Stand up, shout out for student journalism

Posted by John Bowen on Apr 25, 2011 in Blog, Law and Ethics, News, Scholastic Journalism, Teaching | 0 comments

With the 2nd U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in the Doninger case, one thing is certainly clear: If we want to protect student expression rights and responsibilities, we are going to have to be the ones who stand up to do so.

SPLC executive director Frank LoMonte said the courts abdicated their responsibility to protect the basic human rights of vulnerable young people.

“Young people are going to have to organize and mobilize like never before to petition their legislators and members of Congress for better statutory protection,” LoMonte said. “This ruling is a wake-up call to every student in America that their rights are in peril and that they cannot depend on the federal courts to police even the clearest disciplinary overreactions.”

Adam Goldstein, SPLC attorney advocate, said the decision was flawed.

“It opines that students don’t have rights unless those rights are clearly established in light of the school environment,” Goldstein said, “as if students at home didn’t possess citizenship.”

It’s time for students and teachers to clearly highlight those rights.

May 3 is World Press Freedom Day. Embrace its principles to endorse student expression as a key constitutionally protected right of citizenship. Create forums to talk about how and why journalism is at the core of democracy and the building of citizenship. Demonstrate the viability of student decision making, critical thinking and responsible expression through student media that make a difference.

In short, stand up for the importance and legitimacy of First Amendment rights for these American journalists, whether they criticize or commend or simply report issues, placid or emotional.

We’ve said it here before, and now again: We must oppose policies and practices that limit student expression. We must stand up and shout out for student journalism.

#SJW11 and beyond: Legal and ethical foundations for tomorrow’s citizens

Posted by John Bowen on Feb 17, 2011 in Blog, Law and Ethics, News, Scholastic Journalism, Teaching | 0 comments

The Common Core State Standards were developed by the National Governors Association Center of Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers to “provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn” and were “designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers.”

When released in June 2010, the NGA Center and CCSSO indicated these standards are “aligned with college and work expectations, so that all students are prepared for success upon graduating from high school.” The writers concluded,  “With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy.”  As of mid-February 2011, all but nine states have adopted some form of these.

The standards only address English-language arts and math, according to the Common Core State Standards website,  “because these two subjects are skills, upon which students build skill sets in other subject areas. They are also the subjects most frequently assessed for accountability purposes.” The group “may develop common core in additional subject areas.”

Yet, without the legal and ethical foundations on which the United States is based and the free expression these support, no amount of focus on rigor or international benchmarking will be enough to save our democracy.  Standards that offer expectations for tomorrow’s citizens, whether headed to college or career, are vital. Being able to read is not enough without the ability to assess accuracy, completeness and bias of content. Being able to write or speak without knowing legal constraints and ethical guidelines is equally worthless.

Thus, members of the Journalism Education Association’s Scholastic Press Rights Commission offer these additional standards as a way to address what we believe is missing from those currently available. We offer the College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Citizenship and the Media. These mirror the format of the Common Core Standards in all but two ways: (1) They are readily applicable to journalism and/or media classes, though they could apply to social studies and English courses as well, and (2) they do not offer grade-specific standards because many such courses have a range of student grade levels included. With no national group currently proposing such a set of standards, we suggest each state adopt its own.

Key Ideas and Details

1. Demonstrate the core values and principles of U.S. democracy as set forth in documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and court decisions.
• Understand First Amendment rights and responsibilities when choosing media content.
• Analyze relevant court decisions as precedents.
• Practice these key ideas by collaborating on decisions through a student-led democratic process.

2. Demonstrate understanding of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship and the principles of civic involvement, including individual rights and their accompanying responsibilities.
• Produce opinion or editorial pieces that spark conversation and question authorities regarding current issues.
• Report accurately and objectively on the news and issues of the day.
• Search for solutions to problems.
• Provide alternative voices through credible reporting and constructive criticism.

3. Understand the importance and function of the marketplace of ideas in a democracy, including the necessity for diverse views.
• Create an open forum for student expression, including opportunities for outside voices to be heard.
• Strive to ensure all social, economic, ethnic, academic and grade-level groups are represented.
• Use a balance of sources and coverage in presentation of topics.
• Resist prior review and restraint by authorities and present sound reasons why that practice should not be instituted or continued.
• Exercise critical thinking and exchange ideas when making final content decisions.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

4. Demonstrate knowledge of the function, effect and parameters of law as they apply to the specific content areas.
• Exercise rights as afforded by the First Amendment and court cases.
• Recognize the difference between protected and unprotected speech and apply it to media choices.
• Recognize and abide by accurate interpretations of FERPA, FOIA, HIPPA and other relevant legislation.

5. Assess ethical issues and how society might be impacted by choices affecting students and community members.
• Explore, analyze and debate the impact of ethical choices by government officials, including public school administrators, school board members and other figures of authority.
• Provide leadership through sustained coverage of topics related to such ethical choices.
• Localize off-campus issues to show how they impact readers.
• Engage communities through accurate and thorough reporting of such issues.

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

6. Apply ethical principles in decision-making, including responsibility, thoroughness, honesty, accuracy, independence, accountability and credibility.
• Recognize the importance of independent thought in reporting.
• Utilize constructive criticism in editorial commentary.
• Access multiple resources to ensure accurate, thorough and balanced reporting.
• Accept accountability for all content.
• Correct and retract misleading or incorrect information.

7.  Develop and refine ethical skills for choosing, gathering and organizing information.
• Investigate credibility of sources and confirm questionable assertions.
• Use anonymous sources only when it is essential to the content of the story, and honors confidentiality promised.
• Verify and synthesize when gathering and disseminating information.

Application of Knowledge and Ideas to Future Concepts

8. Prepare for the legal and ethical implications of technological changes in communication.
• Apply copyright laws to digital media.
• Properly attribute sources when using the work of others.
• Practice transparency in information-gathering by identifying methods of acquisition.
• Refrain from creating a false impression of reality through digital manipulation of photo, video or audio files.
• Avoid conflict of interest in information presented.
• Work to assure accuracy and thoroughness of information.
• Recognize privacy implications when gathering and publishing information.

Are we missing anything?  We’d love to hear your suggestions – and comments.

Start the semester out right

Posted by John Bowen on Dec 27, 2010 in Blog, Law and Ethics, News, Scholastic Journalism, Teaching | 0 comments

Just relaxing and avoiding work is a good way to spend winter break, but, with the new semester not far off, maybe a little time can go into getting lesson plans in order. Why not explore some of the wealth of online materials available?

Particularly if it’s a new group of students and a new course, starting out with legal and ethical training is vital. So…here’s a belated holiday gift: Links to some sites with a wide range of teaching materials, from discussion-starters to entire units. Browse for now and bookmark for later.

• Of course the JEA Scholastic Press Rights Commission has plenty on its Web site, everything from podcasts to PowerPoints to 5-minute lessons to start a class thinking. Most of these are in the “teaching materials” link.
• The Student Press Law Center has an amazing array of Media Law Presentations.  These cover copyright, libel and more, and each has a PowerPoint with teachers’ presentation notes.
• If you’re not familiar with the American Society of News Editors High School Journalism Initiative site, you should be. In the archived lesson plans its summer institute teachers create are a number concerning legal and ethical issues.
• NAA Foundation supports youth journalism in many ways, including funding vital research.  The Newspaper in Education (NIE) section of the Web site includes lesson plans for many levels and a variety of courses. “First Things First: Using the Newspaper to Teach the Five Freedoms of the First Amendment” is one good example.
• The First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., and in Washington, D.C.,  has as part of its Web site “Education for Freedom: Lesson Plans for Teaching the First Amendment.” These, too, work for various age levels, and all focus on the importance of those 45 words added to our Constitution.
• Want something a little more interactive? Something students might do on their own? Try News University, part of The Poynter Institute for Media Studies. With a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, NewsU offers online training for newsroom journalists and classroom ones, too. Check out the large range of (mostly) free, interactive courses. For our purposes here, consider “Introduction to Ethical Decision-making,” but the course list probably has others of interest as well.

No one wants to spend the holidays focused on school. BUT no one wants to come back after vacation, scrambling to find good materials to use.  A little time browsing now can make a lot of difference later in January.

Happy New Year!

Candace Perkins Bowen, MJE

45words

Posted by John Bowen on Jan 7, 2010 in | 0 comments

Go to the Student Partners blogsite.

12 students selected as Press Rights partners

The Scholastic Press Rights Commission will select and list students selected as Student Partners, serving to promote First Amendment awareness and help students fight censorship battles through the 45words initiative:

Download the Editor’s Emergency Toolkit as highlighted at the JEA/NSPA journalism convention. More information about the toolkit can be found here.

You can follow the group on Facebook and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/45words .

45 words. 5 freedoms. 1 amendment.

Check out our Quicktime movie on 45words.

STUDENT PARTNERS JOIN JEA PRESS RIGHTS COMMISSION
TO ENGAGE AMERICA’S YOUTH IN FIRST AMENDMENT DIALOGUE

Journalism Education Association’s Scholastic Press Rights Commission created Student Partners as a way to help students connect with their peers to support, protect and spread awareness about the First Amendment.

February 23, 2010 (Manhattan, Kan.) – Just in time for Scholastic Journalism Week, JEA’s Scholastic Press Rights Commission (SPRC) introduces a new student group called Scholastic Press Student Partners. Students represent schools from Arizona, California, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Seoul, Korea.

The eight public and private high school students were selected from applicants nationwide (and some international schools) to promote First Amendment awareness by opening dialogue with other students around the country via Facebook and Twitter. In addition to planning and hosting press rights events at local, state and national conventions, the team is creating a scholastic press rights awareness campaign entitled 45words. They can be followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/45words and the Facebook group is 45words. Although the group has already held meetings over the web, it plans to launch nationally April 15 – 18 at the Journalism Education Association/National Scholastic Press Association Convention in Portland, Ore.

Each of the students wrote essays that accompanied their applications, sharing their thoughts about the First Amendment. Some of them have experienced censorship, while others have enjoyed all of the freedoms guaranteed to the professional media. See their individual statements below:

Morgan Brewster (The Mustang Express, Multi-media Editor) of Sunrise Mountain High School in Peoria, Ariz. says the First Amendment means freedom, “Freedom to express myself anyway that I want, whether by speaking out in one of my classes, to writing about controversial topics in my articles, to practicing a religion which I believe in.”

Christopher Kim (The Tiger Times and Kaleidoscope, Copy Editor) Seoul International School, Seoul, Korea believes the public has a right to the truth though some truths are ugly. “The First Amendment guarantees our right to talk about these ugly truths; the court is there to expose those who misuse these rights and whereas there have been cases of libel and otherwise unethical practices, there are far more cases of important truths being revealed for all to know. The risk is one we have to take.”

Zachary Knudson (The Crier, Managing Editor) of St. Francis High School, St. Francis, Minn. wants to continue to fight to keep student press rights for students in his own community and to broaden the reach into other communities in the state and nation. “It is important that we have students fighting with a passion to keep and inform other students of our rights to free press,” he said, “So that we will not be shushed or written off as unqualified to report because of age.”

Meghan Morris (The Spoke, Assistant Managing Editor) of Conestoga High School in Berwyn, Pa. quoted John Milton. “‘Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties.’ This liberty is the essence of the First Amendment, and the core of journalism. Through freedom of the press and speech, journalists have the power to better our democracy, an influence that few Americans ever have, and an influence that too few high school students fully understand. As a Scholastic Press Student Partner, I will raise awareness of the First Amendment and its relevance to both high school journalists and high school students in general.”

Zoe Newcomb (The Broadview, News Editor) from Convent of the Sacred Heart High School in San Francisco, Calif., has experienced censorship first-hand and said, “The job of a journalist is inform people about the events around them that are important, a job which cannot be done without the rights given to us by the First Amendment. I think a lot people take for granted the gift of freedom that we are given — so many people around the world do not have that luxury. I want to be involved in what goes on around me, and not just be a bystander.”

Ted Noelker (Central Focus, Managing Editor of Multimedia) of Francis Howell Central High School, St. Charles, Mo. wants to be a part of any effort against censorship, having seen the effects of censorship on others and within his own publication. “Censorship is an action which I believe occurs all too often unjustly. I know the hard work that goes into making a high school newspaper, and I know of the frustrations of having that work carelessly tossed aside under inadequate reasoning. I wish to offer my support in resisting acts of censorship in high school publications.”

Sara Rogers (The Hi-Lite, Cover Story Editor) of Carmel High School, Carmel, Ind. said the freedom of the press allows her to thoroughly fulfill her duties as a journalist every day without hesitance. “While I don’t seek out controversial topics, it is important to me that when those issues do arise I am able to cover them. As a journalist, it is my job to educate and inform students and other receivers of our 5,000-circulation publication. I’ve always considered my voice and pen my two most important tools. I am grateful every day to have the opportunity to speak my mind freely. Seeing the oppression and censorship of other countries really solidifies my drive to preserve the rights and freedoms stated in the United States Constitution.”

Joseph Weber (The Kirkwood Call, Features Writer) of Kirkwood High School in Kirkwood, Mo. said, “From the moment I wrote my first story for The Kirkwood Call, I knew where I belonged. Going out of my way to get an interview, staying up until 2:00 a.m. to finish a story, it has become my passion. Where most high school students have no idea what they are going to do when they leave school, I already see my future: A journalist. But the journalism world is changing more drastically than ever. It is up to my generation to lead it in the right direction. Some may see the newspaper as a dying industry, but I see an opportunity to reshape how everyone receives, uses and appreciates the world of journalism.”

Founded in 1924, Journalism Education Association (JEA) is a volunteer organization that supports free and responsible scholastic journalism by providing resources and educational opportunities, by promoting professionalism, by encouraging and rewarding student excellence and teacher achievement, and by fostering an atmosphere which encompasses diversity yet builds unity. For more information about JEA go to www.jea.org .

The Scholastic Press Rights Commission is a group of JEA members who help educate, advocate and empower student journalists to use their voices and find a role in their schools, their communities and their democratic society. In addition to student support, JEA SPRC also provides information and resources to teachers and administrators. For information on SPRC go to www.jeapressrights.org.

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