Young people’s voices are in the vanguard of innovation and change on a global scale.
By influencing their communities, countries, and the world with their perspectives, knowledge, and life experiences, they are already changing the world. Six people were motivated by that and went on to start Shift Press, a media platform aimed at young people.
Why do we not receive instruction on how to alter the structures that govern our lives? stated Uyiosa Elegon, director of marketing and development and co-founder. We were in high school around 2015, and we wondered why there weren’t many adult organizers in Houston left who concentrated on educating youth about the labor movement and various workers’ rights organizations.
That annoyance became action. In 2016, motivated by Chicago’s Mikva Challenge, the students established a year-long civic education fellowship that taught high school students how to recognize problems in their communities, develop solutions, and push for change. After working on topics ranging from housing to education policy, thirteen fellows from all around Houston gave a presentation to the Houston Independent School District Board of Education.
Elegon and his team saw something concerning, even though the fellowship was successful in igniting activity.
He claimed that although young people were driving these strong movements, there was no forum for them to share their experiences. When the traditional media did cover us, it came out as contemptuous and they showed little interest in us.
This gap led to the creation of Shift Press, which gave the next generation a platform to take charge of the story, exchange anecdotes, and learn how to question the status quo.
Since the summer of 2024, Phoebe An has written for Shift Press. She is an activist and Middlebury College political science major who mostly focuses on local politics and Palestinian liberation narratives.
According to her, “I adore Shift Press because they follow their own path.” People approach political situations from a variety of viewpoints, not simply those influenced by conventional academic or activist contexts, because they enable you to have an autonomous voice.
An has been able to improve her reporting and civic engagement strategies thanks to this transparency. Shift Press has given her the chance to engage with people on a profoundly personal level, even while her political science degree has taught her to think globally and systemically.
In addition to helping me personalize people and their experiences, Shift Press allowed me to examine local politics on a more intimate and local level, which broadened my understanding of how to interact with them, she added.
She has had to handle difficult and frequently divisive subjects at work, such the Israel-Palestine issue. She has learned to put aside her preconceptions and interact with others whose viewpoints may be very different from her own during these times.
According to An, I frequently have to resist the want to categorize people and their political origins using preconceived notions. I’ve learned how to actively interact with individuals on a personal level via Shift Press, and it’s been really helpful.
A platform for the overlooked
Two important problems are addressed by Shift Press: the underrepresentation of stories inspired by young people and the lack of easily accessible media education.
Elegon stated, “We wanted a place where young people could share their stories without being censored and be paid for their labor, not just a platform.”
Shift Press pays contributors $200 for each published article in order to achieve this goal, which is a revolutionary approach for young writers, many of whom are juggling financial obligations while going to school. It goes beyond simply publishing. “It’s about realizing their value,” Elegon stated.
Pay is just one aspect of the situation. The editorial approach at Shift Press is incredibly collaborative and aims to respect authors’ genuine viewpoints while honing their arguments. Giving young writers the self-assurance and abilities to make their voices heard in any setting is the aim, whether they are writing personal essays or investigative pieces.
It was difficult to start a youth-led media group in a place like Houston, where grassroots projects frequently face financial and visibility obstacles.
Elegon claimed that the traditional media and the charity community were unaware of our goals. Rather than developing a new model, they wanted us to duplicate existing models.
The main issue facing the organization is how the media industry views it. There has been a deliberate distancing, or that it isn’t regarded as a valid entity on its own, as a result of the emphasis on civic and social justice problems.
Houston is lacking, he said, adding that I’ve spoken with news organizations who view Shift Press as a branch of the company rather than an independent one. Additionally, there is a widespread misalignment of principles between corporate news and movement journalism.
However, the assistance of educators was crucial. Shift Press was immediately accepted by educators as a place where students may submit their work without worrying about censorship. Additionally, the group partnered with the Student Press Law Center, further establishing its position as a champion for young voices in a time when student media is frequently suppressed.
As the media landscape evolves, Shift Press remains adaptable by emphasizing multimodal storytelling and reaching out to young consumers where they are. Social media platforms are essential for promoting an organization’s content and making sure that stories are seen by the right people.
Particularly in high school and college journalism, we observe an increase in censoring. Thus, it is evident that we must
He advised being direct and fearless when stating, “We will not censor you.” All we’re here to do is check that your argument makes sense.
The group is still committed to giving voice to underrepresented groups and tackling the problems that Houston’s youth care about the most. Its contributions address subjects that are frequently ignored by mainstream media, such as racial justice and educational reform.
Compared to the typical news company, we have a closer interaction with movements. Elegon stated that this does not imply that we are spokespersons for these movements. This indicates that we are having in-depth discussions and attending to the demands of the larger community.
