Black Belt News Network launches first journalism class at Keith High School

The Black Belt News Network has launched its first high school journalism class at Keith High School in Orrville, marking a pilot program designed to expand student voices and strengthen the future of rural journalism across Alabama’s Black Belt.

The Teen Press Initiative, which is part of BBNN’s Black Belt Media Lab, is a partnership with Dallas County Schools and focuses on teaching students the fundamentals of reporting, multimedia storytelling and ethical journalism. The class began in January and is the first in a planned series of journalism programs BBNN hopes to introduce in additional Black Belt high schools.

“This program is about giving young people a trusted public voice while also helping diversify who tells the stories of our communities,” said Cindy Fisher, publisher of the Black Belt News Network and founder of the program. “We want these students to see themselves as storytellers and leaders, whether they choose journalism as a career or take these skills into any profession.”

The pilot class is taught by Keith High School journalism teacher Kiesela Foster and combines classroom instruction with hands-on reporting. Students are learning core journalism principles, media ethics and mobile video production while covering local stories that matter to their peers and community.

As part of the program, students are pitching story ideas, taking photos, recording and editing videos and will publish their work through a student-led newsletter distributed in print, email and on social media. Their reporting will also appear on BBNN’s digital platforms, giving students real-world publishing experience and exposure to a broader audience.

“Our goal is for students to understand that their perspectives are valuable,” Fisher said. “When communities hear directly from young people, it builds understanding, trust and connection across generations.”

In March, students will publish their first of two print newspapers – the first newspaper in the school’s history – that will be distributed to all 200 Keith High School students and to the community through the local businesses. International Paper’s Riverdale Mill donated four boxes of paper for the newspapers that will be printed as newsletters. 

The students will also make companion videos with their print stories that will be shared on BBNN, YouTube and school platforms. The student program blends traditional reporting skills with modern tools, including AI-assisted workflows and mobile-first video production.

Fisher is developing a proven, repeatable model that she hopes to launch at another rural Black Belt high school in the fall. After participating in the program, Fisher hopes the students will want to join BBNN’s already established community correspondent program within the Black Belt Media Lab that is made up of local writers who contribute stories for a fee.

“This is a pilot, but our vision is much bigger,” Fisher said. “We want to help grow a new generation of reporters from the Black Belt who understand their communities and are equipped with skills that last a lifetime.”