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Ask, do not assume, to build trust between students and administrators

by Lindsay Coppens, The Harbinger Adviser Algonquin Regional High School, Northborough, Mass. Building trust between student editors and school administrators goes a long way toward having a good year and a publication where students are empowered.  Yes, part of scholastic journalists’ role is to question those in power and the decisions they make, and it’s…

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Journalism and activism: Is there still a line that separates them?

(WARNING: I buried the lead…at least for some of you.) by Candace Bowen, MJE Following the 2018 March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C. and less than two months after the Parkland shootings, CNN’s “Reliable Sources” host Brian Stelter asked one of the school newspaper’s editors if she saw “a difference right now between journalism and…

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Conversations at the Schoolhouse Gate Podcast: Real benefits without review

The latest episode of the SPRC podcast Conversations at the Schoolhouse Gate is posted. Episode 6: Real benefits without review and restraintinterview with Archer School for Girls administrator Gretchen Warner and student editor Anna Brodsky. Subscribe to the podcast through iTunes or Stitcher or listen directly from this website.  After defining the terms “prior review,” “prior restraint” and…

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Be a leader in Year of the Student Journalist

by John Bowen, MJE Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier contributes to people’s inability to trust journalists since much of what today’s society grew up with as journalism appeared in student media. There, journalists often battled censorship, prior review or intimidation.  When that’s what the media carried – incomplete information that conveniently omitted unfavorable details or saw entertainment…

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Writing a guideline: Suggestions for student media mission, legal, ethical and procedural language

Model Staff Manual: Use Constitution Day as a way to compare your staff policies and guidelines — or use it for students to craft their own — to our sample staff manual. Originally presented to the 2019 Adviser Institute in New Orleans, this material provides important models that can be adapted of essential mission, legal,…

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Introduction to Constitution Day 2019: lessons and more

Constitution Day is right around the corner: Tuesday, Sept. 17. This celebration of the signing of the United States Constitution is the perfect time to touch on our rights and responsibilities, especially as they relate to freedom of speech. The Scholastic Press Rights Committee has you covered, once again, with a collection of lesson plans…

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Resources for working on student free press legislation

For Constitution Day, we created a resource for those working on state student free expression legislation. This resource can take stakeholders through the stages of the process.  We hope this blossoms into a robust resource area. Samples are included for many items, but please remember, these are samples of what others have done. It is…

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Journalism Teachers: Five steps for a great start to the school year

The typical to-do list of journalism teachers during the back to school season often includes setting up the newsroom, prepping lessons, attending professional development days and coordinating with editors and staffers. Whether that list lives in a mobile app, Google Doc or pretty new notebook, it’s usually a long one. But adding these five things…

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Seems like you never know until it is too late

by Candace Bowen, MJE Your principal is a good one who answers questions for your news staff and encourages your yearbook staff to tell what really happened this year. Even Twitter and Instagram have not been a problem for your journalism students. Sure, you and your staff share stories with your principal when they cover…

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When ‘trickle down’ goes beyond economics

by Stan Zoller, MJEIn recent history, the idea of “trickledown economics” is something attributed to the late Ronald Reagan, who occupied the White House from 1981 to 1989.  However, the roots of a “trickle down” policy allegedly had its roots planted by the late humorist Will Rogers who reportedly referred to the theory that cutting…

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What to tell an administrator who seeks prior review

The Porn-worker and Bear Creek High School by Jan Ewell, MJE The district administration of the Lodi Unified School District demanded prior review of a story the paper was writing about an 18-year old student, estranged from her parents, who was working in the porn industry while finishing her senior year.  The adviser, Cathi Duffel, and her…

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Activities based on media coverage of high school of student working in adult industry

by John Bowen, MJEIn my last blog we discussed the importance of fighting prior review, and noted its use is growing, even in states with state legislation protecting student expression. To emphasize the issue, we highlight recent review attempts with the Bruin Voice of Stockton, California, and related reporting about the student story. You have…

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