Welcome to The Lead, a newsletter for student journalists

UPDATE: Read issues from the newsletter archive here.

It’s not hard to find examples of the impact of student journalism.

A principal in Pittsburg, Kansas, resigned after high school journalists uncovered discrepancies in her qualifications. Missouri audited the number of sexual assault evidence kits across the state after a student reporter exposed a backlog of untested evidence. Students in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, discovered that complaints against high school teachers were hidden in students’ files.

But to do this great work, student journalists face a lot of unique challenges, like pushback from administrators and authorities, a lack of funds and resources, and simply doing journalism while also being a student.

There aren’t enough resources that address these challenges, and that’s why I’m excited to launch The Lead, a newsletter for student journalists in both college and high school. I want to help start discussions on these topics and connect student journalists so they can help each other find solutions.

The email newsletter will come out every Tuesday, starting Sept. 18. Here’s the link to subscribe.

A few things you can expect:

• Discussions on issues relevant to students at all levels, like investigating your own school, leading other students and covering activism
• Features of innovative work from student publications
• Resources including tools, internships, trainings, scholarships, and readings

And a quick introduction: I’m Taylor, and I spent the past few months working at the Poynter Institute through a Google News Initiative fellowship, where discussions with my colleagues shaped the idea for this newsletter. I graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in investigative and international journalism from the University of Missouri. I’m a Colorado native and found my love for journalism at Mountain Vista High School, in a suburb outside Denver.

I was a student journalist for the past eight years, and that experience taught me at least as much as my classes did. I understand the challenges that come with student journalism in the digital age, but also the essential training student media provides. And even for students who don’t enter journalism as a career, the skills that come with that experience are invaluable.

Subscribe here and spread the word. And if you have ideas or feedback, please get in touch at blatchfordtaylor@gmail.com.