One small step for journalism ...

My recent travels to high schools around Eastern Iowa has been fun, interesting and revealing.

I've seen outstanding journalism programs at places like Lisbon and Iowa City West. I've been to schools like Clayton Ridge and Williamsburg where journalism classes don't exist.

I've found enthusiastic and eager students and teachers at every stop.

The newspaper business took a big hit a few years ago, with companies across the country laying off writers, editors and photographers as advertising dollars and subscriptions dwindled.

It appears high school journalism programs have taken a hit, too, with budget cuts at our schools.

This is too bad, of course.

My message to students everywhere is that the media is alive and well. It has changed and will continue to evolve, but news still is important. The problems is wadding through the legitimate, trustworthy media and those websites and blog posts that have an agenda, care little about the truth or do little to no reporting.

There was a report recently stating we have more information at our fingertips than ever before, yet we are the least informed we've ever been. We pick and chose what we want, what we agree with and don't challenge ourselves or reach outside our box.

That is why I tell high school students their message - their stories about their schools, their teams and their peers - is so important to us. We want to share their stories, photos and video with more people than those in their communities, i.e. their schools. Our community includes more than 80 high schools in the newspaper area, more than 100 in the TV market and a countless number at www.IowaPrepSports.com.

We want our readers and viewers - our sports fans - to be as well-informed about your school and your athletes as they are about their own.

Who knows their schools and their athletes better than the other students?

We stand at around 30 high school journalists - writers and photographers - contributing content from 13 different schools. Their work can be found at www.IowaPrepSports.com, and it's very good work.

We want more.

If doesn't matter if you have a journalism or newspaper class. A yearbook or creative writing course will do just fine. If you'd like to hear more or contribute, contact me or, better yet, invite me to your school. I want to recruit more contributors, but also want to help make journalism important in your school.