When Media Literacy Week arrives this year, NSW student journalists will be doing something most of their peers are not — making real news.
The annual Press Gang Day, run by the School News Project, enters its third year in partnership with Western Sydney University. Student reporters from different schools will collaborate on a manifesto for the ideal kids’ news platform. They will then produce podcasts, cartoons and video content to bring it to life.
Researchers from Western Sydney University, Queensland University of Technology and the University of Canberra surveyed more than 1,000 young Australians in 2026. They found social media had become a primary news channel. Two in five used it for news, and one in three followed accounts specifically to stay across current events.
Australia’s social media ban for under-16s is now in effect — and of those significantly affected, more than half report seeing less news than before.
School News Project founder Cat Rodie says the timing makes the program more urgent than ever.
“Young people are accessing less news as a result of the social media ban, and a decline in fact-checking and verification behaviours among young people when they come across information online,” Rodie said. “Less news and less verification behaviours means children and young people are going to grow into adults who are not equipped to identify mis and disinformation.”
What does the research say about young Australians and news?
The findings point to a structural gap that schools are now being asked to fill. For principals and curriculum leaders, how to respond to the social media ban through stronger digital literacy has become a pressing operational question.
Professor Tanya Notley led the Western Sydney University research. “Our research shows that most young people (70%) struggle to find news that is relevant to people their age, and more than half (57%) believe they need news produced specifically for their age group," she said.
What can student journalists learn from making news?
Students who learn journalism on the job are developing media literacy skills that strengthen online safety for children and extend well beyond school. The program offers a practical model: active creation, not passive instruction.
South Australia has committed to becoming the first state to roll out the Newshounds media literacy program across all 434 of its primary schools. The initiative — backed by $2.6 million in the 2026–27 State Budget — will help students understand how digital content can be manipulated.
Education experts have responded with mixed views on the government’s social media ban. Their debate has renewed calls for schools to fill the information gap with structured, journalism-centred learning. For school leaders, Press Gang Day offers a clear prompt: active, student-led news-making is one practical way to fill the gap the ban has left behind.