This month, Youngstown State University's student newspaper, The Jambar, placed first in Overall Excellence in the Ohio News Media Association's Collegiate Newspaper and Website Competition.

It's a pretty big honor to beat out all other big schools in the state.

21 News asked several journalists from the Jambar why they are choosing journalism for their career and how they plan to fight for their first amendment rights in the future.

"We were able to beat out all of these other schools that are way bigger! said YSU senior, John Ostapowicz.

"Winning this award is kind of like winning a national championship for us. this is a big deal!" said Jambar advisor Dr. Adam Earnheardt.  He says he's not surprised this group of YSU students are considered the best in the state, outscoring bigger schools like Ohio State and Bowling Green.

He says they just work hard and are dedicated to writing the truth.
And it's these kinds of students who will be finding the ways to get people the information they need in ways maybe not even thought of yet,

"It's their generation, really, that's kind of reinventing the way we consume journalism," said Earnheardt.

What may give the staff of 15 at the Jambar the edge over other schools is the fact that they can really start writing for the Jambar immediately.

"You don't have to wait until you're a senior to start writing or shooting or anything like that. You can be a freshman, come in and make connections," said YSU junior, Marissa Masano. 

"Big schools you might wait a couple years before you can work for the newspaper. Here, no, we're saying we want you now!" said Earnheardt.

Then students can figure out sooner than later whether this job is for them or not.

A lot has changed in Journalism over the past 20 years.
There are fewer newspapers, less people are watching broadcast news and most people who consumer news are doing in on phone apps.

"They don't wake up and turn on the news they wake up and turn on their phones and scroll on social media that's where a lot of people get their news. As a society where unfortunately our attention spans are decreasing, you don't want to read 500 words you want to read a headline you want to grasp the summary and move on with your day," said Masano.

And polls show less people trust the traditional news media. How can that be fixed?
These young journalists say they have to fight for first amendment rights all while doing better to prove to their listeners or readers that they are reporting the unbiased truth.

"If we all think about what our responsibilities are to the public, keep the government in check and the populous informed. To share stories, the truth, the uncomfortable truth. We are here to tell the truth for it is not what we want it to be," said YSU junior, Nicarlyle Hanchard.

And if that's all not enough, journalists today do it for a salary that hasn't been growing with other career fields. But for them, that's not why they got into it.

"It's like teaching. You're not going in because of the money, you're doing it because you love what you do. No matter what the money is you'll always love it and that's what it is for me," added Ostapowicz.