The Latest Archives

A ray of hope: Missouri school’s Internet filter use leads to viewpoint discrimination

by Megan Fromm SPRC board members hear it time and time again. The biggest threat to a responsible, educated, well-rounded student media these days just might not be the principal. Instead, Internet filters make it next to impossible for student journalists to conduct research and adapt their products to an online world. As…

Want a good lesson plan? Me, too!

Whenever someone posts of the JEAHELP listserv, ” I need a lesson plan for ______ (fill in the blank with just about anything),” you can be sure someone will post, “Me, too.” There’s no shortage of need for good ways to help students learn. But all lesson plans aren’t created equal so if you want…

All we have to lose is our credibility

by H. L. Hall As we celebrate Scholastic Journalism Week this month, it is imperative we keep the 45 words that help students cover sensitive, controversial issues in a responsible manner. It’s amazing to me every time I teach a workshop, a seminar, or even a session at a JEA convention, I try to…

Establish public trust. Take the Pledge. Carry the Seal

A lesson plan for Wednesday of Scholastic Journalism Week. You can download the lesson here. by Kathy Schrier Scholastic Journalism Week is the perfect time for student media staffs to renew their commitment to practice ethical journalism that is Transparent, Accountable and Open (TAO.) One way to do that is to take the “TAO…

Coming to a state near you?

For those who have not read it, SPLC executive director Frank LoMonte’s recent post on Indiana’s HB 1169 is a chilling reminder of why free expression – and not just for high school students – requires eternal vigilance. For those who will celebrate Scholastic Journalism Week next week, LoMonte’s post is literally mandatory reading. For…

Archived discussion from SPRC Cover It Live discussion

If you could not participate in JEA’s Scholastic Press Rights Commission forum Jan. 30, you can find it here. Information includes discussion legal and ethical issues of using social media in reporting, Internet filtering, several polls on law and ethics and links to excellent resources in all those areas – and more. We appreciate the…

Another resource for teaching verification

Looking for a way to help students understand the importance of verifying information before they break stories – no matter which platform they use? Check out NewsU’s Sources, Verification and Credibility self-directed course. In the course you will study: The characteristics of different forms of information, including news, advertising and public relations How to identify…

Thinking first or acting first? A journalistic dilemma

Lessons abound following the death this morning – and premature reports of it – of Penn State football legend Joe Paterno. We raised the ethical question of print first versus verify first in October with our Ethical Guidelines for scholastic media, prepared in conjunction with JEA’s Digitial Media Committee. Is it better to break news…

Yearbook ethics guidelines

Yearbook staffs are responsible for creating an annual publication that becomes the permanent record of the school and the school population they serve. The publication they create will serve as a record/history book, memory book, business venture, classroom laboratory and public relations tool for the district. Because the functions of the publication are so far reaching,…

Yearbook controversy a time for discussion

This week’s events involving a submitted senior photo for Denver-area yearbook create the potential for discussion and introspection, not only on student media staffs, but also with the communities they serve. In the situation, a senior girl submitted as her senior portrait a photo of her wearing a yellow, short skirt and a shoulder and…

A birthday to celebrate and honor

Today is the 22oth birthday of the Bill of Rights, a time to celebrate through our actions and our recommitment to what it means. • Today, we should show our support for our First Amendment rights online at #FreeToTweet and check out other important information on the First Amendment. • Today, we should follow activities…

Op/Ed Writing With An Ethics Twist: An In-Class Lesson

By Megan Fromm This lesson was inspired by the recent Twitterfest regarding Kansas high school student Emma Sullivan’s tweet about the governor during a trip to the capital. The lesson will take 30+ minutes, and students will need their own paper and pencil. Here are some links for background information on the incident, which will…