HuffPost deputy editor Phil Lewis and veteran educator Larry Knight work to expand opportunities
For more than a century, the Black press has been a force for change. Ida B. Wells investigated lynching for the Chicago Defender when no one else would. Reporters at the Baltimore Afro documented the all-Black-women “Six Triple Eight” battalion during World War II. The St. Louis American amplified protests after the killing of Michael Brown. Each of these Black-led publications upheld a commitment to telling stories about Black communities that white-owned media largely ignored.
“If we’re not in these newsrooms, nobody’s able to tell our stories,” said Phil Lewis, deputy editor at HuffPost.
Lewis, who previously served as co-coordinator of the Urban Journalism Workshop in 2023 and 2024, remains involved in the Washington, D.C.-based program run by the Washington Association of Black Journalists. The initiative teaches high school students the fundamentals of reporting.
“One of the most important things we can do as Black journalists isn’t just telling stories—it’s uplifting the next generation of storytellers,” he said.
Expanding access to journalism
A 2022 study from Baruch College found that 73% of public schools in New York City—the largest district in the country—lack student newspapers or journalism programs. Only seven of the 100 high schools with predominantly low-income populations have a student newspaper.
For young Black students, Lewis said, journalism isn’t on their radar—not because they lack interest, but because they lack access.
“We work with students from ninth to 12th grade, and they’re giving up their Saturdays to learn journalism,” Lewis said. “That tells me the interest is still there—we just need to provide the right opportunities.”
The Urban Journalism Workshop, which has run since 1986, offers students hands-on journalism training, field trips, and guest lectures from professional journalists.
“We cover everything from framing a story, pitching, and editing to how to do things for TV,” Lewis said. “Not every student we work with will be a journalist, and that’s OK, too. But no matter what, they will need to know how to read, write, and communicate. We’re giving them skills they’re not always getting in school, and that’s just as important.”
Protecting student journalism
While national statistics on K-12 student newspapers are scarce, Larry Knight, a veteran educator and longtime adviser of The Devil’s Advocate, a student newspaper at Stanton College Preparatory School in Jacksonville, Florida, has seen too many student journalism programs disappear.
“When I first started, there were so many more schools with active student newspapers,” Knight said. “Over time, I watched those numbers dwindle, possibly due to budget cuts and lack of school support. But it’s not that students aren’t interested—schools just aren’t prioritizing journalism anymore.”
Knight works to preserve The Devil’s Advocate by ensuring students maintain editorial control, choose their own stories, and tackle issues that matter to them.
“We have a diverse student body, and the stories we tell should reflect that,” he said. “They’ve covered the declining Black student population at Stanton and the erasure of Black history from Florida’s curriculum. These are the stories I refuse to let them bury because their voice matters too much.”
Journalism as a form of resistance
Both Lewis and Knight agree that the survival of the Black press requires investment, access to resources, and commitment from educators, Black-led media, and communities.
However, Knight emphasized that there are creative ways K-12 public schools can keep student journalism alive.
“Even if a school can’t afford a print newspaper, they can launch a digital publication or partner with a local Black newsroom,” he said.
Beyond that, Lewis wants Black students to know that storytelling has always been a form of resistance. In an era when media is more accessible than ever, young Black journalists have the tools to shape their own narratives.
“There are more ways to tell stories now than ever before. You don’t have to wait for permission,” Lewis said. “Start a blog, write on Substack, document your community on social media. Journalism is about storytelling, and nobody can tell your story better than you.”
Meanwhile, Black journalists working in mainstream newsrooms continue to face challenges. Many are the only Black reporter or editor at their outlet—or one of a handful—doing their best to ensure accurate coverage of Black America.
According to a 2023 Pew Research Report, Black journalists make up just 6% of the U.S. media workforce. And with limited opportunities for students, the pipeline for the next generation of Black storytellers is shrinking.
Without intervention, Lewis said, the absence of Black journalists in newsrooms will only grow. But for those dedicated to keeping the Black press alive, the solution is clear: Invest in the future, and the future will tell the stories that need to be heard.