Information for Youth Journalists

The beauty of the Youth Citizen-Journalist Network is that it is inclusive.

Young people from middle school through high school are invited ... encouraged ... to participate as reporters and writers of factual articles and opinions ranging in length from one sentence to complete essays and articles. Photos and links to YouTube videos also are welcome.

Reports of breaking news are especially welcome (see the description of breaking news.)

We intend for this to be YOUR network, which will include ONLY articles and comments you think are important. The content of what you have to say won't be changed by YCJN because we put a high value on making the Network a YOUTH NETWORK.

You don't need to get prior approval from anybody to send us your articles and comments. All you need to do is send us what you want to say to: newsroom@ycjn.us . Be sure to check the "Network Guidelines" and "How To Send Information" buttons above for details.

And spread the word to your friends so they can write us, too.

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Warren Buffet, famed investor and philanthropist, said: "The smarter the journalists are, the better off society is. [For] to a degree, people read the press to inform themselves - and the better the teacher, the better the student body."

The youth citizen-journalists will write about the issues confronting our nation as well as broader topics such as democracy and the importance of voting.

As the 2010 General Election approaches, youth journalists will write about candidates for public office, specifically the Senatorial and Congressional candidates who will be on their states' ballots.

Their work, to be published by the YCJN, will serve to energize the nation's youth and urge them to participate in the National Student/Parent Mock Election.

Today's Technology

The use of today's technology ... the cell phone and the computer ... are the primary ways young journalists will communicate with the YCJN.

YouTube and Twitter are the free social-network services that serve as vehicles for transmitting articles, opinions, photos, and videos to the YCJN.

These are the media that have become important tools professional journalists use to send text, photos and video to their newspapers and broadcast stations.

What to Submit

Anything from one sentence to an essay, from a quote you have heard to a complete report on an interview is fair game with the YCJN.

You can write a summary sentence of something you have written on your personal blog or website, upload a picture of a candidate visiting in your community or an interview you did with a public official.

Professional editors will monitor all submissions to assure they follow recognized journalistic standards and ethical codes before appearing on this Web site.

If you, as a citizen-journalist, have an idea for an article related to democracy, social issues or the importance of voting, you can use Twitter or another service to gather quotes and facts.

In this way, your effort is multiplied and the final impact of what you publish on the YCJN is even greater.

How YCJN Will Publish Your Work

Information sent to YCJN will be "published" first within each state's collection. The states listed on this page are those chosen for the pilot project in 2009 and 2010.

Other states will be added as they develop YCJN programs, with a goal of including all states and territories for the National Student/Parent Mock Election in October 2012.

Our editors will read every "tweet," every video, every opinion. Editors and professional mentors will help youth citizen-journalists to develop, expand and fine-tune their contributions to improve communications and reporting skills.

As common threads or themes are identified, they will be merged into articles for the national news presentation.

Where to Send What You Write

The Youth Citizen-Journalism Network uses the same ID, regardless of whether you use Twitter or YouTube.

Our IDs are: youthcjnetwork and YCJN .

You can go into any of the social networks, conduct a search using "youthcjnetwork" or "YCJN" and send us what you have developed, whether it is text, photographs or videos.

YCJN editors will continuously scan the various "youthcjnetwork" and "YCJN" folders to retrieve what the nation's youth citizen-journalists have sent us.

The opinions expressed by the youth correspondents on these pages are not necessarily those of the management of the Youth Citizen-Journalist Network or those who support YCJN. Youth correspondents are encouraged to freely express their opinions and must abide by the guidelines posted on this Web site. Professional editors will monitor all submissions to assure they follow recognized journalistic standards and ethical codes before appearing on this Web site.