The Latest Archives

For your next editorial,
stand up for journalism

by Candace Bowen, MJE It’s not too late. Even if you weren’t back in school by mid-August or hadn’t started publishing yet, it’s not too late to follow the Boston Globe’s campaign to get publications everywhere to write editorials arguing against President Trump’s frequent assertion that journalists are the “enemy of the people.” “We propose to…

Time for informed civic engagement

2018 is the season of the which by John Bowen, MJE Student journalists must learn to face key questions this fall, not only in terms of scholastic media but also in terms of informed civic engagement: For example, which information inundating them deserves their belief and active support and which deserves their active skepticism: •…

Statement of importance of student journalism

Title Statement of importance of student journalism Description A lesson on writing an editorial to explain the function of scholastic media. Summary This advanced lesson will take students through examination and discussion concerning the importance of journalism so students can write an editorial explaining their points. When students publish, they may send the article for…

Fighting fake news one Tweet at a time

Title: Fighting fake news one Tweet at a time Description: The principle of freedom of speech allows Americans the right to express opinions without censorship or restraint, and social media provides a 24/7 platform for that purpose. According to Pew Research, approximately two-thirds of Americans report that they get at least some of their news…

Letter to editor

Write a Constitution Day Letter to the Editor Use this assignment to have your students engage with your local newspaper to share their free expression experiences as a student in your school or community. Objectives Students will explore the rights of the First Amendment and discern how it impacts their lives. Students will engage in…

Constitution Day highlights from previous years

As we brainstormed ideas for this version of Constitution Day, we realized how many previous activities and lessons were still relevant today. Here are our top eight. If you’d like to revisit the previous years’ lesson and ideas, we’ve included links to each year at the end of the page. Celebrating Constitution Day (Lori…

Constitution Day quiz competition

Title Constitution Day Quiz Competition Description Have students compete (either individually or in groups) to demonstrate knowledge about the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights Objectives • Students will demonstrate knowledge of the history and content of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. • Students will assess their own level of familiarity with the Constitution…

Student Expression Rights (What are they, exactly?)

Title Student Expression Rights (What are they, exactly?) Description Students zero in on how the First Amendment protections apply to student speech, especially when it comes to walkouts, dress and publication related to protest. Objectives Students will understand how the First Amendment was applied to students taking part in walkout protests in 2018….

What are ethics?

Laws indicate what journalists must do, while ethics indicate what they should do. Rooted in ethics, responsible and free journalism adheres to applicable laws and operates using professional standards to enhance student media’s reach and impact. Journalism, truly the cornerstone of democracy, starts at the scholastic media level, where students learn the legal and ethical…

Ways to celebrate Constitution Day 2018

The Scholastic Press Rights Committee is again excited to provide lesson plans and activities to help you celebrate Constitution Day and the First Amendment. Constitution Day recognized Sept. 17 each year, and we have a trove of new and archived lessons and activities to help you raise awareness of the First Amendment’s rights and applications…

Face, fight and educate
those who would limit media

by John Bowen, MJE A Boston Globe article about its Aug. 16 campaign for media to speak out against President Donald Trump’s attacks on journalists called the president’s rhetoric ”alarming.”` “Whatever happened to the free press? Whatever happened to honest reporting,” the reporter quotes the president in an Aug. 2 political rally in Pennsylvania. “They…

Maybe #Firstonthefirst initiative can help move the needle

Maybe it was last night’s reflection on Anthony Kennedy’s final day serving as a Supreme Court justice. Or maybe it was because I’m still recovering from the latest State of the First Amendment survey. In case you missed it, more than one-third of the survey respondents (40 percent) could not name a single freedom guaranteed…