Learning from the mistakes we make
by Tom Gayda
“(Journalism) kids have rights. They have the right to be right. They have the right to make mistakes and the right to learn from those mistakes.”
So are the words of this year’s JEA Administrator of the Year—and my principal—Evans Branigan III.
If only more folks in administrative jobs would get behind this philosophy. Just like any students participating in any other activities, mistakes are made. Some mistakes are small, some not-so-small, but it is important educators provide an experience that is real to their students, and a safety net to catch them should they err.
What can we do to get others to live by my principal’s motto? Educate, educate, educate.
When things are calm, meet with your principal and tell them how you’d like to one day see them with the JEA Administrator of the Year award. Share the quote. Talk about the positive things that can happen when a collaborative relationship is built. Don’t let each other assume the relationship has to be contentious. Change the tone if you can.
Too many young advisers—and administrators—assume one can’t trust the other. Not true! It might be necessary to simply change the culture. Start my acknowledging you both want what is best for the kids. Then explain what your goals are. Ask your administrator what he or she expects. If these don’t match up, find the common ground you can build from.
There have been several JEA Administrators of the Year. Each state is honored to have individuals who work hard to ensure students are free to practice what we teach. Let’s celebrate all of these people and share their successes so others who might not be as up to speed have a chance to learn from their peers and see that everything is going to be OK.
Administrators also have the right to make mistakes. It’s up to us to help them correct themselves.
Read MoreWhen law and ethics and good journalism combine
PART 3 OF a 3-PART SERIES
An experienced Ohio newspaper adviser teams up with a former student — who now has a law degree — to teach the staff about using public records. An alleged rape on campus requires student editors to stand their ground accessing information about it. Once they have details about the incident, they have to decide just what they should – or maybe should not – use. It’s a tale that has all the makings of excellent reporting.
The discussion and next steps.
Editors of the Shakerite have class at 8 a.m., and they had a lot to discuss Sept. 11. Editor Shane McKeon and campus and city editor John Vodrey had the police report showing that what the principal, in his letter to parents, said was an assault had really been classified by the police as a rape.
Now what?
Read MoreWhen law and ethics and good journalism combine
PART 2 OF a 3-PART SERIES
An experienced Ohio newspaper adviser teams up with a former student — who now has a law degree — to teach the staff about using public records. An alleged rape on campus requires student editors to stand their ground accessing information about it. Once they have details about the incident, they have to decide just what they should – or maybe should not – use. It’s a tale that has all the makings of excellent reporting.
The incident
An unexpected faculty meeting 10th period in mid-September. Police in the halls earlier in the day. All the students at Shaker Heights High School were talking, but the journalism students were more than curious.
“When I came back (to the journalism room) after the meeting, I told them I was forbidden to talk about it,” adviser Natalie Sekicky said. “Yes, there was an incident. Yes, something happened. But we have to be sensitive.”
Read MoreWorth checking out
Some current story ideas and resources worth checking out:
• The Society of Professional Journalists dedicates its Fall issue of its journal, Quill, to Freedom of Information. This year’s FOI issue can be accessed for free at: Fall 2013 FOI issue of Quill
• A New York Times article on schools watching student use of the Internet outside school:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/29/technology/some-schools-extend-surveillance-of-students-beyond-campus.html
• How night you be able to localize (or would you want to) this policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics:
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2013/10/23/peds.2013-2821.abstract?sid=eb20f88e-7741-45be-949f-058aa197c2fe
• Teaching Journalism Ethics: a resource for scholastic media advisers: This set of lessons and activities about teaching ethical decision-making is by Maggie Cogar as part of her master’s degree.
• Check out the new, online version of The Principal’s Guide to Scholastic Journalism from Quill and Scroll.
• Ethics, a compilation of resources from SchoolJournalism.org.
• A new blog from Poynter, The Ethics Blog, is outlined in this Poynter article.
• A story to localize: what is bullying? Is it the newest way to get around Tinker?
Read More
Opening (or closing) Pandora’s Box
Why online comment and discussion policies are integral
By Megan Fromm
Last month, Popular Science, an online news magazine dedicated to all things techie, scientific, and often futuristic, decided it was closing the comments section for new online articles.
Staff members argued that in some cases, comments were bad for science, especially when the nature of online reader responses keeps writers from “fostering lively, intellectual debate …[and] spreading the word of science far and wide.”
Not surprisingly, the magazine relied on empirical research that shows just how poorly an influencer public opinion can really be when it comes to science, and they defended their position succinctly:
“If you carry out those results [of the studies] to their logical end–commenters shape public opinion; public opinion shapes public policy; public policy shapes how and whether and what research gets funded–you start to see why we feel compelled to hit the “off” switch.” –Popular Science
Comment sections can be a tremendous boon for online news media. They allow readers to interact with staffers, critique news coverage, correct errors, or even offer interesting story ideas. In a perfect world, an online comment or discussions board (whether for each article or for the site as a whole) would help your news organization develop a strong rapport within your scholastic community.
As online media strives to create spaces for significant interaction between those writing the news and those responding to it, long-term consideration must be given to how those interactions are shaped, facilitated and moderated.
Just as newspapers have staff policies for readers who want to submit letters to the editor, online news media should also have clear and accessible guidelines regarding their comments and discussion sections. These policies might include guidance on the following:
- The intended purpose of your comments/discussion section.
- Whether comments on your site are moderated, and why.
- If so, who monitors what gets posted?
- Whether readers must provide identifying information before they can comment.
- What types of language/content is not acceptable?
- How can readers flag responses for moderator review or to be taken down?
- Will the website take down comments, and for what reasons?
- Can readers expect the writers of the story to respond to reader comments?
These are just a few questions that should be considered when using reader comments to facilitate interaction on your website. And while Popular Science may have decided that comments weren’t the right approach for their website, consider how encouraging civil reader feedback from your community could build trust and encourage consistent relationships with the very people you cover most in your scholastic news media.
Read More
FOIA can put a lot of power in the hands of students
by Stan Zoller
One of the challenges associated with presenting at a conference – journalism or otherwise – is trying to figure out how many people will attend your session.
There have been times when I’ve had standing room only, and other times when I could have invited the attendees to Starbucks to discuss the topic over a latte.
I recently presented three sessions at a conference – one on news literacy, one on lede writing and one on using the Freedom of Information Act.
As I drove through the fall colors of Wisconsin, I wondered. My thinking was the lede writing would be packed because student journalists, often at the urging of their advisers, want to spice up their ledes, so I generally have a good turnout. And that was the case.
I wasn’t sure about News Literacy because too many high school journalists it’s a “new” topic, one often mistaken for media literacy. My expectations were that it would be a small turnout. I was right. Small, but enthusiastic.
But what about the FOIA presentation? You know, that “legal stuff” just ain’t as sexy as InDesign or how to raise money for pizzas. But to me, know how to access public records is important for all journalists, including scholastic journalists. So armed with a somewhat humorous title (Dropping the Journalistic F Bomb), I worked my way to the session hoping for the best.
The room was almost filled. In fact there were more students at my FOIA presentation than there were for my lede writing session. It must have been the F Bomb.
It was gratifying so many students had an interest in accessing public records and protecting the public’s right to know.
In addition to tips on how to use the FOIA, we discussed what to expect once you do use it, especially in scholastic media. The FOIA, like Twitter, Instagram or Facebook is essential to delivering timely news.
But it’s a tool.
And as is the case with any tool, you need to know not only how to use it, but why you are using it. The information available by using the FOIA is amazing. The bottom line is this, in most cases if it goes through courts, it is part of a public agency, or if it is government regulated, odds are it can be accessed by the FOIA.
That can put a lot of “power” in the hands of student journalists.
[pullquote]As is the case with any tool, you need to know not only how to use it, but why you are using it. The information available by using the FOIA is amazing. The bottom line is this, in most cases if it goes through courts, it is part of a public agency, or if it is government regulated, odds are it can be accessed by the FOIA. Stan Zoller[/pullquote]
If students decide to use the FOIA to get information about a staff member, faculty member or administrator, they should do so to seek information germane to their story. Just because an administrator is a “jerk” or “the coach didn’t start my boyfriend” is no reason to use the FOIA. It is to be used, not abused.
If there is ever a time to practice journalistic ethics, it’s when you are going to dig below – way below — the surface. I often refer students to the Society of Journalists’ Code of Ethics because, quite simply, it’s the best. The code can be found at http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp.
It is also a good time to practice protocol. Make sure your student journalists inform you of every step in the process. Conversely, I have always, maintained an open communication policy with building administrators because, quite simply, principals hate surprises – especially when they’re delivered in student media. Remember, you are practicing protocol, not asking for prior review.
Students need to be braced for a wave of criticism. Calls for invasion of privacy, running “personal” information and “taking advantage” of the First Amendment should be expected. Granted, and hopefully, there will be those news consumers who will understand and appreciate watchdog journalism that is well balanced and well researched.
Still, there will likely be a few administrators who just don’t get it. Rather than try to understand it, they will put on airs as if they do.
As did one administrator who, after being told a journalism staff used the FOIA after a teacher’s arrest, bellowed at the adviser “You can’t use that!”
The answer is quite simply – Yes we can.
The FOIA is a great tool – just use it wisely and with a strong intestinal fortitude.
About Stan Zoller: Stan Zoller, MJE has been a journalism educator for 15 years. Before that he worked as a journalist and media relations professional. He is Vice President of Freedom of Information for the Chicago Headline Club, the nation’s largest local chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He was a DJNF Special Recognition Adviser in 2010 and Distinguished Adviser in 2011. He is a member of JEA’s Scholastic Press Rights Commission and the Outreach Academy Teaching Cadre.
Read More