The Latest

Merit Pay Problem

Every one agrees that great teachers need recognition and deserve to be paid more than less skillful educators. The big problem with merit pay is who decides which teachers deserve it. That is especially true when it comes to journalism teachers. Great advisers are too often not appreciated by their supervising administrators who fear critical…

Looking for your thoughts on what principals need to know about journalism

Suppose you were in the position to help administrators better understand journalism, its roles, its value and importance. What would you want to have available in the way of materials and information in the following areas: • Certification and adviser training • Curriculum • Professional standards • “Responsible journalism” • Legal and ethical issues • Newspaper/print…

A process for developing editorial policies that mean something

Editorial policies are among the most important documents advisers and their students will create. Done correctly, they will protect you and your students, your administrators and your school system against unwanted legal issues. The first educational mission for all schools:  To develop responsible citizens through enabling critical thinking and empowering student decision making. Done incorrectly,…

Develop strong, local story ideas to show what you can do

Good story ideas are always needed, especially those that will lead to good investigative reporting.   Students learn the most when they are on the track of a great story.   However, investigative reporting is often the most controversial and can lead to censorship problems. Establishing a record of doing great responsible investigative reporting on subjects less…

Questions for those who prior review

Because of a recent outbreak of situations affecting advisers’ jobs, JEA suggests anyone faced with prior review ask administrators the following questions: • How does prior review help students learn and advisers practice journalism? • What is the purpose of the review? To prevent misinformation? To protect the school’s image? To enhance student learning? To provide accurate…

First Amendment Award application available

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, also can help protect a school system…

Keeping up with legal issues

Most advisers have a long list of things they want to learn: how to create Soundslides, what the heck Joomla is, where to find the best examples of personality profiles, what AP style uses for the short form of microphone. And the list goes on. However, that list doesn’t always include keeping up with court…

What core values do we share with administrators?

As my colleague and good friend Jan Leach keeps rightfully reminding me, the toughest choices we make are about questions of right versus right. That thought is also at the core of an online ethics course for scholastic and collegiate media teachers I teach for the first time this fall. And I wonder if it…

J programs deserve saving

Budget concerns are causing schools all over the country to cut one of the programs where students learn the most, journalism.   Isn’t learning by students the primary goal of schools?   Students in publication classes learn not only writing skills, they learn to work as a team to produce a publication. They learn to work with…

School Publications Become School History

Recently my husband and I attended his high school class reunion.. Everyone was glad to see old friends especially those who had traveled across the country to attend. These reunions are something you high school students can’t really imagine, but you need to take care. Reunions always feature a memorabilia table covered with all sorts…

And the number keeps growing

As much as we don’t want to see it or accept it, the number of student media being restrained grows rapidly. For instance: • In Boonville, Mo, the superintendent stopped distribution of The Pirate Press reportedly because the paper had not been reviewed as it was supposed to be. Coverage in the local paper did…

Social networking policies: Getting ahead of the curve

By Russell Hickey When the Washington Post recently announced new rules for the use of social media by editors and staff, it was met with some criticism.  Last week, Howard Kurtz chronicled the reactions – both negative and positive. The full-text announcement sent to the Post staff was reprinted by paidContent. The policy behind the…