By Jamie DeLoma, Quinnipiac University

With all of the talk of a collapsing professional news industry, one might think that the future of journalism is bleak – that is until you speak with the very people who will one day staff America’s newsrooms.

I have had the pleasure of working with young journalists since I was one.

For as long as I could remember, I have wanted to devote my life to journalism – the world’s most admirable and essential profession. I persuaded my elementary school principal to begin a newspaper – a publication that is still in existence today.

I proudly served as the editor of both my high school and college newspapers and had the privilege of working in the newsroom of one of the largest daily newspapers in Connecticut since I was a high school freshman.  All of these opportunities have made me realize how lucky I have been – and made me want to give back to tomorrow’s story tellers.

The 50 or so high school students who participate annually in the Hearst-owned Connecticut Post’s CT Teens program under the direction of Cindy Simoneau, a former Post editor turned professor, are inspiring. These teenagers, who I’ve also assisted since graduating the program almost a decade ago, dedicate several hours each month to developing and executing story ideas, interviewing fellow students, taking photographs and editing and paginating the copy necessary to put out the monthly section of the Post.

And while not all of the students involved with CT Teens go into journalism, the lessons and perspectives developed during their years at the Post go a long way into their collegiate and professional successes. Among the program’s alumni that have developed over the past 12 years are journalists, marketing and advertising professionals and engineers.

The teens devote time out of their busy days to come down to the Post’s bustling newsroom after school and on Saturday mornings to put out dynamic copy. Although coming up with the right questions isn’t always easy, the students never lack enthusiasm or broad smiles painted across their faces – energy that often spreads to the rest of the newsroom.

Among the hundreds of CT Teens alumni is Jesse Patrick, a 24-year-old supervisor at the Milford, Conn. Boys & Girls Club. She said missed journalism and was so inspired by her involvement some years back in CT Teens that she decided to develop a newspaper at the Boys & Girls Club called The Renegade to foster future journalists.

“It’s given them the ability to see things from other people’s perspectives and the confidence to speak with people they didn’t know,” she said.

Since The Renegade’s founding in October, the newspaper has already secured some 40 subscribers.

“It’s been nothing but positive,” Patrick said. “The best part is seeing the kids excited about what they are reading.”

She said she hopes the 30 contributors develop the same valuable skills she learned as a journalist, including passion for writing.

Like CT Teens, The Renegade operates on a monthly calendar.

Since the newspaper’s founding, there has been a surge in interest among other club members, she said, which has contributed to a wait list of approximately 12 kids. To accommodate the interest, three elementary-, middle- and high school-aged kids are assigned to each story.

“It’s fantastic to see how passionate they are,” Patrick said. “A huge part of it for them is being part of something bigger.”

Of all the audiences I have had the privilege of addressing over the years, my favorite has always been young journalists. It’s not just their passion for writing that inspires me, but rather their passion for life itself. Everything fascinates them. Everything is new. Everything is worth questioning – and everything is exciting. And as a result, I have no doubt that the future of journalism is bright.

Jamie DeLoma is an interactive communications master's student at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn. He is also an adjunct professor of journalism at Quinnipiac University and Southern Connecticut State University. He writes about technology issues and is a freelancer for Hearst Connecticut Newspapers.  Previously, he served as an editor at major New York-based news outlets.