When “Journalism Kids” Do Better: A Reassessment of Secondary and Postsecondary Achievement and Activities

Abstract

Using data from the nationally representative Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, this study examined how journalism participation in high school relates to subsequent academic outcomes. The analysis statistically controlled for a host of correlates of academic achievement, isolating the associations between journalism participation and subsequent outcomes. Results indicated that students who take more journalism in high school score higher than their peers on standardized tests of English; are more likely to major in journalism or related fields; and when they do, have higher grades in college English. Students who participate in extracurricular journalism also see some of these gains.

U.S. Student Media Associations’ Mission Statements Provide Discursive Leadership in Support of Civic Culture

“…It includes being media literate (Gray, 2005) and being an informed citizen (e.g., Carrion, 2018; Gerosa et al, 2021; Grabe & Myrick, 2016). Journalism education exposes students to these concepts by delivering important instruction concerning critical thinking, research, media literacy, civics, writing, First Amendment rights, and technology, among other topics (Blom & Davenport, 2012; Bobkowski & Cavanah, 2019; Bockino, 2017; Dvorak et al, 1994; Glick, 2017; Klos, 2001; Lewis, 2020; Sindik, 2021). Despite this, high school journalism programs around the country lack formalized standardization.…”