A generational change at “MPG Aktuell”
At Max-Planck-Gymnasium (MPG), a new article is published online twice a week. Animal welfare, AI, teacher interviews – the student newspaper “MPG Aktuell” has long been more than a school project. It is a place where young people learn what freedom of expression and press freedom mean.
Anyone entering the editorial room meets 12- to 14-year-olds discussing topics, preparing for conversations with sponsors and recording a podcast. The second generation of the student newspaper has taken over: 18 pupils from years five to seven now produce new articles, at busy times as often as twice a week.
From an idea to a school editorial team
The story of the newspaper began in 2019. With support from the Schorndorf-based Palm Foundation, which promotes press freedom and education in schools, the first generation of pupils produced a 60-page print edition after three years of intensive work. The founding year group has now completed their Abitur and left the school. Today, the next generation of editors produces the same volume of content within a single school year. The project has been supported from the beginning by Timo Bader, German teacher and head of the languages department. He reviews all texts editorially, checks spelling and style – but he does not decide on the topics. “We don’t want to set any requirements,” he says, describing the educational aim. All editors are free to choose what they want to write about. The articles are then sent to Bader’s inbox via the school platform IServ.
It is hard to say exactly how many reports, interviews and comment pieces the newspaper has produced over the past seven years. “We once tried to estimate it – that would probably make an article for the website in itself,” Bader says with a smile. What is certain is that there have been several hundred.
Most pupils find their way into the editorial team through curiosity. Kayra Baysal and his classmate Maris Schneider originally wanted to start a class newspaper. After asking at the school office, they were referred to Bader, who suggested they join the student newspaper instead. Others heard about the project through their teachers, while some had been reading the newspaper since year five and eventually wanted to contribute themselves.
What keeps the pupils involved? “You can write what you want. There’s no time pressure,” says one 14-year-old editor, referring to the high number of exams before the holidays. Others value the opportunity to research and write as part of a team.
Between sharks, AI and school rules
The articles are first published on the blog mpg-aktuell.org. The range of topics is broad: animal welfare, font tutorials – but also interviews with the school counsellor or explanatory pieces on artificial intelligence. An article on “The 10 types of pupils on a Monday” sits alongside a contribution explaining the basics of AI.
So far, the young editorial team has only occasionally taken up critical school-related topics. Even so, the pupils are developing a critical perspective when they write about “the most unnecessary school rules at MPG”, such as bans on drinking during lessons or questionable passages in the school rules. The response has been consistently positive, with pupils largely agreeing.
But when it comes to teachers, things become more complicated. “If you write about a teacher and 700 pupils read it, you have to be able to handle that,” explains young editor Lukas Binder. Teacher Timo Bader adds: “That is a process of growing into responsibility, and we support them in that.”
One pupil clearly describes the dilemma: anyone who is being graded may not dare to write critically about a teacher. Bader describes this dependency as a “homework assignment” for the school – an issue that would need to be addressed structurally if freedom of expression is to be fully lived within the student newspaper.
Three channels, one aim
“MPG Aktuell” appears in three formats: as a wall newspaper outside the media education room, as a printed magazine and as a blog. Each format reaches a different audience. The wall newspaper is placed where pupils wait. The printed magazine – with a glossy cover, colour pages and a professional two-column layout – also makes its way home to grandparents, aunts, uncles and siblings. The blog is read online by young people.
Printing the high-quality magazine costs around 900 euros per issue. The print run is 300 copies. The magazine is sold for two euros; the remaining costs are covered by sponsors, whom the young editorial team approach with advertising offers – a task that takes courage. One advertisement costs a manageable 100 euros per page.
Alongside the newspaper, the editorial team is also experimenting with audio content. Two pupils have already recorded two podcast episodes – about themselves and about Minecraft. “We both have ADHD, so staying on topic obviously works brilliantly,” one of them says drily. A book from the library – Podcasts and Audio Plays for Dummies – provides some guidance. The key lesson so far: does it require high-end technology? No. A mobile phone, a homemade Lego stand and a 15-euro microphone are enough.
Invitation to the Johann-Philipp-Palm-Award
A special connection remains with the Palm Foundation, which initiated the project seven years ago. As in previous years, the editorial team has been invited to the Johann-Philipp-Palm-Award ceremony on 29 November – together with their parents and siblings.
This year’s award winners come from countries where freedom of expression and press freedom are severely restricted: Russia and Mauritania. For pupils who are just beginning to learn how to express their own views publicly, this promises to be a memorable encounter: writing freely is not something to be taken for granted, but a privilege.