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Key Finding 11

Low-income and non-suburban schools have a harder time maintaining student media programs than wealthier and suburban schools.

"I find students are really not very informed. They have a very narrow view of what the First Amendment is, perhaps. Why I think that, is because in many cases they have not enjoyed First Amendment rights yet in their lives. And it's very hard for them to understand what the First Amendment is about when they haven't been given that freedom yet. Schools don't encourage and nurture free thinking and free expression."  

-Marilyn Weaver, Chairwoman
Department of Journalism, Ball State University

Schools in lower-income areas had a larger drop in student newspapers over the past five years than wealthier schools. There was a 37 percent decrease in school papers in lower middle income schools in the past five years, compared to a 28 percent drop in middle income schools and a 16 percent drop in upper income schools.

This graphic shows that while 54 percent of rural schools and 30 percent of urban schools that do not offer a student newspaper dropped them in the past five years, just 16 percent of suburban schools dropped theirs during the same period.

Percentage of schools that dropped student newspaper in the past five years

Percentages in chart reflect percent of schools in each category that dropped their student newspapers in the past five years among those schools that do not currently offer a student newspaper.

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