Building on Student Press Freedom Day
A time for reflection on and commitment to journalistically responsible student media
Jan. 29, Student Press Freedom Day, is a good time to reflect on the importance of a unfettered student media, especially given the country’s claimed mistrust of and attacks on the media.
Commit to informing your various communities now, and throughout the next several months, about why they should support student journalists and learn ways to evaluate information from any source.
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.
Read MoreConversations at the Schoolhouse Gate
Episode 9: Photojournalism during school
The latest episode of the SPRC podcast Conversations at the Schoolhouse Gate focuses on setting the scene and then interviewing students and their adviser at Palo Alto High School.
Students dealt with authorities trying to block them from taking photos when a police officer was injured on campus.
You can listen directly from the website here or — better yet — subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify. This would be a great one to share with your staffs, also.
Student journalists at Palo Alto High School illustrate the tension between press freedom, public safety and ethics during a crisis at their school
In this episode, Menlo School adviser Tripp Robbins asks student journalists what they would do during a rumor-filled crisis at school and then interviews students at Palo Alto High School in California who actually dealt with one.
Students and their adviser, Paul Kandell, talk about the challenges of shooting photos of breaking news and lessons they learned.
If you are a student or a student media adviser with a story about scholastic press freedom, we want to hear from you.
You can reach us at sprc@jea.org with the subject line “Podcast” or tweet us at @jeapressrights. So you don’t miss out on future episodes, please subscribe to this podcast through any of the many podcast applications available for your computer or phone.
Read MoreTeaching students to fact-check themselves and others
by Susan McNulty, CJE
The Stampede and The Hoofbeat adviser
J.W. Mitchell High School, Trinity, Florida
Thursday, Jan. 9, Facebook announced in a blog post found here their platform will soon allow users to opt out of certain political and social issue advertisements.
This decision came in response to demands for Facebook to fact check ads before approving their inclusion on the social media feed.
After endorsing government regulation such as The Honest Ads Act, Rob Leathern, Director of Product Management, stated in the blog post, “In the absence of regulation, Facebook and other companies are left to design their own policies. We have based ours on the principle that people should be able to hear from those who wish to lead them, warts and all, and that what they say should be scrutinized and debated in public.”
Fact checking, scrutinizing content and debating ideas in public should be celebrated by student journalists and educators. As journalists, our first and most important task is to seek truth and report it.
Read MoreDeadline extended for Student Press Freedom Day grant application
Deadline for the SPLC led Student Press Freedom Day grant applications of up to $300 is extended to Monday, Jan. 13, Hillary Davis, New Voices Advocacy and Campaign Organizer, said today.
“I still encourage you to have your applications in this week for priority consideration,” Davis wrote in an information release. “I’m seeing some great ideas.”
Davis pointed to the activity as a way expand your work and tell your state “This Is What Student Press Freedom Looks Like.”
For questions, contact Davis or check out https://splc.org/student-press-freedom-day/.
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