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After 234 years, Hamilton’s words remain spot on

When Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay wrote the Federalist Papers in 1787, odds are more than pretty good that scholastic journalism wasn’t on their minds. Safe bet. In one of the 51 essays he wrote, Hamilton noted that “…A government continually at a distance and out of sight can hardly be expected to…

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Student Press Freedom Day: This year’s theme is Journalism Against the Odds

Student Press Freedom Day is February 26. This year’s theme is Journalism Against the Odds – how fitting for the bulk of 2020 and the beginning of 2021. Last March who could have predicted the unfolding of a global pandemic closing high schools and colleges, cutting students off from campuses and classrooms, classmates and school…

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New Voices Laws may bring new challenges

As the pandemic lingers and school districts ping-pong back and forth between at-home learning, in-school learning and hybrid learning, one thing hasn’t changed. Laws governing student expression. Fourteen states already have laws that protect the First Amendment rights of student journalists and, reports the Student Press Law Center, laws have been introduced or reintroduced in…

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Questioning Authority

Fallout from the 2020 election expands into a second impeachment trial. Mobs attack the Capital raising charges of unAmerican activity and sedition. Questions of whether not wearing masks and large groups partying extend our national pain of a nearly year-old pandemic. It is certain scholastic media will address plenty of issues. Just recently Facebook and…

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January 6: Reporting on mobs, coup, insurrection, protest, riot, patriots

While JEA condemns attack on the Capitol Jan. 6, it also urged journalism teachers and advisers to continue facilitating fact-based journalism, especially of locally-related issues. To help students and advisers with that coverage, The SPRC highlights information and ideas that can assist in exploring current events or national issues. JEA commended journalism educators, president Sarah…

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Questioning Authority: Covering Jan 6th

Journalists must no longer share just the what. We must provide the WHY It’s not just what we tell people. It’s more than ever the WHYords are powerful. And teachable moments are a gift. No one knows that better than journalism teachers. So, when crowds descended on the Capitol Wednesday (note the words I…

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When Tragedies Happen, Teachers Are On: The Day After January 6th

The evening of Jan. 6, I spent time thinking about how to work with my journalism students the next day. There were so many different plans that I explored, and this is what I ended up with. I started with a letter that I read to them, which I will excerpt here. My default is…

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Who owns student content? Publication and copyrights

Students were back wherever their classes meet after the first of January when questions began on JEA’s listserv about who owned publication content, specifically images, in student media. Responses came, saying the school did; the publication did and student journalists did. Reasons and answers varied widely. JEA’s Scholastic Press Rights Committee several years ago, as…

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A short wish list for Santa from your journalism students

Dear Santa, I hope this letter finds you well. I’m not sure what the COVID-19 cases look like up at the North Pole, but I would hope that you, Mrs. Claus, the reindeer and the elves have been maintaining social distance and wearing your masks (unlike too many of my fellow Americans). I imagine you have…

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Should it stay or should it go? An ethics question

by Teresa Scribner, CJE After spending 17 years in the newspaper industry as a visual journalist, I feel like I have a solid grasp on leaving my personal beliefs at the door when I walk into a newsroom. For years, I bit my tongue on politics, religion and reality TV. Being able to compartmentalize has…

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…

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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…