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Insights

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…

Insights

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…

Insights

Prior review imposes ineffective educational limits on learning, citizenship

by John Bowen, MJEUnbelievably, prior review seems to be spreading. It occurred recently in Illinois, California, Ohio, Texas and numerous additional states. It shows no signs of slowing, despite efforts to pass state legislation to protect student expression. To read about California review and restraint demands, go here. To read the articles in question go…

Insights

New Year brings hope for New Voices Law

by Jackie Mink, JEA Emeritus Member This past January, I saw television reports about members of the United States Congress being sworn in for this new year. I also saw this happening with the Missouri legislature, which is the state where I live. New sessions makes me think of the New Voices of Missouri legislation, a movement to guarantee…

Insights

Contests should stress how to be journalists as much as they do winning

by Stan Zoller, MJEThe late sports writer Jerome Holtzman penned a book, “No Cheering in the Press,” which is a collection of fascinating tales by some legendary sports scribes. In the book, the scribes describe the ascent to the top of the craft to cover some of the nation’s most famous, if not infamous, sports…

Insights

When is free speech not so free?

by Candace Bowen, MJEIf it seems too good to be true, it probably is. That may be a cliché, but it’s often spot on. And no more so than news lately of various orders and state legislation and school policies seeming to promote free speech. That’s a great idea, right? Well, maybe not. And…

Fools, wills and quotes: credibility disasters

by John Bowen, MJE It’s that time of year. Senior quotes, senior wills and April fools sometimes can be considered the three Horsemen of the Apocalypse. They have minimal journalistic value and can quickly damage a staff’s –– and a school’s –– reputation and credibility. What’s a good media staff to do? The decision is…

Insights

Hardly any confidence

Scholastic journalists must seize the opportunity to improve confidence in media by CyndiCrothers-Hyatt A recent national poll conducted by the Columbia Journalism Review asked Americans about their confidence in the press. It’s no surprise that in our country’s current climate there is a level of distrust of the media among Americans. But the results were…

Cases

Part 3: Students in the forefront during #Tinkerversary

When anyone tells Mary Beth Tinker that students are the future, she firmly but politely corrects them: “No, they’re the present.” If the students participating in the #Tinkerversary events this week are typical – and it would seem they are –, the present is in good hands. These included: Marjory Stoneman Douglas students from Parkland, Florida,…

Cases

Part 2: Now things are different in Des Moines

Des Moines schools, how you have changed since early winter 1965. That’s when a high school principal got wind of a pending Vietnam War protest – reportedly when his school’s newspaper adviser showed him a story about it for the next issue. He and his fellow principals decided suspensions would be the punishment for anyone…

Insights

SPRC has wealth of information to share

by John Bowen, MJE It seems advisers and students nationwide face more questions recently about law and ethics. Questions have dealt with unnamed sources, takedown requests and yearbook ethics among others. We assist our followers with more than resources and examples. While our team at the Scholastic Press Rights Committee respond quickly and authoritatively we,…

Cases

Part 1: Let’s celebrate a #tinkerversary

“I had no idea our small action would lead to something so consequential,” Mary Beth Tinker told Smithsonian.com recently. Now, 50 years after the Supreme Court ruled in Tinker v. Des Moines students and teachers don’t “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate,” it’s clear Mary Beth, her brother…