Pages Navigation Menu

How do we assist teachers about
understanding the First Amendment?

Posted by on Feb 12, 2017 in Blog, News, Scholastic Journalism, Teaching | 0 comments

Share

The Knight Foundation’s recently released 2016 study of student and teacher beliefs, Future of the First Amendment, reported teacher responses that raise First Amendment concerns.

Teacher results showed:
• When asked if  high school students should be allowed to report on controversial issues in their student newspapers without the approval of school authorities, 66 percent of students strongly or mildly agreed. Teachers had a 61 percent disapproval rate.
• When asked whether students should be allowed to express their opinions about teachers and school administrators on Facebook or other social media without worrying about being punished by teachers or school administrators for what they say, 33 percent of teachers strongly or mildly agreed while 54 percent of students did.
• When asked whether schools should be allowed to discipline students who post material on social media outside of school that school officials say is offensive, 28 percent of students strongly or mildly agree while 52 percent of  teachers did.

To get a better idea of how journalism education organizations can react to these findings, we would appreciate your thoughts:

• How can journalism teachers reach out to their peers who don’t understand journalistic freedoms or the importance of those freedoms?
• How can journalism teachers reach out to their non-journalism peers  who don’t support journalistic freedoms for scholastic media about the importance of those freedoms?
• What types of materials should JEA develop to assist these teachers?
• How can journalism teachers and media advisers support other journalism teachers who face prior review and restraint of student media (especially those who do not or cannot attend JEA conventions)?
• How can journalism teachers and media advisers support other journalism  teachers who don’t support freedom of expression for scholastic media  (especially those who do not or cannot attend JEA conventions)?
• What additional resources or materials should JEA develop to support journalism and non-journalism teachers  (especially those who do not or cannot attend JEA conventions)?
• Other comments or suggestions?

Please use the comment section below or contact SPRC current director John Bowen or committee member Lori Keekley with your thoughts.

The Knight Foundation survey, compiled by Kenneth Dautrich of the Stats Group, polled 11,998 high students and 726 teachers. It is the sixth Knight FoundationFuture of the First Amendment since 2004. Past results can be found here.

Read More

Censorship strikes Playwickian again

Posted by on May 11, 2016 in Blog, Law and Ethics, Scholastic Journalism, Teaching | 0 comments

Share

by Jane Blystone
PA School Press Association president

sprclogoToday was one of many days I have talked to students from Neshaminy High School in eastern Pa. over the past three years regarding censorship of their school newspaper, the Playwickian. Once again censorship is lifting its ugly head under different student editors and has now escalated to compelling students to write content the principal wants published, not stories students have agreed to write and publish.

The issue:

One student editor wanted to publish a story in this month’s issue about a pageant for guys in said school called Mr. R—— (the pejorative name for Native Americans) that took place in in March. The majority of the editorial board did not agree to using the pejorative term. As per a 2014 agreement after a national blowout about the pejorative term, students editors have the right to redact the term or not run the story. The student editor, who reported on the story was not satisfied that that word would be redacted, so took the issue up with the principal. The principal demanded it be run unredacted. The editors chose to post the story with the term redacted.

A result:

The adviser resigned effective at the end of this year because she refuses to force student journalists to print the word in their publication as the principal has directed (compelling content)  and the website has been locked down today by the principal (censorship) as you can see here: http://playwickian.com/

How can you and your student journalists help? Simply write letters to these media outlets in their area supporting student rights to choose content and right to edit as per their printed policy.

http://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/

http://levittownnow.com/

http://www.theintell.com/

Here is the principal’s email as well.
RMCGEE@neshaminy.org

Also post thoughts and support on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #freetheplaywickian. Their Twitter acct. and Facebook acct. are not under auspice of the school but private accounts students own.  If you go to these sites, you can also see what the students have posted about the incident. You can also post, share  and retweet at these social media sites to support them.

https://www.facebook.com/playwickia/?fref=ts

https://twitter.com/search?q=The%20Playwickian&src=typd

Yes, they have contacted JEA SPRC, the SPLC and others. They are doing all the RIGHT things for support. Now I am asking you to help. These students are still fighting this many years-long battle to choose what they will and will not publish without interference from administration, as per our state code regarding Student Free Expression.

 

Read More

No one lives in a Hazelwood state

Posted by on Nov 30, 2015 in Blog, Hazelwood, News, Scholastic Journalism, Teaching | 1 comment

Share

sprclogoby Candace Perkins Bowen, MJE

The first time a journalism teacher in a convention session asked for advice because she lived “in a Hazelwood state,” I know I frowned. What? You may be in a state that doesn’t protect student speech, but how would that make you a Hazelwood state?

The important news is — it doesn’t.

In 1969 when Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District said students don’t shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate, this meant all students — it was a protection.

But Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier (1988) didn’t overturn Tinker. And it didn’t say schools HAD to censor or prior review. In fact, eventually we have found some pretty big loopholes. For one thing, your state CAN pass legislation that protects student speech, as North Dakota did in April 2015 to join the other nine states that have laws (and two that have education codes). This new surge of interest in legislation has emerged in more than 21 states, with many adopting the New Voices name.

[pullquote]The more we can do to discourage school officials from seeing Hazelwood-supported censorship as an obligation but instead perceiving it as an embarrassment, the better off scholastic journalism will be.  Avoiding the ‘Hazelwood state’ moniker is one way to do that…Mark Goodman[/pullquote]

But even if your state doesn’t offer such protection, you have options. For one thing, you can operate as an open forum for student expression, either by your board policy or by your own practice of having students make content decisions and avoid prior review.

As former SPLC director Mark Goodman, now Knight Chair in Scholastic Journalism and professor at Kent State, said, “It goes back to the fact that Hazelwood never requires censorship by school officials.  Too many people misread or misinterpret Hazelwood as being a directive as opposed to a permission.”

He pointed out that even in these so-called “Hazelwood states” many student journalists have strong First Amendment protection as a result of their school’s policy or practice of designating them as a public forum.

“The more we can do to discourage school officials from seeing Hazelwood-supported censorship as an obligation but instead perceiving it as an embarrassment, the better off scholastic journalism will be.  Avoiding the ‘Hazelwood state’ moniker is one way to do that,” Goodman said.

 

Read More

Students making content decisions – 1
Administrative review – 0

Posted by on Sep 16, 2015 in Blog, Legal issues, News, Scholastic Journalism, Teaching | 0 comments

Share

sprclogoby Candace Perkins Bowen
Even media staffs that have been the well-respected voice of a large, diverse student body sometimes run into problems with administrators. And sometimes a few tweaks of the editorial policy or staff manual could get them through the rough spots and apparently back on track to publish what they know their readers need and want to know.

Read More

Censorship and broadcasting video

Posted by on Sep 3, 2015 in Blog, Legal issues, News, Scholastic Journalism, Teaching | 0 comments

Share

Title

Censorship and broadcasting video

by Chris Waugaman

Primary Common Core state standards addressed

(see http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy )

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.2a Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so that each new element builds on that which precedes it to create a unified whole; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

 

Brief goal/outcome statement:
This would be intended to be a lesson I would use with producers in my broadcasting class or even my online editors who often use video and stream events.

  • Students will learn terms that familiarize them with censorship in video and radio.
  • Students will use their skills at gathering information and using online sources to guide them in times of legal uncertainty.
  • Students will learn how to make critical decisions regarding their press rights by applying the case outcomes they learn in this lesson.
• COMPREHENSION • PRACTICE •APPLICATION • REFLECTION
 

·       Gathering Information

·       Documentation

·       Note-taking

 

 

·       Using web as resource

·       Responding to questions

·       Documentation

 

·       Using modern events to make decisions for their staff

 

 

·       Describe the process of video censorship

·       Discuss other possible scenarios that can occur

 

Unit: Scholastic Press Rights

Lesson – Censorship and Broadcasting

Length of lesson: One 90 minute block (35 minutes instruction/45 minutes activity/10 minute reflection)

Resources/Equipment:

Handouts/Internet/Computer

  1. Introduction & Instruction: The instruction aspect of this lesson includes instruction in what is the FCC and how is video normally regulated. Students will understand what most news broadcast organizations are required to consider when broadcasting.

There will also be a clear indication of what is required to be censored with video. It would be helpful if students are familiar with the Hazelwood court case and the Tinker court case before this lesson, but it is not a requirement.

Who governs free speech on radio and television? What is censorable on television?

https://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/faqs-television-and-cable

https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/articles/202731600-Obscene-Indecent-and-Profane-Broadcasts

For most high school programs, students publish videos online. The FCC does not govern such publication; however, students can still make decisions with this knowledge. 

With the following case students should consider a few factors in relating to the content and situation at hand: 

  • Is the video part of a school sponsored publication or is it for an individual?
  • What is the publication’s forum status?
  • Is there a valid educational purpose for censoring? (Hazelwood)
  • Can the administration predict a reasonable disruption of the school activities or will it present an invasion of privacy? (Tinker) 

In the following case, a student shot video of a post-fight activity in a school. That camera was confiscated along with the video. Read the following account or what happened, and the SPLC response to determine if the student’s rights were violated.

Seizing video of a fight
http://www.splc.org/article/2004/08/officials-seize-video-of-fight-from-student

Article about video of school fight and SPLC position:
http://www.splc.org/article/2004/04/n-y-high-school-principal-confiscates-tape-of-school-fight

  • We will briefly explain what happened in this case from 2004.
  • We will cover the Privacy Protection Act and how it might apply to this case. http://www.splc.org/article/2002/01/student-media-guide-to-the-privacy-protection-act
  • Next I ask the students to identify what in the school handbook should protect this student journalist.
  • As a final element to the 35-minute discussion I ask the students to conclude if this scenario impacts our publication and work.

Key pages such as the SPLC web page will be introduced as a primary source for research as it involves the law of the student press.

List of other helpful websites:

http://www.collegefreedom.org
http://www.firstamendmentschools.org/
http://teachfirstamendment.org/
http://www.freedomforum.org/
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/
http://www.nfoic.org/
http://jeapressrights.org/
http://www.splc.org

Sometimes this will take longer than 35 minutes.

  1. Practice: Students will pick from one of the following cases chronicled on the SPLC site.
    • http://www.splc.org/blog/splc/2015/06/judge-rules-security-videos-subject-to-ferpa-protections
    http://www.splc.org/blog/splc/2014/11/connecticut-school-security-video-ruled-exempt-from-ferpa
    • http://www.splc.org/blog/splc/2014/02/students-lewd-video-about-teacher-provokes-errant-wisconsin-ruling-applying-online-harassment-law
    • http://www.splc.org/article/2004/04/ill-school-refuses-to-allow-students-to-air-video-tribute-of-deceased-student
    • http://www.splc.org/article/2004/06/calif-university-bars-student-from-airing-beheading-video-on-school-sponsored-tv
    • http://www.splc.org/article/2015/02/western-illinois-u-editor-reinstated-after-suspension-for-freelancing-video-of-campus-brawl
    • http://www.splc.org/article/2012/03/u-of-rhode-island-proposal-would-bar-photos-video-of-sensitive-material

They will read the article and answer the questions below to the best of their ability.

Students need to be prepared to briefly describe what happened in the case they have chosen to the class. They can brief the class by presenting their responses to the questions.
• Who does the case involve?
• What happened in the case? How does it involve video?
• Who has made the decision?
• Was this case similar to any other cases you have heard about? What was it?
• How does this situation relate to Hazelwood or Tinker?
• Does the video include anything that is obscene, indecent, or profane?
• How could this case set a precedent?
• Name and document any other sources from the web that pertain to this case.

III. Application: Have students decide together which case could most likely occur this school year.

Students should outline a policy in their staff manual that will inform students how to proceed should a similar scenario to the one that they have researched could develop.

The policy should be agreed upon by the entire staff and be introduced to the administration, along with any updates on the staff manual, for the year.

  1. Reflection: Have students write in their logs details about what new considerations they have thought of after learning about video censorship. It can be as structured as you would like or as open as “what did you learn during the process of researching your topic that you did not realize would happen simply by following the examples I explained at the beginning of the lesson.”
  1. Assessment: Credit for completing questions on case. Credit for hypothetical scenario. Credit for reflection in daily log. Each assignment is worth 33% of the total unit grade. See RUBRIC ON NEXT PAGE.
  2. Assessment: Credit for completing questions on researching topic. Credit for hypothetical scenario. Credit for reflection in daily log. Each assignment is worth 33 percent of the total unit grade.

 

Grade A (100) B (90) C (80) D (70)
 

Questions on Selected Topic

 

 

All questions are answered thoroughly with great detail included about case and sources (Special Attention Ques 6).

 

 

All questions are answered adequately with some detail included about case and sources (Special Attention Ques 6).

 

 

Most questions are answered. Question 6 must be answered.

 

 

Some questions are answered. Question 6 must be answered.

 

Paper with Scenario

 

 

The created scenario must be on topic with a great amount of detail included about case and sources (Special Attention Ques 6).

 

 

The created scenario must be on topic with enough details to answer questions from activity one (Special Attention Ques 6).

 

 

The created scenario addresses topic and answers most of the questions from activity one (Special Attention Ques 6).

 

 

A scenario is created and it answers some of the questions from activity one (Special Attention Ques 6).

 

Reflection

 

 

 

 

The reflection includes details about the process of online research. Some details are included. It reflects an understanding of the process and a response to the activity,

 

The reflection addresses the process of online research. It reflects an understanding of the process and a response to the activity,

 

The reflection shows an understanding of the process and a response to the activity,

 

It responds to the activity,

 

Read More