Using investigative skills, high school journalists report the truth. The teens attend Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg, Kansas. What started as an assignment to do a profile on their newly-hired principal led to a thorough investigation which in turn led to the principal resigning.

teen journalist report the truth

Teen journalists Credit: Emily Smith, Pittsburg HS

According to The New York Times, “Maddie Baden, a 17-year-old junior and a staff member of the student-run newspaper The Booster Redux, set out to write a profile. Emily Smith, a teacher and adviser to The Redux, said… that she had not expected the reporting to lead to questions about [the principal’s] credentials.”

As the teens dug deeper into the story, they found enough information to question the truth of the principal’s alleged educational credentials.

Here’s an example of teens pursuing the truth, not taking statements at face value, and working with school officials to resolve issues. Nicely done, Gina Mathew, Kali Poenitske, Maddie Baden, Trina Paul, Connor Balthazor and Patrick Sullivan. You make us proud.

Read the full story here.