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Student expression shouldn’t be foreign to journalists

To appreciate our freedom of speech and freedom of expression, travel abroad. Unfortunately, there are those in this country who think freedoms of expression need to be controlled, especially when they are extolled by students. When we recently visited Macao our tour guide pointed to a group handing out information about their religious beliefs. The…

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Students win money, school board rejects it; Issues create story planning activity

When Lynchburg, Virginia’s public school board rejected a $10,000 grant students had applied for and won — and the board had already approved — more than one group was upset. An unnamed board member told news media board members have received death threats and hate mail because of their decision. Students were upset because they…

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A four part blog: News deserts

Part 2 of 4 My original blog idea started as a simple little suggestion to encourage high school student journalists to cover school board meetings and educational topics in communities without commercial media – those rural and urban areas considered news deserts. But it’s grown much bigger than that. These will be the weekly installments…

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JEA Curriculum Highlight: Introducing Students to Takedown Requests

If your staff has had a website for long, they’ve probably received a request to take down something that’s been published. It might have been something the team published last year or even five years ago. In this lesson 50-minute lesson in the JEA Curriculum, students will work to understand the basic considerations of a…

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A four part blog: One student journalist attempts to reach a larger audience

Emma’s story Part 1 of 4 My original blog idea started as a simple little suggestion to encourage high school student journalists to cover school board meetings and educational topics in communities without commercial media – those rural and urban areas considered news deserts. But it’s grown much bigger than that. These will be the…

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Localizing Book Banning, 2023 Constitution Day Activity

Created by Scholastic Press Rights Director Kristin Taylor, MJE Focus: One of the key skills of a good reporter is the ability to localize national news. This activity can be used on Constitution Day as part of a larger discussion of students’ access to information or another time as practice localizing news. The topic: Rising…

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From Ai to book banning and news deserts, Constitution Day empowers journalistic thinking

JEA’s Scholastic Press Rights Committee wants to help you and your students celebrate their free speech rights this year. Constitution Day, observed Sept. 17 yearly in commemoration of the signing of the United States Constitution, is an excellent time to explore and discuss the status of the Constitution in today’s USA. Bringing help to news…

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A message from Marion: Attacks on press freedom have no limits

The next time you’re grousing because an administrator wants to review a story or, worse yet, an entire issue of your student publication, think of Eric Meyer. And what the heck, think of Joan Meyer too. Do the names ring a bell? Hopefully, but sadly, they should. Eric Meyer is the editor and publisher of…

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Back-to-School-Blues? Look for your why

“I’m just a teacher, standing in front of August, asking it to be July 1.” My friend and fellow press rights advocate Adriana Chavira posted that statement, which plays on the famous line from the rom-com “Notting Hill,” on social media last week, and I did the kind of laugh-sob so many teachers do this…

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World Press Day: Its freedoms ‘carry responsibility’ for us all

May 3 is World Press Freedom Day. A day to celebrate press freedom. On her Facebook post May 3, colleague Barb Hipsman Springer wrote, “as journalism goes, so goes democracy. Remember that freedoms carry responsibility for you, too.” Noble words and commitments. Such statements often receive forceful agreement. Cheers and applause. A raised fist. All…

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West Virginia makes it 17 New Voices states

West Virginia became the seventeenth state to pass New Voices legislation March 23. The new law, The Student Journalist Press Freedom Act, goes into effect June 9, 2023. In a March 24 press release, the Student Press Law Center indicated a key part of the law ensures that high school and college students determine the…

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Student journalists can tackle current, key issues

For 19 days now, Ohioans anywhere near East Palestine, a town with close to 4,700 residents near the Pennsylvania state line, tried to grasp the Norfolk Southern train’s derailment impact on their futures and those of their town. Today, Feb. 22, Northern Ohioans and others in the proximity of railroad tracks, might have reason to…