The Latest Archives

Have students learn from history
as student journalists today

by Jackie Mink As a high school student in 1968, I had friends and family members fighting in the Vietnam War. There were many protests across the country by young people against the war, but one in particular influenced student expression for the future and up to today. That protest was when a group of…

Join the SPRC for sessions in Chicago

The Scholastic Press Rights Committee is presenting a number of sessions at the Fall National High School Journalism Convention in Chicago. We hope to see you at one or more of them. More sessions are available on law and ethics – check out the convention program. New Voices Summit 2- 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31 Randolph 1A-B,…

Working together more than just a phrase

by Stan Zoller, MJE More than a few years ago, I produced a corporate television show designed to inform the United States sales force of a major corporation about new sales, existing customer successes and general corporate information. It was also quasi motivational and one of the anchors’ walk-off lines was “Working together, we make the…

New Voices podcasts
and valuable information

Looking for information and ideas to challenge students and expand their journalistic experiences, try these first offerings. From challenging concepts to story ideas and approaches, we’ll bring you occasional packages like today’s. • We’ve launched a new podcast resource from the Scholastic Press Rights Committee — Conversations at the Schoolhouse Gate: The New Voices Podcast! Our…

Tips for reporting the year’s toughest story

by Candace Bowen, MJE It’s the story of the year, perhaps even the decade. The general topic is listed in the top 10 issues of concern for teens in almost every poll. Misunderstandings and misinformation play a big role, and adults so often don’t know how to talk about it either. This could and should…

‘Stupid teen stuff’ in student media
can alter history, shape future

by John Bowen, MJE Private jokes, misleading and fabricated information have no place in yearbook journalism. In any journalism. To simplify, in a Sept. 27 hearing about whether Judge Brett Kavanaugh should become a justice on the U. S. Supreme Court, a yearbook sparked controversy years later about the meaning and truthfulness of some content….

Check out the new SPRC podcast

Looking to learn more about New Voices and the First Amendment? Check out SPRC’s first in a series of podcasts that will highlight issues of importance to empower student voices. The first installment of “Conversations at the Schoolhouse Gate” features Neha Madhira from Prosper High School (Texas) and discusses her staff’s fight through prior review…

Brett Kavanaugh’s 1983 yearbook provides teachable moments

Yearbooks are forever. We wear this statement on matching T-shirts, mail it home on marketing postcards and proudly display it on homemade posters created by dedicated publications staffs nationwide. But less than one week before National Yearbook Week 2018, the phrase takes on new significance during the hearings surrounding Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Earlier…

A new school year, a new staff – make sure your staff is well informed

by Cyndi Hyatt By now we all have fallen into the rhythm of another academic year. With the advent of new staffs, new ideas and maybe new procedures it’s also good to pause and reflect. What have you done to make sure your staff, especially the rookies, is trained in more than how to write…

Constitution Day is right time
to apply for FAPFA recognition

by Lori Keekley, MJE As advisers, we work to support student journalists on a daily basis. Taking a moment today to apply for the First Amendment Press Freedom Award is a great way to symbolically show this support.

Start the year strong while
promoting students’ press rights

by Lindsay Coppens The Harbinger Adviser, Algonquin Regional High School, Northborough, Mass. Although we may want to jump right into the business of putting out the first print issue or filling the website with killer content, there are steps you as an adviser can take at the beginning of the year to help your publication’s staff…

Asking questions never goes out of style

by Stan Zoller, MJE A Chicago TV station has the call letters WMAQ. Its origins go back to the 1922 when The Chicago Daily News started the station. Its call letters were known to mean “We Must Ask Questions,” which today would not only be known as solid journalism, but also fact checking. The Daily News…