Youth Media as a Means of Civic Development

by Shawn P. Healy, PhD, Democracy Program Director

Last week, I had the privilege of attending a meeting convened by the Center for Information Research on Civic Learning and Engagement titled “Youth, Media, and Civic Engagement in Local Contexts.” The meeting was supported by the Democracy Fund and hosted in Chicago by the McCormick Foundation and Mikva Challenge.

Wide-ranging conference discussions touched on a number of subjects, but centered on media’s role in youth civic development. This occurs in the context of local media ecosystems, some healthier and more diverse than others. And involves youth as both consumers and producers of news.

As a college instructor that guides students in creating issue campaigns for policy change, I am increasingly struck by the divergence in our respective media diets. Like many of you, mine is decidedly “old school,” as I have newspapers delivered to my door and read them cover-to-cover every day. While I sample in new media offerings on social media and via podcasts, they are often the product of legacy institutions (Washington Post, NPR, NBC News, etc.).

New media is the here and now for my and our students. Social media is ubiquitous, and they’re consuming news on platforms we may never access (see SnapChat). Some are quite sophisticated in their followings, pruning their feeds with an emphasis on quality and credibility. Others assume the attitude that if something important transpires in the news it will find them.

Regardless of our media diet, we are left with the basic question of how we develop a healthy appetite for news among students. Modeling our own consumption and incorporating current and controversial issues discussions into our classes is the age-old place to begin. But what does media outreach look like nowadays? Is there value in writing letters-to-the-editor or are we better served by tweeting directly at reporters and editorial boards? Alternatively, should students create their own media and disseminate it via social media?

Classroom integration of news literacy is critical, as are co- and extracurricular student media opportunities. Not only do student journalists benefit from the experience, but their peers that consume the final product also demonstrate long-term civic engagement benefits. Sadly, student media experiences are no longer universal, particularly in urban school systems like Chicago, but we do have a healthy non-profit youth media sector to train future journalists and amplify youth voice.

The youth media sector itself, student publications included, are vital components of a local media ecosystem. Beyond McCormick’s work in civic learning, we also support youth media and professional journalism in Chicago and Illinois. Most recently, we have explored the intersections of this work. News literacy is a vital component of civic learning. Civic learning is enhanced by youth media opportunities. In amplifying youth voice, the latter contribute to youth civic development as we move along the knowledge-engagement continuum.

Last week’s meeting was the first of many, and the thoughts articulated above are my own, but inspired by two days of engaging conversations. In this spirit, please share your own ideas about the intersection of news literacy, student/ youth media, and civic engagement.