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Latest controversy reminds us of work to be done

Never a dull moment in the world of high school censorship, it seems. The latest controversy comes from Bernalillo (N.M.) High School regarding a cartoon pulled from the student newspaper, The Basement. As with many of these situations, I’m disturbed by more than one aspect of the story. To minimize my choir-preaching here, I’ll skip the disappointment about…

Latest controversy reminds us of work to be done

Never a dull moment in the world of high school censorship, it seems. The latest controversy comes from Bernalillo (N.M.) High School regarding a cartoon pulled from the student newspaper, The Basement. As with many of these situations, I’m disturbed by more than one aspect of the story. To minimize my choir-preaching here, I’ll skip the disappointment about…

The fight to save Seattle’s scholastic journalism: A good story with a positive outcome

By Vince DeMiero Nov. 15, 2011 Student press rights are alive and well in the Seattle School District thanks in large part to a savvy reporter, passionately vigilant student publication editors, thoughtful publication advisers and a student-centered superintendent. What happened? In short, a terribly flawed student publications policy almost made it into the official remix of hundreds of…

The fight to save Seattle’s scholastic journalism: A good story with a positive outcome

By Vince DeMiero Nov. 15, 2011 Student press rights are alive and well in the Seattle School District thanks in large part to a savvy reporter, passionately vigilant student publication editors, thoughtful publication advisers and a student-centered superintendent. What happened? In short, a terribly flawed student publications policy almost made it into the official remix of hundreds of…

A lesson for us all in Washington victory over policy change, and a call to action

by John Bowen and Kathy Schrier Principals will not have a chance to prior review Seattle School District journalism students because the school board recently withdrew its proposed and controversial policy change. “As a former journalism teacher, it is important for me — as I know it is for our Board — that we uphold…

A window on the faces of scholastic journalism: Extensive details about student media presented

Although scholastic media maintain a strong presence across the nation, according in a new study their numbers lag in schools with large minority and poor populations. Kent State University’s Center for Scholastic Journalism conducted the study, and its findings came from 1,023 public schools, representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia, from a…

Online ethics guidelines for student media

As student media staffs explore digital media to gather information, tell stories, promote their work and handle comments, they will encounter ethical questions both familiar and unique.

Seattle School District seeks to remove forum policy for prior review

Even though its current open forum policy helped it avoid a lawsuit earlier this year, the Seattle School District seems determined to change course and install prior review, making the adviser responsible for all content and the administrators able to review at will. A decision earlier this year in the Sisley v Seattle School District…

A model social media policy

As an educator in Missouri, I was going to have to live under the thumb of SB54, now known as SB1, which Gov. Jay Nixon just signed into law. The new law eliminates the provisions that were offensive to so many teachers and First Amendment advocates in SB54, but still requires districts to enact some…

Rethinking your forum status – why the correct wording is essential

With the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear appeals on the 2nd Circuit’s Ithaca decision, student media advisers and their journalists should be aware of a potential conflict over how they use the word “forum.” In short, if an editorial policy is going to say student media are forums, students and advisers must be able to…

Student media designated public forums? Apply online for FAPFA recognition

We know there are a significant number of open forum student media out there, and we’d like to see you apply for JEA’s First Amendment Press Freedom Award (FAPFA). Being an open forum for student expression, besides having exceptional educational validity and offering excellent learning opportunities for students, can also help protect a school system…

Ammunition against prior review and restraint Handling controversy, Part 3 of a series

Part of the difficulty in reporting controversial issues is how to define the term and the concept. Any article, if misreported in some way, can be controversial. Journalists would start with looking at the process of gathering information, of observing and conducting research. Each of these steps would take place following journalistically responsible legal and…