ABOUT NEWFOURTH:

The Newfourth Organization helps educational institutions implement comprehensive journalism training programs aimed at helping all Americans survive and thrive as journalism producers and consumers in a social media world.

Founded in 2009 by journalist and curriculum designer Matthew D. LaPlante, Newfourth designs lesson plans for implementation into language arts, social studies and mathematics classes in K-12 schools, advocates for the implementation of comprehensive journalism content in state and federal core standards, and offers training for citizen journalists of all ages.  Newfourth’s mission is to provide everyone a basic literacy in journalism, thus giving rise to a New Fourth Estate — a nation of people fully prepared to engage as citizen reporters in the post-professional journalism world.

Newfourth is founded on the principles of service, advocacy, diversity and transparency, and on the abiding notion that the First Amendment belongs not to those who buy ink by the barrel, but to everyone.

Newfourth’s board of trustees includes journalists, educational professionals and others who share a passion for ensuring that the Fourth Estate continues to inform, educate and entertain, even as journalism shifts from professional to amateur hands.