The Latest
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Lack of media diversity creates problems for democracy
by Candace Bowen, MJE Columbia Journalism Review is focusing on diversity in this fall’s print issue and online site— not the diversity of inclusion or the diversity that just gives us more voices. In the intro to the Fall 2018 issue,author Jelani Cobb, director of Columbia University’s Ira A. Lipman Center for Journalism and Human…
Student journalists should heal and transform the world
JEA Administrator of the Year, Rachel Simpson Thanks to the JEA for this award. It is an honor to be here and an extraordinary privilege — and a wonderful surprise, frankly — to be recognized in this way. Gratitude to everyone in this room for your work motivating student’ voice and student publication. Specifically, in…
Student journalists are the real deal
by Cyndi Hyatt A few weeks back a student reporter asked a school administrator if she could cover a school-related banquet at a local country club, an event much touted and advertised. Sure was the response, but she would have to buy a ticket. She was not expecting that response, nor was I. After…
Transparency
Transparency maintains credibility, strengthens reporting Guideline In order to maintain credibility, student reporters and editors should strive to be transparent in all aspects of their reporting. This includes revealing within the text of a story how interviews were obtained (if anything other than an in-person interview is used), giving proper attribution to direct quotes, as…
Unnamed sources should be used sparingly …
… and only after students evaluate how the value of the information balances with the problems such sources create Journalism is based on truth and accuracy. Using unnamed sources risks both of those standards. For that reason, students should seek sources willing to speak on the record. Unnamed sources should be used sparingly and only after…
New Quick Tips listing can help provide
solutions, guides to media issues
Working on a sensitive story? Looking to add new ethical guidelines to help students deal with new technology? Want to finalize the process to use if students wish to run political ads or endorsements? Quick Tips can help with ethical guidelines supported by reasoning and staff manual procedures to reach outcomes you desire. If you…
Seeking journalistic truth
Helping student journalists to seek the truth by Kristin Taylor What does it mean to be truthful? Is truthfulness accurate numbers and statistics? Multiple points of view? Context to help the reader understand the time and place and other circumstances? All of the above? Journalistic truth “means much more than mere accuracy,” according the seminal…
Public or independent schools:
Whose expression is protected is complex
School type, court decisions state laws and how student media are established can all have a role by Kristin Taylor If public school student journalists face censorship, they can turn to the First Amendment. Because public schools are funded by the government, school officials are government agents. Private (also known as “independent”) schools are not…
Handling sponsored content
Student media, when faced with publishing sponsored content, should act carefully and with the best interests of the audience/consumer first. Although it is quite possible scholastic media will never face making a decision to run content known as sponsored or native ads, students and advisers should prepare guidelines just in case. Sponsored content and native…
The importance of linking to reporting
Links in online reporting provides context, credibility and transparency for coverage by Kristin Taylor You can’t click on a print newspaper, so why should we include links in digital stories? The Nieman Foundation provides four main purposes for adding links: Links are good for storytelling. Links keep the audience informed. Links are a currency of collaboration….
Standards for accepting non-staff content
Standards for non-staff generated content (including student media ads) Guideline: Our publication will not accept advertising content that includes profanity, obscenity or nudity (with the exception of baby pictures for the personal ads). The editors reserve the right to edit all copy for style or to refuse an ad on the basis of its content….
Promote online coverage with facts, without hype
When promoting, leave the rah-rah to the cheerleaderd. Supply the facts. Guideline: Staffs should have clear guidelines for the tone of information published in social media. Although tweets are often used to promote people or events, that’s not the job of news media — student-run or otherwise. Remember to be a journalist all the time and…