RESTON, Va., Aug. 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As part of an aggressive national effort to grow youth journalism, news literacy and access to new media tools, 162 high school teachers from 41 states and the District of Columbia have completed the ASNE Reynolds High School Journalism Institute.

For a list of the participants in this year's program, please go to http://www.hsj.org/About_HSJ/Content.cfm?id=252

"As journalism business models undergo fundamental changes and there is a rising tide of information online, this Institute stands for quality journalism and cultivating news-literate consumers who seek it," said Milton Coleman, president of the American Society of News Editors and senior editor at The Washington Post.

"These teachers impart the life skills of writing, reading, communicating and critical thinking. All students - not just aspiring journalists - benefit from these key skills. And every student should understand the basics of ethics, news literacy, the First Amendment and multimedia tools," said Diana Mitsu Klos, senior project director of ASNE. The project also hosts a Web site for student news at http://my.hsj.org and an educational site at http://www.hsj.org/.

The teachers were selected from a competitive field of 350 applicants; there is significant outreach to communities in which scholastic journalism programs are under stress.

Since 2001, 1,603 high school teachers have completed the Institute, and most continue to teach journalism and/or advise student media. Of this year's group, 55 (34 percent) teach at schools with minority student populations of 50 percent or higher. Of the teachers, 23 (14 percent) identified themselves as people of color.

This ground-breaking initiative has been funded since 2007 by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation.

Five accredited university journalism schools hosted the ASNE Reynolds Institutes. The attendees earned continuing education credit, with all expenses covered by ASNE through the grant:

    --  Arizona State University, Phoenix, June 13-25.
    --  University of Texas at Austin, June 20-July 2.
    --  Kent State University, Ohio, July 11-23.
    --  University of Nevada, Reno, July 11-23.
    --  University of Missouri, Columbia, July 18-30.

See http://www.hsj.org/Content.cfm?id=225 for work from each of these sites.

The Institute helps teachers:

    --  Develop a framework that helps students make sound news and ethical
        judgments.
    --  Gain stronger reporting, writing, editing, photo, Web, multimedia,
        graphics and business skills needed to help students start or improve
        independent student media.
    --  Focus on news reporting and writing.
    --  Instill a greater understanding of, and appreciation for, the First
        Amendment.

Follow-up support is integral to the Institute's success. The teachers receive paid membership to:

    --  The Journalism Education Association.
    --  The teacher's state or regional scholastic press group.
    --  The Student Press Law Center.

The teachers also receive subscriptions to American Journalism Review and Columbia Journalism Review. Each teacher has been given the building blocks of a classroom media library, including an AP Stylebook as well as guides on multimedia, scholastic press law, press ethics and news writing.

The editor of the top newspaper/local daily news organization in each teacher's community is being notified and encouraged to contact the school's journalism class or club.

ASNE is a membership organization for leaders of multimedia news organizations and deans and endowed chairs at accredited journalism schools. ASNE focuses on open government and the First Amendment, journalism education, leadership and diversity.

The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation is a national philanthropic organization founded in 1954 by the late media entrepreneur for whom it is named. Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, it is of one of the largest private foundations in the United States.

SOURCE High School Journalism Initiative