isn't a main interest for her at this time, writing in print is an area she is interested in. "My dream job in journalism would either be a journalist or product marketing manager," she explained.

Fellow student, tenth grader Jason, 15, is interested in a career in journalism. "I have always wanted to be a broadcast journalist," he said.

One thing he's learned in this class is that opinions need to be left out. "I learned how to keep my opinions out of my writing. I love to have non-opinionated writing and allowing those with different views to listen as well."

Eleventh grader Kendall, 17, took the elective class because "it seemed like a useful skill to acquire," and although she isn't aspiring to be a journalist out of college, she feels her personality would fit perfectly if she ever changed her mind. She feels the lessons she learns in journalism class will help her in the career she would like to pursue.

"My dream job in journalism would be an interviewer/reporter for big celebrity award shows," she said. "I believe I could be on TV presenting news because of my personality, but I want to be a nurse and the skills from journalism could help me while working and talking with other people as a nurse."

Kirra, 16, is in 9th grade and decided to take the class to help her writing skills grow. "I decided to take journalism because I was looking for a class to challenge me and further my writing skills," she said. "This year I've learned what type of story is considered true news."

Omari, 15, is in 10th grade and has no interest in becoming a journalist but enjoys what he's learning in class. "I've enjoyed learning about the interviewing process," he said. "Human interaction is a very complicated thing for a person like me, so watching people create a comfortable environment in which anyone can answer questions openly and honestly is very interesting."

And then there's my son, who would ultimately like to become a sportscaster. While reporting sports is his main interest, he has already written a 42-page book on his own, and has proved that he really enjoys the creativity writing allows.

Householder feels journalism is an important class for high school students to take so that they can explore topics of interest that impact their real lives. "To be able to publish work and allow their voices to be heard is meaningful and motivational," she explained.

Her favorite part of teaching this class is watching the kids grow in their writing. "I love to watch the kids step out of their comfort zone to interview people," she said. "They become so excited and willing to work when it is something they're interested in. They feel free to write with passion."