Long before the internet and well into the modern digital era, newspapers offered and continue to provide a world of knowledge and opportunities for students.

Athletes, musicians and actors are immortalized in the Coeur d'Alene Press when their teams win, their musical groups perform or their theater departments present school plays. Up-and-coming inventors and stellar spellers enjoy Press exposure when science fairs and spelling bees come around. Student researchers scour for current events. Twelfth graders spend time shadowing reporters for senior projects. Young writers and artists celebrate their first published works when they see their names and submissions in print, whether through Kid Scoop, writing contests, arts showcases or a well-crafted piece that is special to The Press. Students beam with pride when they see their names in the published honor roll.

For some students, these first brushes with local journalism begin in the classroom.

"I think journalism is important not only to our school itself, but to the entire world," said Nevaeh Gildea, a senior and publishing student at Coeur d'Alene High School. "Writing down your story for the benefit of something greater than yourself is a humble act. I have the privilege of being able to do so in a school setting, and I have the opportunity to cover topics that are close to me as an individual."

Nevaeh plans to minor in journalism at the University of Idaho while majoring in music.

"Being able to record and create has been a fundamental part of my life, and the prospect of continuing to do so in the future is a huge opportunity for me," she said.

A huge piece of local journalism is photojournalism — the art of telling stories through photography.

Lake City High School currently offers photojournalism classes. Before the pandemic, Lake City also offered a traditional journalism course that drew strong student interest.

“After COVID, everything changed and the interest just wasn’t there,” Lake City High School photojournalism teacher Nikolas Bjurstrom said. “It’s too bad.”

Students in photojournalism courses learn to document real life through photography and videography, often completing projects that reflect their school and community.

Bjurstrom, who worked on college newspapers and once considered a career in journalism, has spent the past 12 years in education. He still believes journalism plays an essential role.

“It’s harder to tell what’s genuine and what’s not, which is why it's important to have conversations about photography and journalism,” Bjurstrom said.

Many student journalism programs have grown smaller or disappeared entirely, such as Coeur d'Alene High's Viking Voice, which printed its last issue in 2014 after two decades of operation. However, Coeur d'Alene still offers yearbook and publishing services, which share many of the same foundational building blocks as a student newspaper.

Katie Graupman, Coeur d’Alene School District's director of curriculum and instruction, said the decline in student interest mirrors broader trends across the country.

“Humans build understanding about their lives and the broader world through storytelling," Graupman said. “Students are still telling stories, just in different ways and on different platforms.”

Even as traditional journalism programs evolve, educators say the core skills remain as important as ever: Critical thinking, ethical storytelling and the ability to communicate clearly.

Coeur d'Alene High freshman Nora Crabtree said she plans to stay in publishing classes throughout high school.

"The critical thinking, creative development and interpersonal skills built in built in this course will aid me in every aspect of life," she said. "I have had the chance to make friendships and experiences I likely would never have without it."

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Coeur d'Alene School District marketing and content manager Marc Stewart contributed to this article.