The Detroit Free Press is providing a new forum for student journalists at 14 Detroit high schools to house their works. It's called FreepHigh.com . "We wanted to take our high school journalism program to a new height by adding an online component," said program coordinator Erin L. Hill. "It's not enough to know how to write well. Students need to take photos, shoot videos and submit stories for the Web from their cars if they have to."

The Web site for the program, sponsored by the Free Press and Ford Motor Co., soon will offer photo galleries, videos and polls. Readers also can access the site from cell phones. Courtnee James, a senior at Cass Tech and co-editor of the school's paper, is excited about that. "It's reaching more to the youth, rather than just being a regular newspaper," she said. "It may seem easier to just pick up the paper, but to us, it's easier to go to the Internet on your phone and just click it."

Nancy Andrews, managing editor of digital media at the Free Press, said the online component will help prepare aspiring journalists for the profession. "These students need to give people information when they want it and how they want it," she said. "We're excited to have the Free Press and Ford provide students with three options -- a full-color print edition, a desktop online edition and a mobile edition." Jacqueline Clark, adviser for Southeastern High's paper, believes the changes will increase reading among students.
"I am not surprised that we are going online because from the beginning, the Free Press always looked for ways to improve," she said.