Attention Rhinelander: Young talent editors wanted! Apply now!

Attention Rhinelander: Young talent editors wanted! Apply now!

In a time when the digital world is becoming increasingly important, the Rheinische Sparkassen- und Giroverband is again looking for talented young editors in the Rhineland. This is done in the context of the 44th competition, which school newspapers offer a platform to present their commitment and their services. The application deadline ends on February 7, and this year there are three competition categories, including a section for "online newspapers", such as rp-online.de reported

In particular, the municipal junior high school in Hückeswagen has emerged in this area. With their online newspaper "Realtimes", which was launched in 2009, the students strive to create and spread journalistic content in an innovative way. However, working on this newspaper is currently pausing due to lack of staff and teaching bottlenecks, as Katja_gahring explains from the school. Katharina Gerding, who heads the editors, hopes that the school newspaper can be active again in the school year 2025/2026 for the 200th anniversary of the junior high school.

challenges and adjustments

The Montanus School, however, shows that the relevance of classic print editions in young people drops. According to Klaus Kruska, provisional headmaster of the Montanus School, there is no regular printed school newspaper at his school; Instead, school trips are occasionally created. This tendency indicates a change in the media habits of the young people who are increasingly prefer digital formats.

For many of these students, dealing with modern media and learning journalistic skills becomes increasingly relevant. Initiatives such as Competition.schuelerzeitung.de Promote this change and offer a possibility for networking and financial support for school newspapers. The best school newspapers in Germany are sought, although applications for the best online newspaper are now only possible via state competitions. This opens up new opportunities for creative students to express themselves and share their opinion.

participation in journalism

The hands-on youth magazine youth-voice.de , which is worn by Bürgerjournalists e.V. With the aim of promoting journalistic skills and creative writing, the magazine is available to young people, schools and youth organizations. Not only the role of young people as consumers, but also as producers of news, is strengthened. A participatory approach that promotes critical thinking and communication skills of young people is an essential basis for this initiative.

This platform enables schools to create their own online school newspapers, which means that the students can gain valuable experience in writing, editing and gaining media design. In addition to internship certificates for the committed participants, this strengthens their key competencies for the professional future in the long term.

Overall, it can be seen that the competition between the school newspapers and the initiatives to promote youth journalism are important steps to strengthen media literacy of young people. They encourage them to tell their own stories and to raise their voice in the digital world.