Most Recent Articles
Should it stay or should it go?
by Teresa Scribner, CJE
After spending 17 years in the newspaper industry as a visual journalist, I feel like I have a solid grasp on leaving my personal beliefs at the door when I walk into a newsroom. For years, I bit my tongue on politics, religion and reality TV. Being able to compartmentalize has served me well – first in the industry and now as a teacher.
I’m four months into my ninth year of teaching, and it has taken years to teach my students how to set aside their personal beliefs when they are covering their peers. But what happens when the one thing you try to teach your students comes back to bite you in the worst way?
In 2020 P.C. (Pre-COVID), I had two alums from our school reach out to me asking if I could remove a story from our website. Both students cited their growth since high school and their fear of future employers seeing the stories during an Internet search. Both students acknowledged that the written stories were accurate, but now that they were college students, those stories were no longer an accurate portrayal of who they are today.
Just a few weeks ago, another student emailed asking if I could remove her photo from a graduation video that had been up since June. Why now? What was I to do?
Just a few weeks ago, another student emailed asking if I could remove her photo from a graduation video that had been up since June. Why now? What was I to do?
I’ve seen several teachers pose this same question in the journalism teachers group on Facebook. What do you do when former students want you to remove them from stories published long ago?
My first instinct was to trust my news judgement gut. The stories were accurate. My student journalists had provided solid, well-researched stories. We had media waivers on file for all of the students we used. All of our bases were covered.
And then my teacher’s light switched on. The story in question was about non-Black students using the n-word. What if my refusal to remove these stories cost my former students their dream job? What if they wanted to be on the Supreme Court, and these stories came up as they sat for their confirmation hearings? Would it be my fault if these kids couldn’t get a job?
Some of the responses on the Facebook page went with what would be best for the students, while others suggested editing the old stories to remove references or unflattering images. I ultimately decided to remove the student’s name from the story, even though it had been in the digisphere for more than six years. And if you do a search for the story, the student’s name will still pop up, although their name isn’t in the story anymore.
Why did I do it?
As for the other two students: one of them was a former staff member who didn’t want their byline on a story they deemed used “horrible language.” The other student claimed they did not give us permission to use their photo in a video, even though we had a copy of their media waiver on file. In both of these instances, I did not honor their requests.
The short answer is, “people change.” I knew this former student had gone on to become a star student in college and had even offered to come back to the school to run a program for students of color. When they first approached me, they insisted on talking on the phone and not over email so that they could sincerely express their regret in using the n-word. And I believed them.
Now, will it earn them a spot on the Supreme Court? I don’t know. But I do feel better about my decision knowing this student had learned from their past behavior.
As for the other two students: one of them was a former staff member who didn’t want their byline on a story they deemed used “horrible language.” The other student claimed they did not give us permission to use their photo in a video, even though we had a copy of their media waiver on file. In both of these instances, I did not honor their requests.
Neither one of these students, in my opinion, had offered a compelling argument beyond their “I-don’t-like-it” approach.
Some may see this as unfair; why do it for some and not for others. For me, the answer was easy. These two students would still be able to get a job if someone were to ever see what it was they were complaining about. The student who wanted to be removed from the video had no complaints about being included in the virtual graduation video or in the yearbook.
I do not know if there is a right answer, but it may serve you well to think about having a policy in place.
Apply now for 22nd annual FAPFA recognition
It’s again time to apply for the First Amendment Press Freedom Award. All first round applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CST Dec. 15.
In its 22nd year, the recognition is designed to identify and recognize high schools that actively support and protect First Amendment rights of their students and teachers.
Schools will be recognized in April 2021 and will receive a plaque to display.
To be recognized as a First Amendment Press Freedom school, schools must successfully complete two rounds of questions about the degree of First Amendment Freedoms student journalists have and how the school recognizes and supports the First Amendment.
Entries will be evaluated by Quill and Scroll, National Scholastic Press Association and Journalism Education Association.
Round 1 consists of a student editor and adviser or administrator answering questions.
In Round 2, semifinalists are asked to provide additional responses from the principal and advisers and at least two student editors. Semifinalists also will submit samples of the publications and their printed editorial policies.
If you have questions, please contact Kristin Taylor, MJE, Scholastic Press Rights director.
Read MoreThe little things can add up when it comes to transparency in reporting
by Stan Zoller, MJE
It’s not clear how the saying got started, but one thing is for sure, it’s a truism. Little things do add up.
And they may be able to help take the pain out of big things. Like prior review.
It’s no secret those student media unfortunate to have content reviewed by an administrator often face that comment “you can’t run this” without any reason given. Administrators who get the dubious task of reviewing student media are often devoid of any journalistic background or clear understanding how public bodies, such as school boards, work.
Which, if played right, can be an advantage for student journalists. There’s a way to curb the over zealousness of consumers of student media who like to banter that just because “this is what the school board is considering, doing or did,” the action is gospel. Just ask them, “How do you know?”
The mere fact a school board, or any public body, votes to approve or deny action, does not mean the public knows the full story.
In fact, it’s safe to say they don’t.
The legendary H.L. Hall always made it a point to tell workshop participants he would challenge his students to “dig” when they were working on a story.
Sound advice.
Part of that digging is going beyond the minutes distributed by a public body from a meeting. The minutes, which are public records (except minutes from executive sessions), provide a record of what a board did, not necessarily how or why they did it.
That’s where the digging comes in.
There are several ways reporters, including student reporters, can find out the hows and whys. One way is to find out if a board holds workshop meetings, often called committee of the whole (COW) during which board members hold discussions about proposals or recommendations. These are often put together by staff or board committees. It’s conceivable staff, or committees, will make a recommendation the board will vote on at the next regular meeting.
The first recourse is to obtain the full meeting packet that should contain support documents. That’s the good news. The bad news is many boards will provide only a summary to the board. The even worse news is that it’s not unusual for staff members who present findings to a board to only read the memo included in the packet
While COW meetings give the public and journalists a chance to hear some discussion on a topic, they still do not provide full transparency as to what went into the recommendation.
The first recourse is to obtain the full meeting packet that should contain support documents. That’s the good news. The bad news is many boards will provide only a summary to the board. The even worse news is that it’s not unusual for staff members who present findings to a board to only read the memo included in the packet.
Not only does this hinder transparency, it does not answer any questions or provide additional insights. It also makes for a very boring meeting. Trust me on this.
An important thing to know about COW meetings – no formal action can be taken. board members can be polled, but that is just to get a sense as to where the board stands on an issue. Official actions are taken only at regular board meeting.
The best thing for a reporter to do, and this includes student journalists, is to, and I can hear H.L. saying it, “dig.”
Read MoreNeed assistance with censorship issues? Press the
Panic Button
JEA’s Scholastic Press Rights Commission (SPRC) established a first line of confidential intervention for those who feel they face censorship or just want legal or ethical advice about journalism decisions.
The Panic Button is an online reporting tool where advisers, students, administrators or community members can confidentially share their journalism situations or questions.
Read MoreA gem you probably missed
by Candace Bowen, MJE
As school was winding down in Spring 2020, media advisers scrambled to help students find photos – ANY photos – for the yearbook. Or tried to cover the pandemic locally on their new, we-don’t-know-quite-how-it-works-yet website. Or they just focused on helping their students finish the year.
For most, it wasn’t a time to thumb through magazines, even ones with topics of interest. And for just that reason, many probably missed a wonderful gift: “AASA School Administrator” magazine devoted the center section of its June 2020 issue – eight pages plus the editor’s “Starting Point” column – to student voices and their value in today’s schools.
The hard copy publication went to “20,000 individuals in school system administration, mostly superintendents, across the country,” editor Jay P. Goldman said in a letter to me for helping him connect with some writers. The issue is available online, too, and contains just the kind of information from administrators across the country that might help you convince YOURS that censoring and stifling student media is not the best way to go. Educationally sound reasons DO exist for having allowing students to make content decisions.
In his column, Goldman credits his career path to “a journalism elective course [he took] as an 11th grader taught by an outstanding teacher.” He notes that life doesn’t always run smoothly for student journalists, but the “real-world applications of effective communication and creative thinking skills [are] exactly what schools ought to be delivering these days.”
So what articles might you want to share with your administrators? “Giving Voice to Students Through Published Words,” by education writer Michelle R. Davis, contains plenty of great examples. She quotes Scott Kizner, who has been superintendent at several districts and testified in support of the Virginia New Voices legislation: “There are many times, let me tell you, that I wish the topic [the students were writing about] would go away, but you don’t get to pick and choose what is newsworthy to avoid difficult conversations.”
Kizner told Davis students often want to discuss tough issues often before adults are ready to do so. “You have to trust the students and the staff that has been given the responsibility for advising them, to help them learn and grow.”
Davis interviewed Roger Stock, superintendent of Rocklin Unified School District in California, who warned, “Censoring a story can boomerang back at you and be worse than the original story.” He added censoring “undermines the aim of an effective scholastic program: providing authentic learning and experiences in a real-world setting.”
“Censoring a story can boomerang back at you and be worse than the original story.” He added that censoring “undermines the aim of an effective scholastic program: providing authentic learning and experiences in a real-world setting.”–Roger Stock, superintendent of Rocklin Unified School District in California
Other parts of Davis’ article include examples of censorship and one superintendent saying he now takes a different approach and lets the students tell their stories. Another names the important skills students learn through journalism: “research and reflection, presentation and communication, development of voice and the ability to express ideas clearly.”
In “Amplifying Student Voice Through Their Publications,” Amy Besler described how poor the student media were in the first school to hire her as principal. She noted how she was able to hire “a brilliant, experienced journalist, with no teaching background” made a big difference in the program. “Before long, she had turned a rag-tag bunch of unwitting students into journalists who took the initiative to develop a fantastic online site….”
The former superintendent of Lordstown, Ohio, schools, Terry P. Armstrong, contributed “Student Journalism as a Route to Civic Engagement.” He said he worked with a new social studies teacher to encourage more student political involvement. That included hosting Democracy Day, which had Mary Beth Tinker as a speaker, and launching a student newspaper. Armstrong wrote he hopes “our students carry civic engagement with them into the future while protecting and promoting quality journalism for decades to come.”
As Goldman noted at the end of his column, “Perhaps there’s never been a more important moment for the exercise of voice. Educators ought to do what they can to flex their students’ muscles.”
And one way to do that might be to share some of these articles with administrators at your school. School Administrator, June 2020
NOTE: Jay Goldman is a recipient of JEA’s 2020 Friend of Scholastic Journalism Award, which goes to a professional journalist, professional media outlet or other individual or group making a significant contribution to scholastic journalism. He has also volunteered for the Washington, D.C. National High School Journalism Conventions, leading Break with a Pro, helping set up media experience tours, getting featured speakers and judging Write-offs at the 2019 convention. This award is usually presented at the Fall National High School Journalism Convention awards luncheon, although, with this year’s virtual convention, some of us may want to reach out to congratulate Goldman by email.
Read More