The Latest Archives

Making a Difference: Student journalists document controversy challenging community

by Jane Blystone Part 2 of an 8 part series When the school district in Pflugerville, Texas, decided to provide employees with domestic partners the same fringe benefits that married couples received, student journalists at Pflugerville High School documented the public controversy as it was the first district in the state of Texas to offer…

FAPFA application deadline is Dec. 1

by John Bowen Deadline for the First Amendment Press Freedom Award (FAPFA) is fast approaching. The application can be completed by using a SurveyGizmo form. Deadline for submission is Dec. 1, 2013. In its 14th year, the recognition is designed to identify and recognize high schools that actively support and protect First Amendment rights of their students and teachers….

The humor page: Is it worth the risk?

by Kathy Schrier The opportunity to fill in as interim newspaper adviser at one of Seattle’s largest high schools was an offer I couldn’t refuse in November 2012. I was to step in for an experienced adviser who was leaving to take a position as an editor with a large media outlet. The job would…

The Tinkers return to their roots

Mary Beth and John Tinker returned to Des Moines, Iowa, today as part of the national Tinker Tour to celebrate student rights and to show students they can make a difference. The Tinkers were the plaintiffs in the landmark 1969 U.S. Supreme Court decision that students do not leave their rights at the schoolhouse gate….

Learning from the mistakes we make

by Tom Gayda “(Journalism) kids have rights. They have the right to be right. They have the right to make mistakes and the right to learn from those mistakes.” So are the words of this year’s JEA Administrator of the Year—and my principal—Evans Branigan III. If only more folks in administrative jobs would get behind…

When law and ethics and good journalism combine

PART 3 OF a 3-PART SERIES An experienced Ohio newspaper adviser teams up with a former student — who now has a law degree — to teach the staff about using public records. An alleged rape on campus requires student editors to stand their ground accessing information about it. Once they have details about the…

When law and ethics and good journalism combine

PART 2 OF a 3-PART SERIES An experienced Ohio newspaper adviser teams up with a former student — who now has a law degree — to teach the staff about using public records. An alleged rape on campus requires student editors to stand their ground accessing information about it. Once they have details about the…

When law and ethics and good journalism combine

PART 1 OF a 3-PART SERIES An experienced Ohio newspaper adviser teams up with a former student — who now has a law degree — to teach the staff about using public records. An alleged rape on campus requires student editors to stand their ground accessing information about it. Once they have details about the…

Worth checking out

Some current story ideas and resources worth checking out: • The Society of Professional Journalists dedicates its Fall issue of its journal, Quill, to Freedom of Information. This year’s FOI issue can be accessed for free at: Fall 2013 FOI issue of Quill • A New York Times article on schools watching student use of the…

Opening (or closing) Pandora’s Box

Why online comment and discussion policies are integral By Megan Fromm Last month, Popular Science, an online news magazine dedicated to all things techie, scientific, and often futuristic, decided it was closing the comments section for new online articles. Staff members argued that in some cases, comments were bad for science, especially when the nature…

Teaching Tool available fromJohn S.and James L. Foundation blog

by Mark Goodman Journalism education, at both the high school and college level, is facing some real challenges. The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation’s Eric Newton weighs in on many of them, including the importance of defending press freedom for students, in his new ebook, Searchlights and Sunglasses (www.searchlightsandsunglasses.org). This free book, available…

FOIA can put a lot of power in the hands of students

by Stan Zoller One of the challenges associated with presenting at a conference – journalism or otherwise – is trying to figure out how many people will attend your session. There have been times when I’ve had standing room only, and other times when I could have invited the attendees to Starbucks to discuss the…