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What is YEA?
Youth Editorial Alliance is a vibrant and growing coalition of professionals in an emerging field of journalism. We are journalists who work with young people in producing newspaper pages or sections targeted at outh. We have a a passion about young writers and readers and a dedication to establishing strong professional ties.
YEA gives us a collective voice, a forum to share ideas, a conference-planning body and a place to find out about job openings. Our members form a peer group for networking and support.
Why should newspapers target youth?
YEA has a message for the newspaper industry - daily newspapers that invest in teenagers are finding the rewards rich and varied. Increased readership and opportunities to bring in new revenues through sections geared toward youth are only the beginning. Student writers go on to colleges where they often become editors of their college newspapers. They return to the newspaper industry as interns and later as full-time hires.
Why should a newspaper publish a youth product?
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To attract teenage readers.
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To serve as a training ground for the next generation of newspaper men and women.
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To build better citizens by providing information and a forum for young people to develop, test and strengthen their own ideas and opinions.
What are youth products like?
NAA Foundation research created the following profile of the typical youth product:
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It is a one-page weekly broadsheet printed on the pages - rather than inserted into - a newspaper.
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The target audiences are high school and junior high school students.
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Most sections are only a few years old.
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Staffing consists of one full-time adult and from 10 to 100 youths. The adult is a member of the newspaper's features staff.
- Few of the youths are paid a regular salary. Most receive premiums (like hats and T-shirts) and parties. Many are paid for each published article.
Of
course, very youth section or page has its own personality. If you'd
like to check out a sampling of youth sections created by YEA participants
from around the county, here are some great
sites to see.
How did YEA come about?
The origin of YEA dates back to 1961. To see how it all developed check The YEA Timeline.