Photo by Ailbhe Flynn used under the Unsplash License.
Here’s why it should be and how to do it right
Part 2 – What makes it challenging legally and ethically
This three-part blog has it all: an explanation of the need for good coverage of school board issues, the legal and ethical concerns for this reporting, and the writing skills to effectively tell your audience what it should know.
Part 1: Why covering schools boards is important
Part 3: How students can cover school boards like the pros
If you read Part 1 of this blog, or if you were already thinking about news coverage of your school board meetings, this is the next step: How should students really DO it? And maybe even before that, CAN they do it?
In some cases, students have the door slammed in their faces and told they simply aren’t allowed to attend school board meetings, much less write about them. Part 2 is the second step: figuring out the “could we/should we?” of this important source for valuable news.
“Could we?” is the legal side, and “should we?” is the ethical. We’ll start with laws first.
The most important ones to know are the Sunshine Laws, or Freedom of Information laws, which require government agencies to disclose to the public information about meetings and records. The federal sunshine laws, passed in 1976, cover federal government agencies, but each state has variations of its own.
Ohio’s public meetings law, for instance, says, “… (It) require(s) public officials to take official action and to conduct all deliberations upon official business only in open meetings unless the subject matter is specifically excepted by law.” These “public officials” are those who run public bodies — “any board, commission, committee, council or decision-making body of a state agency,” including (in a long list of others) “school district…..”
So what are the exceptions? These vary from state to state, but most allow meetings to close to the public when it concerns hiring or firing, discipline, investigation or charges against an employee or, in the case of a school, a student. Also many states include purchase or sale of property, reasoning that publishing this, especially in early stages of discussion, could have a financial impact on the transaction. But each state spells out the exceptions so knowing when your state allows closed meetings is vital.
Some of the states’ laws even ensure the school board meetings are announced openly, often including time and place and published in a newspaper. Then members can’t meet at board member Smith’s house Monday night without bothering to mention it to anyone, especially the press. “Gee, you didn’t know about our meeting? That’s too bad because we would have let you attend…” If the group is an official board or committee discussing public business, you can attend.
Often the next questions are, “Can I record the meeting? “Can I take photos?” According to the Student Press Law Center’s website, it’s okay, “as long as you are not disruptive.” This and other useful information, including whether student government meetings are open, is also on the SPLC site.
Another useful source can be open records laws – especially if you were unable to get information or access to a school board meeting where you think something important was discussed. Again, content of these vary by state, but, generally, like the open meetings laws, most give you access to documents and records. Again, some states are more open than others and some governmental bodies make getting records a challenge. The Student Press Law Center has an excellent section on its site, offering an easy-to-use letter generator for submitting a records request and warning you not to be discouraged if some take a very long time to respond. Before you write the request, though, be sure to ask for any documents first and check various government websites – many have the information you want in a fairly accessible form.
The SPLC also has a list of some records often open to the public that would yield some valuable news and depth story ideas (scroll down a bit), including:
- Cafeteria and food inspection records
- Bus inspection records
- The school budget and more.
The Open Government Guide for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press also has the Open Government Guide, which covers states’ open records and open meetings laws.
So far, this covers at lot of “could we?” Yes, legally, you could get access and information in many cases. But what about the “should we?” What ethical dilemmas might students face when covering school board meetings or even digging deeper into records and reports?
Perhaps the biggest one that comes to mind requires answering an important question: Why do you want to cover this topic? Does the reporter or the staff have some ulterior motives? Do they already believe the school did something wrong or the plan is a bad one? If so, save that for the editorial page but start covering the meeting about it with an open mind. Do some research ahead of time on upcoming topics so you are well-versed on what the board will be discussing and/or voting on. Don’t ask follow-ups or choose quotes only from those who seem to agree with you. Don’t target an individual – either in questioning or reporting. Do get a diversity of opinions and angles. Remember to be neutral at all times.
Probably more important and often even overlooked by professionals: fact-check what board members say in the meeting and what attendees tell you afterwards. It may not be true at all. If they sound like they know something, they say it with confidence and hope they fool you. Sadly, that’s lacking in some professional news sources these days.
Maybe you need more sources, or maybe you need to go back and interview some of the board members or attendees again and ask other questions that have come up during the writing process. The aim is to get the real story.
And all the concerns for reporters applies to anyone editing the news article, too. Unless this is an editorial, play it straight. Don’t slant the news. Check and double check “facts.”
Armed with the “could you and should you,” it’s time to gather the information you need and move to the last step, which we’ll cover in Part 3: How students can cover schools boards like the pros.
Written By: Candace Bowen, MJE