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Apply now for 22nd annual FAPFA recognition

It’s again time to apply for the First Amendment Press Freedom Award. All first round applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CST Dec. 15. In its 22nd year, the recognition is designed to identify and recognize high schools that actively support and protect First Amendment rights of their students and teachers.  Schools will be…

The little things can add up when it comes to transparency in reporting

by Stan Zoller, MJE It’s not clear how the saying got started, but one thing is for sure, it’s a truism. Little things do add up.And they may be able to help take the pain out of big things.  Like prior review. It’s no secret those student media unfortunate to have content reviewed by an administrator…

Need assistance with censorship issues? Press the Panic Button

JEA’s Scholastic Press Rights Commission (SPRC) established a first line of confidential intervention for those who feel they face censorship or just want legal or ethical advice about journalism decisions. The Panic Button. The Panic Button is an online reporting tool where advisers, students, administrators or community members can confidentially share their journalism situations or questions….

A gem you probably missed: AASA School Administrator Magazine feature

by Candace Bowen, MJE As school was winding down in Spring 2020, media advisers scrambled to help students find photos – ANY photos – for the yearbook. Or tried to cover the pandemic locally on their new, we-don’t-know-quite-how-it-works-yet website. Or they just focused on helping their students finish the year. For most, it wasn’t a…

Covering elections and post-elections: what Gen Z students care about

by Cyndi Hyatt Record numbers of citizens voted in this now contested presidential election, and the outcome of Tuesday’s contest may not be known for days.  And although most high school students cannot yet vote, they still have opinions and cares about the government and their future.   Whoever wins Tuesday will set the tone for the…

Highlighting some SPRC key and most-used posts

Press Rights Minute is one of several of our services buried in the SPRC vault. Press Rights Minute has a wealth of 60-second audio support on substantive, key journalistic, issues for advisers, students and administrators. The Panic Button is a way to reach out for SPRC and JEA legal and/or ethical advice. We are not…

Flashback: Lessons on avoiding sloppy reporting

 

Semantics can strengthen reporting

by Stan Zoller, MJE When President Trump was hospitalized recently with COVID-19, it was, to say the least, interesting to watch the briefings from the medical professionals attending to him. It was evident their words were chosen carefully – so carefully I couldn’t help but think of the late S.I. Hayakawa.  Hayakawa was a professor…

Having supportive administrators is not a fairytale

by Teresa Scribner, CJE, Cleveland STEM High School Seattle, Washington Once upon a time, there were three administrators. These warriors stood for racial equality, social justice and making sure all students in their school felt safe, seen and heard. They were champions of student voice, advocates of the school’s journalism program and defenders of student…

Voting and Media Coverage: the meaning of being a citizen in a troubled era

Election Day this year is of monumental importance whether it might be a person’s twentieth time to vote or another’s first. Given the pandemic that allows medical and health issues to impact political, social and economic phases of society, Nov. 3, 2020 will be a harbinger of things to come. As journalists, we have a…

Teaching law and ethics so it MEANS something

by Candace Bowen, MJE Teaching law and ethics isn’t easy. Most beginning teachers have discovered the hard way that some methods just don’t work. JEA members taking the MJE certification test often have spent far too much time wrestling with the question that asked for a three-week lesson plan on the topic and not having…

Hate speech and its protection

by Cyndi Hyatt This fall’s upcoming presidential election has created a national climate where people are politically polarized, and their speech is often incendiary.  Perhaps now is the perfect time to revisit with student journalists how speech is protected and unprotected, particularly with a focus on hate speech.  My own students alerted me that hate speech…