10 Story Ideas for September, 2026
Dave Davis, director of the ASB Workshop, advised a high school newsmagazine for 34 years at Hillcrest High School in Springfield, MO.
Ch-Ch-Changes: What’s new at your school this year? Procedures? People? Construction or facility improvements? Take a fresh look. Get perspective from those directly impacted.
When Celebrities Pass Away: The death of Dolly Parton sparked an outpouring of social media posts and reactions from fans across the globe. What is it about a celebrity death that causes such strong emotions? Get reactions from teens about celebrity deaths that hit them especially hard, and find out why. Go beyond “I liked his or her movies or music” if you can. See if there are things we are looking for in celebrities beyond their talent. Here’s some information that might help: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-celebrity-worship-5219745
What’s the Word (Game)? Have you heard of Wordle? Probably. But how about Waffle, Spelling Bee, Strands, and Nerdle? Are teens playing these popular daily games? Are teachers? This one could be a fun story about fun games that test your intellect.
NFL and CTE: A new study says one in four NFL players has CTE. A study of the brains of former professional football players after death revealed the injuries, caused by the contact sport Americans love. Symptoms of CTE include depression, anxiety, aggression and later on dementia and memory issues. Should coaches, parents, and of course teen football players be concerned? Are they? And it might not be too hard to find parents who forbid their teenage sons from playing football because of the risk of injuries. Details about the study here: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/new-study-reveals-widespread-signs-of-brain-trauma-among-former-nfl-players
Meta Settles, New Restrictions Coming: Meta agreed to pay $18 billion to states, and avoided a trial about harm caused to young users by Instagram and Facebook. There will be new restrictions on teens, including limiting them to two hours of daily use. This article https://thehill.com/policy/technology/6053718-meta-pays-states-billions/ explains the settlement and its implications, but it also raises lots of questions, including how teens will find work-arounds to new rules and restrictions.
Toy Story: Here’s a unique challenge for a feature. Teens are not far removed from having actual toys when they were growing up. Have they held onto any of them? It would be a really cute segment: “Tell me about your favorite toy, and show it to me.” This makes it a visual winner if you find four or five students who still have the actual toy, be it a Barbie, a dinosaur, or even a board game they wore out when they were 11.
Tattoos and the Job Hunt: This article from the National Urban League site provides information and food for thought when it comes to the impact visible tattoos might have on your job prospects: https://nuljobsnetwork.com/resources/do-tattoos-affect-job-opportunities This is a great time to talk to teens about tattoos and piercings and their potential impact on acceptance, employment and salaries down the road. Tattoos have become mainstream in the last 10 years. About a third of U.S. adults have one.
Teens Toking Less: It appears legalizing marijuana use for adults has actually had a surprising impact on teens’ use of the drug. The latest surveys of youth aged 12 to 17 show a 14.2 percent DROP in marijuana use since 2011, the year before states started legalizing cannabis. Here’s an article that might have a POV on this, but it also has lots of hard facts and stats: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/teen-marijuana-use-continues-to-decline-as-more-states-legalize-it-for-adults-federal-study-shows/
The Anniversary of 9/11: Soon Americans will mark the 25th anniversary of 9/11. Today’s high school students were not alive, but they probably have thoughts about that day and its impact on life in the U.S. ever since. Talk to them, find out what they know about the attacks, and if they fear it happening again. You can do this story through the lens of faculty members as well. Many of them will have strong recollections of that day. Some may have been in class, watching it unfold on TV. Events are planned in NYC: https://www.nyc.gov/site/fdny/about/resources/calendar/september-11th-remembrance.page Maybe your town/city is having a ceremony?
Basic Life Skills Lacking? This article from this past March cites skills schools are no longer teaching, and the impact that is having: https://www.fodmapeveryday.com/12-essential-life-skills-schools-no-longer-teach-and-a-generation-feels-it/ Maybe your school actually DOES teach some of these. It is a good starting point for a story about what should be taught in the eyes of teens, and what should be taught in the eyes of adults.
