The Latest – Page 35

JEA is proud to sign
Statement in Support of Freedom of the Press

“In the First Amendment the Founding Fathers gave the free press the protection it must have to fulfill its essential role in our democracy. The press was to serve the governed, not the governors. The Government’s power to censor the press was abolished so that the press would remain forever free to censure the government.” …

On-site training program available

JEA is entering the second year of its partner project in partnership with the National Scholastic Press Association to deliver on-site training to journalism programs in need. All journalism teachers and their students deserve support and training regardless of factors like location, funding and available resources. The National High School Journalism Convention offers fantastic programming for attendees, but the…

Two items worth checking out
for your journalism program

These two items might provide a needed spark to add to your reporting or provide a way to give freedom to programs in your state. A guide to help with protest reporting Looking for suggestions for your students or for others when they cover public events or protests? Check out Getting into good trouble: A…

Enemy of the American people?

Scholastic Journalism Week gives students a chance to prove the opposite by Stan Zoller, MJE This week is Scholastic Journalism Week – a time for scholastic journalists and their advisers and teachers to tout the excitement and passion that is, in many ways, uniquely scholastic journalism. There will be posters, T-shirts, activities and, of course,…

How do we assist teachers about
understanding the First Amendment?

The Knight Foundation’s recently released 2016 study of student and teacher beliefs, Future of the First Amendment, reported teacher responses that raise First Amendment concerns. Teacher results showed: • When asked if high school students should be allowed to report on controversial issues in their student newspapers without the approval of school authorities, 66 percent of students…

Knight study shows hope, raises issues

The 2016 Knight Foundation’s study of student and teacher beliefs, Future of the First Amendment, has some good news about student beliefs but is equally troubling about what teachers think. The study showed that 91 percent of students agree people “should be able to express unpopular opinions” compared with 83 percent in 2004. Results also…

Teachable moments in journalism

As we discuss fake and alternate news and work them into our classroom and newsroom activities, we should also look at journalists’ social responsibilities to their communities. Take, for example, this lead sequence from a New York Times article: Warm welcome for Syrians in a country about to ban them CHICAGO — On Friday…

More resources for
alternative facts, fake news

With the events surrounding Inauguration Day comes a new journalistic concept, alternative facts. As we teach our students to be aware of fake news and now alternate facts, check out some additional resources that might lead to lessons and activities that rebuild trust in journalists – and journalism. • Kellyanne Conway says Donald Trump’s team has ‘alternative…

Our tasks for the future:
Building a Tool Kit of Trust, integrity

Trust. Trust in sources, information, journalists. Trust in audiences. Trust in education. Ways to help student journalists and their audience fight fake news and bad journalism begin in middle and high school, and especially in journalism programs. Helping journalism students and their audiences fight fake news and sloppy reporting should include understanding what type of journalism…

Addressing issues involved in fake news

According to a study in a Pew Research Center report released recently, 88 percent of U.S. adults say they believe fake news is causing either a “great deal of confusion” or at least “some confusion” when it comes to people’s understanding of current events. Categorically false lies-posing-as-breaking-news-stories often start as reportorial problems. Scholastic journalists can begin to…

Censored news is fake news

Censored news is fake news. Frank LoMonte, executive director of the Student Press Law Center, wrote that in Fake News, Real Solutions recently. He said the first wave of responses to fake news does not cure the underlying problem. We agree wholeheartedly. LoMonte blamed part of the problem on an educational system that tells students across the…

Bill of Rights Day, Dec. 15

Dec.15, 2016, is Bill of Rights Day and a good time to deepen students’ knowledge about intricacies of our government as seen through the first ten amendments. Such discussions would also be timely and relevant given the political events of an election year and the change associated with a new presidency. In a 1941 proclamation,…