Young Journalist Ireland (the new name for what was ‘Press Pass’) is a Student Journalism and News Literacy programme for Transition Year students run by NewsBrands Ireland, the industry body for Ireland’s national news publishers.

The programme is designed to improve news literacy and critical thinking skills among young people. It also fosters a deeper understanding of the role journalism plays in shaping how we see the world. Through engaging, real-world resources and hands-on learning, students develop essential communication and analysis skills that benefit them both inside and outside the classroom.

Participating schools receive a comprehensive range of free classroom supports, including access to digital newspapers, a free subscription to The Irish Times, lesson plans, a student handbook, and regular newsletters. These materials help students become familiar with key writing styles—information, persuasion, argument, and narration—while also supporting the broader goals of the Leaving Certificate English curriculum. Students are encouraged to analyse news content, think critically about current affairs, and form their own informed opinions on important social issues.

Since the programme launched in 2012, approximately 130,000 students have benefited from it. With the full support of the Department of Education, the Young Journalist Ireland programme seeks to improve news literacy and critical thinking skills while helping students to develop a deeper understanding of news media and how it communicates about the world around them.

Registration for the next Young Journalist Ireland programme will open in September 2025. Registered schools will receive a range of free resources including access to digital newspapers, a free subscription to The Irish Times, Lesson Plans , newsletters, and a Student Handbook. Through our programme, students become familiar with the variety of language types (information, argument, narration, persuasion) that they will encounter during the Leaving Certificate English programme. Students also learn to analyse content and are asked to think and form opinions about important social issues.

We also arrange talks from journalists in schools through our ‘Pop-Up Newsrooms’ and provide CPD workshops for teachers which are delivered in partnership with Oide.

A highlight of the Young Journalism Programme is our annual Competition to find the Young Journalists of the Year. See more details on our Competition Page.

The Young Journalism Ireland programme would not be possible without the support of our members: Business Post Group, The Irish Times, Irish Farmers Journal, Irish Examiner, DMG Media, News Ireland, and Reach Ireland.

For further details. please contact Lisa Buckley at NewsBrands Ireland (lbuckley@newsbrands.ie).