New York City Council and Youth Journalism Coalition announce historic $280,000 investment in student journalism
The FY27 budget allocation will strengthen the “Journalism for All” initiative as new NYC Department of Education data reveals a 76% year-over-year surge in students completing journalism courses.
NEW YORK — City Council Education Committee Chair Eric Dinowitz and Higher Education Chair Rita Joseph joined student leaders from the NYC Youth Journalism Coalition today to announce a historic $280,000 Fiscal Year 2027 investment in high school journalism.
The 12 p.m. press conference on the City Hall steps kicked off “J-Day,” the third annual day of action for student journalism, with hundreds of youth and supporters.
The announcement preceded a 1 p.m. Education Committee oversight hearing regarding the state’s new “Portrait of a Graduate” framework. YJC students and teachers testified that journalism education offers an effective model for schools to meet changing graduation requirements.
“Youth journalism gives young people a voice in shaping the story of their own communities. When a student picks up a notebook or a microphone and starts asking questions, they learn to think critically, communicate clearly, and hold power accountable, skills serving them well beyond the classroom,” Council Member Dinowitz said. “As a former teacher, I believe deeply in experiential learning, and there is no better classroom than a real newsroom covering real events.”
City leaders echoed the importance of expanding access to these hands-on opportunities across the five boroughs.
“The success of the Journalism for All program, and the growth in journalism classes across New York City schools, shows that our city's young people are eager to develop the tools of truth-seeking and critical thinking,” City Council Speaker Julie Menin said. “This City Council funding will strengthen that momentum, building on a successful pilot so more students can learn the skills and impact of journalism. An investment in our city's students is an investment in our city's future. And an investment in our young journalists is one that will lead to truth and accountability for generations to come.”
“Our students are telling us, through their work and through the data, that journalism education works,” said Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels. “As we implement Portrait of a Graduate citywide, the Journalism for All program is exactly the kind of proven model that our schools need. It builds the critical thinking, communication, and civic engagement that we champion, and we are proud to partner with City Council and the Youth Journalism Coalition to bring this opportunity to more classrooms.”
A Historic $280,000 Public Investment
Expected to be ratified by the City Council on Thursday, a new transparency resolution includes a $280,000 allocation for Fiscal Year 2027 to strengthen the Coalition's Journalism for All initiative. The funding breakdown includes:
$150,000 directly to 30 school programs in the Journalism for All pilot cohort, providing $5,000 grants to each school to launch or bolster student news outlets
$90,000 to New York City Public Schools to support and expand the Journalism for All model
$40,000 to The Bell, the nonprofit parent organization of the YJC, to continue administering the pilot program, building on an initial $10,000 allocation already secured by Speaker Menin
The funding is the result of years of advocacy from YJC and builds on other recent expansions through Journalism for All. This includes new credit-bearing journalism courses, which served nearly 800 students during the 2025-26 school year, and the development of a new journalism-focused pathway in the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), which placed 36 students in paid internships in local newsrooms and is anticipated to expand next year.
New Data Reveals Rapid Growth in Journalism Courses
The announcement comes on the heels of newly released NYC Department of Education data mandated by former Education Chair Rita Joseph's Local Law 27/2025. The data from the 2025-26 school year reveals significant year-over-year progress in closing equity gaps, demonstrating the immediate impact of the Journalism for All initiative and citywide demand for more programs.
The data shows a dramatic programmatic expansion:
135 schools offered at least one journalism course, representing 50% year-over-year growth.
5,685 students completed a journalism course, a 76% jump from the previous year, while total citywide high school enrollment remains essentially flat (~289,000 to ~282,000 students).
Journalism course completions grew substantially among students with disabilities (+101%, 568 to 1,139) and English Language Learners (+107%, 228 to 472).
Completions grew significantly across every major racial and ethnic group citywide, including White students (+64%, 460 to 754); Black students (+69%, 762 to 1,290); Hispanic students (+79%, 1,377 to 2,470); and Asian students (+83%, 509 to 930).
“I am so proud of this legislation and the data which shows increased journalistic programs by 50% year over year because when we expand access, affording our children room to explore, they flourish,” Council Member Joseph said. “By expanding journalism programing, we also better prepare them for the world they’ll step into. NYCPS reporting shows that the percentage of students completing journalism courses increased in all five boroughs last year. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Council to expand opportunities for all NYCPS students.”
“Journalism for All” as a Scalable Model for NYC Public Schools
The Journalism for All initiative created a wraparound support model designed to equip under-resourced schools with the curriculum and structure needed to build and sustain high-quality journalism programs.
“Practicing journalism has changed me in ways I could never see myself changing. Before, I couldn't talk to people outside of my own class,” said Khamani Mitchell, 11th grader at the Brooklyn Institute for Liberal Arts and student leader with the NYC Youth Journalism Coalition. “With journalism, I've gained the confidence to not only talk to people who aren't in my immediate group, but allowed me to talk to you today. Not only that, I've been more involved in my community, not just my school, but New York City as a whole.”
As New York State transitions away from Regents exams, YJC maintains that journalism education fulfills the new Portrait of a Graduate standards (academic preparedness, creativity, critical thinking, communication, reflection, and global awareness), and student journalists inherently produce a portfolio of work demonstrating those skills.
At Tuesday's hearing, Coalition members urged wider adoption of the Journalism for All initiative as a scalable model for schools to implement these new graduation requirements in a way that centers academic growth and civic readiness.
“With the rollout of Portrait of a Graduate, our city has a real opportunity to transform our public education system and confront the segregated access to high-quality schooling that divides our communities,” YJC Director CJ Sánchez said. “But to actually fulfill this vision, schools need practical methods to meet these new standards without undermining quality, burning out educators, or leaving out students and families trying to navigate a new system. Journalism for All was built for this, and by supporting this initiative, the Council is backing a scalable framework for schools to begin implementing Portrait of a Graduate.”
Students are excited about the possibilities these changes will bring.
“Classes like journalism are constantly pushed aside because our current system prioritizes standardized testing over everything else,” said Sara Vasquez Leyton, 11th grader at The Urban Assembly High School for Media Studies and YJC student leader. “Regents exams force us to dismiss information that doesn't seem relevant to a test. I have experienced having to skip half a textbook just to prepare for an exam six months away, valuing test scores over actual, meaningful learning. I am glad the state is taking action through the Portrait of a Graduate.”
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About the NYC Youth Journalism Coalition
The NYC Youth Journalism Coalition advances equitable access to journalism opportunities for New York City’s young people, including through the Journalism for All initiative. YJC includes students, educators, nonprofits, newsrooms, foundations and others who support its mission. YJC is a project of The Bell, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on building the next generation of journalists.