Answer the following questions on a rank-order basis, with a 5 being agree strongly and 1 being disagree strongly. If you need to qualify any answers, please use additional space with the question or a separate piece of paper.
- _______Complete First Amendment rights extend to high school journalists.
- _______Administrators should have the final say over the content of high school publications.
- _______School newspapers should be ‘house organs’ reporting only that which gives the school a favorable image.
- _______Good teaching and advising of journalism require that students make the final decisions about content of the publications, based on teaching of journalistic ethics and responsibility.
- _______The journalism teacher and adviser should be state certified in journalism with a minimum of 30 hours coursework in journalism.
- _______School publications should have strict administrative controls on them.
- _______The risk taken if a few abuse their First Amendment rights is outweighed by the far greater risk run by supressing free press and expression.
- _______It is in the public interest for school publications to make available the widest possible diversity of views and expressions, including those unorthodox or unpopular with the majority.
- _______The newspaper adviser should be removed if paper content runs contrary to that the majority of the school wants to see.
- ______A free press in high schools is just as fundamental to the continuation of American society as is a free commercial press.
- ______Having administrators read student copy before publication is a form of censorship.
- ______An adviser reading copy prior to publication for more than proofreading and grammar is censorship.
- ______It is more important for the school to function smoothly than for student publications to be free from administrative censorship.
- ______So long as the school pays, in some way, for at least part of the cost of the publication, administrators should have some control over what is printed in the publication.
- ______School publications should be considered ‘open forums’ in that they are constituted as vehicles for student expression.
- ______Controversial issues have no place in a school paper, which should be devoted to articles which only affect the school.
- ______Administrators should have the privilege of prohibiting articles they think harmful, even though such articles might not be legally obscene, libelous or disruptive or invade someone’s privacy.
- ______If the school publication is going to publish something an adminstrator knew would put the school in a bad light, the administrator has a professional obligation to see the item is not published.
- ______School administrators are obligated to protect the First Amendment rights of advisers and teachers, as well as those of students.
- ______Articles which might hurt someone’s feelings should not appear in the school newspaper.
Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier
Had you heard of the Hazelwood decision before this discussion? Yes ____ No ____
Answer the following TRUE OR FALSE in relation to the 1988 Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier Supreme Court case.
Briefly explain the details of the decision:
- ________ The Hazelwood case enables adminstrators to do whatever they want in regards to content of high school publications.
- ________ The Hazelwood case is good because it gives the school control over content of high school publications.
- ________ The Hazelwood case makes the adminstrator responsible for any legal action taken against the student publication.
- ________ The Hazelwood case really strenghens the teaching of high school journalism because it forces advisers and students to be more careful in what they print.
- ________ According to the Hazelwood case, the forum theory of student expression is now dead as applied to high school publications.
- ________ Students have no recourse now, because of Hazelwood, if an administrator or faculty member wants to censor.
Opening questions to ponder when studying scholastic media law
What is the role of high school journalists?
What is the role of journalists?
What is the difference?
Answer: There is none. And that is how you start building a tradition of success.
Possible roles for high school publications
- REPORT THE NEWS — to what degree will you report what goes on in the school; the good and the bad; the past, present and future; what do you consider to be news?
- REFLECT THE CULTURE OF YOUR READERS — to what degree will you give the readers what they want, no matter what it is; do you attempt to give the reader what you feel he/she should have or what he/she thinks is wanted; or, what you want?
- MATTER OF RECORD — to what degree will you record all events during the school year; all events would have to be noted, so their would be a record of the year for others to look back on.
- BUILD MORALE AND SPIRIT — to what degree will you be responsible for stressing the positive and helping your readers see the good side of the school year and all the events?
- COMMUNITY IMAGE — to what degree will you be responsible for helping the community understand what things are like in your school; to what degree will you emphasize the positive and improve the school’s image?
- PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS — to what degree will you adopt professional standards of journalism as a guiding light for your coverage; to what degree will you strive to be as much as possible like the commercial press?
- INTERPRETATION AND PERSPECTIVE — to what degree will you try to show how events, issues and personalities are tied together and the effects they have on student lives.
- BE A LEADER — to what degree will you attempt to show the readers what alternatives and solutions might exist to problems and conflicts; to what degree will you attempt to persuade and influence their decisions?
- ENTERTAIN — to what degree will you attempt to show the readers the humorous, light side of themselves and the school; to what degree will you attempt to make them laugh, to see the lighter side of life.
- BE AN OUTLET FOR THEIR VIEWS — to what degree will you be a place where your readers can express their views, to sound off on whatever they want?
The answers to these questions will help you formulate your image and your reputation. Giving these possible roles priorities will help determine what type of publication you will be and what type of editorial policies you will need.
Based on an exercise in Newspapering by Bill Ward, now out of print.
Possible roles for high school publications
Developing an Editorial Policy
This exercise is based on one first presented in Bill Ward’s book, Newspapering. It can be used to work on developing editorial aproaches for your publications and to let students talk about what they think the purpose of the publication should be. All categories are open-ended and allow students to fully explain their answers. Some of the answers are contradictory and will not work well together. This exercise can be a good exercise in building your curriculum.
Your reputation depends on the image you as publication staffers create through your actions and application of journalism law, ethics and principles in all your coverage.
Readership can depend on the reputation of your paper. With these thoughts in mind, editorial staffs have to make decisions based on the following each year, and sometimes even in each issue. Read the following 10 possible roles of a publication. Rank order each, from most important to least important, based on whatever rationale you think important. Explain why you made your decision in a short explanation of your choice. You cannot omit any of the 10 choices, but you can add others if you wish.
- To what degree will you be a matter of record: how much routine news must be printed so a permanent record of the school year will be on file; to what degree does this fall into the area of the yearbook.
- To what degree will you report the news: what importance will you placeon this; will you stress only school news; what part will community news, national news and other news events play in your publication.
- To what degree will you interpret the meaning and significanceof events: will you explain the event or tell only what hapapended; consider the two theories of press roles–mirror and candle; will you tell what is said or show the events in its surroundings,with perspective and background.
- To what degree will you provide leadership: editorials. In what way will they reflect the strengths and weaknessesof your publication? Or, will the influence function be of any value at all to you and to your readers? Are there
other ways to fulfill this leadership function? What are your obligation to your readers? - To what degree will you entertain the readers: will you stress humor, gags, light features and maybe gossip?
Will you try to make the reader laugh? To what extentwill you have fun articles other than opinion and entertainment? Will you include literary work? - To what degree will you be responsible for building school morale and spirit: should you be a leader in building support for academics, athletics, student government, administration, school rules; for any group?
- To what degree will you be responsible for improving the school’s image in the community: how much should you actively try to sell the paper and school to voters, to parents? Will you emphasize the positive and downplay the negative? Will this be a major goal?
- To what degree will you adopt professional standards
of journalism, and codes of ethics: is professional journalismtraining a must for all staffers? Do you want to establish standards for all reportingand presentation? Will you establish standards for all copy and content, and for all staffers? How will you enforce them? - To what degree will you be an outlet for all student, faculty and community opinion: will you accept any materials for publication from outside the staff? Will you establish limits on what can be submitted? Will you publish all lettersto the editor; guest columns; administrator columns?
- To what degree will you reflect the culture of your readers: will you appeal to what the readers, and students, what to see, no matter what it is? Will you attempt to give the reader what you think he or she wants, or what you think he or she should have?
In going over the exercise, focus mainly on the top two or three and the bottom two or three. Work with students as they explain their decisions, letting them discuss each of their decisions. Some simply cannot easily go together–professional standards and building morale, etc. The exercise should lead you into definitions of news, public realtions, administrative control and prior review, role of publications. Encourage the students to discuss their reasoning, challenging them as much as possible to clarify and examine their beliefs, based on what they know, or think they know about journalism.
It’s the law exercise
Read the following scenario and answer the question based on the readings and your own understanding of the principles of journalism law and ethics. What questions or approaches might you take in giving your answer?
by Mike Hiestand, SPLC
A week ago, someone set fire to your school’s library, causing approximately $50,000 damage before it was extinguished. As editor of the student newspaper, you just learned from one of your reporters that a 15-year-old sophomore at your school has been arrested and charged with the arson. The reporter was there with a group of other students when police arrived at the school, informed the student what she was charged with, read the suspect her rights, handcuffed her and drove away in a policy car. Of course, you plan to write a story for the next issue, but can you publish the student’s name? How did you arrive at your answer?
New principal exercise
Your principal is new this year and calls you, as editor, in to discuss his views on school publications. She tells you the following. How would you respond to each of the points she makes?
- She said she thinks the paper should be positive in nature since it is a product of the school and its work has an impact on the community.
- Nothing considered critical of or negative to the community is to be printed.
- She thinks your primary function should be to entertain and inform the school of the positive things going on it.
- She threatens to take away funds if you publish anything offensive or she does not like.
- She wants to read anything controversial before it comes out to protect the school.
- The also-new adviser, she says, has been hired to be the censor so she does not have to. As the principal, she will play the “bad guy” if things get out of hand or the adviser cannot handle any necessary censorship.
Photography ethical situation
During the soccer game for sectional championships, the high school newspaper/yearbook photographer was on the sidelines taking photos. He would take a few, then stop. Occasionally during his “off” moments, he would turn to the crowd, yell the school’s name, and pep up the crowd. It was nothing formal.
The athletics director told the student the next day he could take pictures, but he couldn’t be a fan too. No cheers allowed from him, no assisting the cheerleaders. He had to be either the photographer or a fan.
The athletics director stressed that future cheering from the photographer could get him banned from other events. However, parents expressed concern at the athletics director’s opinion because, they said, the student’s cheering helped the team win.
Thoughts?
SPLC website exercise
The following are your assignments using the World Wide Web. Write your answers on your own paper.
- Go to the Student Press Law Center Web site. In 250-500 words, summarize one of the news notes.
- Find five sites from the SPLC website that you could use to localize information for stories. Write a short summary of the story ideas you have.
- Take three of your best story ideas and find at least five other Web sites that can serve as background information for each. List them.