What you don’t know COULD hurt you
by Candace Perkins Bowen, MJE
Recent applications for the First Amendment Press Freedom Award revealed some knowledge gaps. Perhaps it’s not surprising that school principals couldn’t define unprotected speech on the forms each school submitted. So often media advisers and student publication staff members have to do a little educating of their administrators.
But a sizable number of advisers and student editors, who also had to respond to the same question, didn’t know the answer either….
Read MoreLesson plans for Free Speech Friday and First Amendment appreciation
SJW-2012
For Free Speech Friday, Scholastic Press Rights Commission members offer lesson plans usable any time during the year or immediately following Scholastic Journalism Week. The lessons are downloadable.
• Applying the NSPA Student Code of Ethics
The goal is to help students understand the elements of the NSPA Code of Ethics and apply that understanding to theoretical or real scenarios– Chris Waugaman. Download the lesson here.
• Satire, political speech and the news media
This lesson explores the term satire and helps students identify the use of satire in political speech and in the media. By identifying and dissecting satire in our daily lives, students learn to be more critical consumers of media and new–Megan Fromm. Download the lesson here and accompanying PowerPoint here.
• Elements of libel handout
The five elements of libel that published equal defamation–Chris Waugaman. Download the list here.
• Fighting prior review
One way to fight prior review is to anticipate the arguments used by those who support it and plan talking points and arguments against it. Such preparation might head off a real “fight” and enable sides to collaborate instead of content–John Bowen. Download the activity and sample arguments here.
• Projecting roles for scholastic media for 2015
Answers to these questions can help you formulate your focus, your brand and your reputation, not only for legacy media but also for the new media your students will use during the next five years. Giving priorities to these roles can help determine what type of publication/media you will be and what type policies you will need–John Bowen. Download the activity here.
Next: An exciting new teaching unit, Social Media Toolboxby Marina Hendricks.
