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Prior Review undermines learning
John Bowen spoke about some of the problems with prior review and the censorship it can lead to in his Oct. 25th post and an earlier one. However, another problem is more subtle than blatant censorship. It is self-censorship by student editors. Why go to the all the work of planning, researching, interviewing, providing art…
Tattoos: Save your ink, student journalists
One of the few academic studies of body art, “Tattoos and Body Piercings in the United States: A National Data Set,” shows 24 percent of respondents had tattoos…and that was 2006. USA News & World Report said this fall parlors for such art are “one of America’s fastest growing categories of retail business, with nearly…
For those who support prior review…
… When will it end? At least three more recent situations should make one think about the educational validity of prior review: • One, in Missouri, concerns a story on tattoos. It also led to students changing the content of their paper. • The second, in Ohio, concerns an obituary and photo. According to the…
Seeking student media with open forum status
We’d love to hear from you if your student media are open forums for student expression by policy and/or practice. For student media to be designated as a public/student forum, the school must either: • Have a school board- or administrator-enacted policy stating students make final content decisions of protected speech*, or • Have a…
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…