My Local Press Launches Free Student Journalism Program to Train the Next Generation of Local Reporters

MyLocalPress.com

Co-Founder Adam Smith

My Local Press Mascot Choco

High school and university journalism students can now publish real local news for free, helping fill the gap left by closing newspapers

MIAMI BEACH, FL, UNITED STATES, September 29, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- My Local Press, the platform that gives independent journalists a low-overhead way to launch local news outlets, today announced a free Student Journalism Program. It lets high school papers and university newsrooms publish community news to a real local audience on MyLocalPress.com.

Participating schools can use the My Local Press publishing platform for free. Students can report and publish local stories, cover events and community issues, and build their skills with the platform's journalism resources and courses. Student accounts are set up to suit each program, and teachers and administrators keep control of them. Coverage is geo-fenced, so it reaches readers in the community students are reporting on, not only classmates and teachers.

The program arrives as student reporters play a growing role in filling local news gaps. More than one-third of U.S. newspapers have closed since 2005, according to Northwestern University's Medill Local News Initiative. Meanwhile, the University of Vermont's Center for Community News found that news-academic partnerships grew 24% from 2024 to 2025, from 227 to 282 programs. In 2025, 9,322 students contributed 44,188 stories, and 32,289 of those were picked up by at least one news outlet.

"Student journalists are already covering the city council meetings and school board votes that nobody else is sitting through anymore," said Adam Smith, co-founder of My Local Press. "What they usually don't have is a real audience and a platform that doesn't cost their school anything. Journalism teaches civics, and we want every journalism class in America to be able to publish for their town, not just for a grade."

"The real-world opportunity MyLocalPress.com provides our journalism students fits well with Ball State's mission," said Jennifer Welch, Enterprise Technology Manager at Ball State University. "We engage students in educational, research, and creative experiences that empower our graduates to have fulfilling careers and meaningful lives enriched by lifelong learning and service, while we enhance the economic, environmental, and social vitality of our community, our state, and our world."

University journalism programs can also partner with My Local Press to promote their programs to the student journalists already active on the platform. Advertising partnerships start at $250 per month, with city, state, national and global tiers available.

My Local Press has grown to nearly 4,000 publishers since launching in January 2026. It gives independent journalists tools to publish stories, sell local advertising and coupons, offer subscriber-only content and accept reader donations, keeping 90% of what they earn.

Journalism teachers, advisers and program directors can sign up free to get started at https://mylocalpress.com/membership. Schools with questions about setting up student accounts can reach the My Local Press team at hi@mylocalpress.com.

Adam Smith
MyLocalPress.com
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