January 9, 2008

ARTICLES / NEWSPAPERS: L.A. Youth, the Largest Newspaper in the USA by and About Teens, Plans 20th,Anniversary Special Edition

L.A. Youth, the Largest Newspaper in the USA by and About Teens, Plans 20th
Anniversary Special Edition

Teens Offer Perspectives on Things That Matter Most in Their Own Lives

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- L.A. Youth will celebrate an important
milestone in January 2008 -- turning twenty years old. The not-for-profit
organization was founded in 1988 by former teacher and community organizer,
Donna Myrow, after a U.S. Supreme Court decision (Hazelwood) empowered campus
administrators to control the content of school newspapers. Many high school
journalism programs and newspapers were devastated by the decision. L.A.
Youth filled the void with a program that fosters critical thinking, writing
skills, literacy, civic education. From its modest beginnings with only a
handful of teens and limited funding, L.A. Youth has since become the largest
independent newspaper by and about teens in the USA.
Over the past 20 years, L.A. Youth has provided a forum for thousands of
teens -- addressing controversial issues such as sexuality, racism, drug abuse
and violence -- to the more "ordinary" topics of finding a job, dating,
fashion, and music trends. "The youth-driven content has generated mostly
very positive and even touching feedback from our readers," Myrow said,
"Although there have been occasional threats made by individuals who don't
like what we are doing, we will continue to encourage the principles of the
First Amendment so that young people can have their voice heard."

FULL ARTICLE AT

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS172717+08-Jan-2008+PRN20080108

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