The Latest
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A class activity to learn
both law AND ethics
by Candace Bowen “The first lesson she asked me to teach is lawnethics,” the excited student teacher said, adding more slowly, “But now I’m not exactly sure what that is….” Sadly, she wasn’t alone in a class of education majors who would soon be licensed to teach journalism in a large Midwestern state. In fact,…
Publishing satire
Ethical guidelines Satire can make for entertaining writing, however two major points should be considered when discussing the inclusion of satire: 1: Will readers get “it?” and 2: Even if readers do get “it,” are you walking a fine line with the type of content expected of your publication and that which isn’t necessarily journalistic?…
Following – and creating –
New Voices in the land
New Voices campaigns, inspired by the successful John Wall New Voices Act of North Dakota, continue to grow across the country. Developed by journalism students and advisers and supported by scholastic journalism organizations, these groups want to give voice to student journalists by creating legislative reform. So far, five states have established campaigns and many more…
Satire: Easy to confuse when used without context
by Tom Gayda Aw, satire. So fun and entertaining when done well. How many times have I been taken aback for a second by an Onion headline? More than I care to share! Satire can be very powerful when done with purpose, but satire for the sake of satire often falls flat. My students are…
Apply for First Amendment recognition
Applications are now available for this year’s First Amendment Press Freedom Award (FAPFA). In its 16th year, FAPFA recognition is designed to identify and recognize high schools that actively support and protect First Amendment rights of their students and teachers. The honor focuses on press freedoms. The application can be completed by using a SurveyGizmo form. Deadline for submission…
Celebrate Free Speech Week,
show it means something real
Free Speech Week starts Monday, Oct. 19 and continues through Oct. 25. Let’s show the nation it means something to scholastic journalism, its students and advisers. According to information from the its website, Free Speech Week (FSW) is a yearly event to raise public awareness of the importance of free speech in our democracy- and to celebrate that…
Diverse thinking, open eyes key
to pursuing Hazelwood legislation
by Stan Zoller, MJE Ah, fall. Football, the World Series, Homecoming, and Halloween are all traditions and events synonymous with autumn. There seems, however, to be another occurrence that becomes front and enter as the leaves change color: Drives for legislation that gives scholastic journalists that opportunity to practice uninhibited free and responsible journalism. Call…
Student journalists report on Genius Girl story that goes viral
The student journalists at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology knew the story that was going viral in the public media about a student from their school needed to be told from the inside by the people who knew the real story. The story of the ‘Genius Girl’ from TJHSST moved through public media…
From mission to manual: Fitting the pieces into a strong Foundation
Part 4 of a series on pieces of the journalism puzzle: fitting the pieces into a strong foundation The four pieces soft the journalistic puzzle – mission statement, editorial policy, ethical guidelines and staff manual – complement each other in a way to show student participants and community members what they can expect. Taken together, they…
Points to avoid in mission statements
Part 3 of a series on pieces of the journalism puzzle: mission pieces to omit by John Bowen As with any guiding statement, unclear, undefineable or imprecise wording can lead to misinterpretation of intended principles. Thus, we would suggest mission statements do not include these terms: Entertain(ment). To make this a major point of your mission…
Careful preparation creates
strong mission statements
Part 2 of a series on pieces of the journalism puzzle: Mission Statements by Candace and John Bowen A mission statement defines your student media, shows your audience what’s important to you and helps them see why you do what you do. It’s not easy to write an effective one. When JEA’s Scholastic Press…
Build a strong foundation by locking in
pieces of the puzzle called journalism
Part 1 of a series on fitting the pieces of the journalism puzzle: Knowing where to start by Candace and John Bowen Preparing student media for a new year often begins with design- and theme-planning. For a good number this includes summer workshops for training in reporting platforms, visual reporting approaches and the latest in apps…