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Mirror, mirror on the wall: leadership in the digital age
Expanding scholastic journalism into the digital environment is like delving into the world of fantasy, complete with magic mirrors that enlighten and show implications for the future and connections to the past. Our dilemma is how to decide what traditional journalism standards are worthy of transfer to the magical world of digital media and, in…
Where have the leaders gone?
Judging newspaper entries this spring, I noticed a distinct lack of unsigned staff editorials. In some cases this seemed to be mirrored by a lack of depth or extended feature reporting. If there were editorials, a significant number were not calls to action or statements of leadership on events or issues. In other words, the…
To question…
To question Part of the great thing about being an American citizen is that we get to ask questions without fear of retribution, or do we? I have often wondered why some administrators get so upset with student questions in newspapers or teacher questions in faculty meetings or parents questions at school board meetings. As…
Just the facts, ma’am
Twenty-nine days and counting. Some will look toward the culmination of that period positively. Others do so with dread. April 1. April Fools. JEA listservians carried out a lively discussion today on the merits and demerits of publishing an April Fools edition. SPLC executive director Frank LoMonte even said to keep his center’s phone number…
Just this once
In the 1970s, the American Library Association released a film for use in schools called The Speaker. The film dealt with multi-level decision making concerning free speech. One line sticks in my mind: Just this once. As in “what’s wrong if just this once we stop someone from speaking.” Over the years, this translated into…
Growing from SJ Week
Here’s hoping your Scholastic Journalism Week has been a good one. Aiming at providing more support for scholastic media, the Scholastic Press Rights Commission started some good things for this week that will continue throughout the year: • Our Student Partners program, 45words, is accessible through the menu bar above. With this program we hope…
Know who you’re gonna call…
Need legal help or just simple advice? The Scholastic Press Rights Commission’s “panic button,” an interactive map of JEA officials and those willing to answer questions is now available for your use. You can access the map by clicking on the link in the menu bar above or through the link earlier in this paragraph….
My first SJW has been amazing!
I’m ashamed to admit this is the first Scholastic Journalism Week I’ve ever participated in during my five years of teaching, but what an experience it has been so far … and one I will be repeating annually until I retire. I don’t say that because I’ve had some sort of life-altering experience or even…
We want you to celebrate a few good forums
Since it’s Scholastic Journalism Week, let’s do some celebrating. In the past, we have sought student media which are not forums for student expression. Let’s try a positive statement: We want recognize student media that are forums for student expression, either by policy or practice. Forums for student expression are thus defined: • Forums by…
How important is public forum status?
Because it is Scholastic Journalism Week, I wanted to share a question raised at a conference sponsored by the McCormick Foundation and the Illinois Press Association earlier this month. The question: Should the groups involved endorse public forum status as a prerequisite for any kind of protocol process that might be established or should any…
Daddy, why is the computer taking my picture?
Orwellian. Administrators at Lower Merion School District have activated Webcams installed on school-owned laptops, in effect spying on students, although they say their efforts only attempted to find lost and missing computers. Spying is what a class-action lawsuit filed filed against the school alleges. The suit states this not only occurred, but in at least…
Join a team that opposes censorship
Looking for something constructive to do that concerns education, scholastic journalism and maybe even the future of democracy? Join a team that opposes censorship. Team McCandless. Students and parents who want to stop censorship of student media started team McCandless because adviser Cathy McCandless has said she will not advise student media next year given…