Expanding upon the JEA curriculum to teach the SPJ Code of Ethics
by Kirsten Gilliland
This school year, I am teaching intro classes for the first time, including photo/digital journalism and Journalism 1-2. The past four years I’ve only taught production classes (broadcasting, newspaper, yearbook) and intro to photography/intermediate photography.
Like many journalism teachers, I turned to the curriculum section of the JEA website for guidance. After looking at my lesson options and sample curriculum maps, I created my own course layouts with ethics towards the beginning.
For photo/digital journalism specifically, I taught the “Legal and ethical considerations in photojournalism” lesson. Students at my new school are at a lower level academically than they were at my last school.
‘So, instead of providing the recommended 10 minutes to read the SPJ code of ethics individually, I decided we’d do it in chunks as a class to make sure everyone received the content and understood—they could ask questions and I could summarize/provide examples.
Read MoreGet journalists engaged with their code of ethics
by Lindsay Coppens
The Harbinger adviser
Algonquin Regional High School, Northborough, Mass.
Any time is a good time to visit, engage with and question a publication’s code of ethics. Whether near the start of an intro class or as a mid-year activity to re-center your staff, taking a close look at the paper’s code can foster excellent discussions and push ethical pondering to the forefront of scholastic journalists’ minds.
Of course, the first step is to have a code of ethics. If your publication doesn’t have one, researching and discussing various codes are great places to start in adopting or forming your own. Much of The Harbinger’s code is based on the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics and the National Scholastic Press Association’ s Model Code of Ethics.
Read MoreTeaching law and ethics so it MEANS something
by Candace Bowen, MJE
Teaching law and ethics isn’t easy. Most beginning teachers have discovered the hard way that some methods just don’t work. JEA members taking the MJE certification test often have spent far too much time wrestling with the question that asked for a three-week lesson plan on the topic and not having enough time to answer the rest of the questions.*
For instance, dividing their journalism class into groups and having each research a scholastic media court case is one that sounds good at first but often bombs. Sure, they can report on the armbands the Tinkers and Chris Eckhardt wore and end with the famous line: “Students (and teachers – they often forget that part) don’t shed their constitutional rights … at the schoolhouse gate.”
Read MoreScenarios to help teach law and ethics remotely
Teachers could do this as one scenario per day unit or sprinkle them throughout many weeks while addressing other areas as well. Topics covered include both legal and ethical concerns such as copyright, photo ethics, basic reporting, takedown requests, etc.
Objectives
- Students will make a legal or ethical choice based on current knowledge.
- Students will then evaluate that decision based on resources provided
- Students will alter or keep the original decision after examining resources. They will also provide reasoning for the final choice.
Common Core State Standards
| CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.1.a | Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that logically sequences claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. |
| CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.1.b | Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases. |
| CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.2.a | 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. |
Length
Varies dependent on number of scenarios used.
Materials / resources
Rubric for scenarios
Each scenario has a link to an existing SPRC resource, which has links to even more resources.
If used with student media class, teacher should link to the current staff handbook. Teacher could also link to SPRC’s model handbook for students.
Lesson step-by-step
Activity 1 — Teacher upload, student discussion.
Upload the desired scenario in the discussion area of your course. Students should read and respond to the scenario.
Activity 2 — Teacher post, student re-evaluation
Teacher should upload the SPRC Quick Tip that addresses the scenario. Ask students to read and then re-evaluate their response. They should provide reasoning for either keeping the decision or adjusting their response.
Differentiation
These scenarios are specifically for your course. You should opt for concepts students have struggled with in the past or that you or the students find interesting.
Read MoreUse real situations to teach law and ethics
by Candace Bowen, MJE
Teaching student journalists about legal and ethical issues can be a challenge. Some of my pre-service teachers at Kent State always want student groups to research different law cases and then present their findings to the class, possibility re-enact the trial. Others want teacher lectures, a process that takes at least several days.
Neither work all that well. The former often pays little attention to what the decision means to student media now. (Sure, they can explain about wearing the armbands . . . , but how does that even relate to student media.) Besides, they’re not always very accurate dealing with legal research. And the latter can be pretty darned boring, even with the liveliest presentation.
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