Our best dream: start from the beginning
An article in the Washington Times titled “Liberals’ worst nightmare: South Carolina schools move toward pro-gun curriculum,” caught our attention tonight.
SC Rep. Alan Clemmons’ proposal would allow, according to the Washington Times, “reasonable pro-gun expression by students.” The proposal would require instruction on the right to bare arms for at least three consecutive weeks in the school year.
We applaud a legislator farsighted enough to want students to be aware of the Constitution and to apply its tenets.
We just think he started the process one too late.
He should start with the First Amendment not the Second.
We can see the model now:
• From his proposal: essay contests and Second Amendment Day allowing “reasonable” Second Amendment expression in school without fear of punishment, The Washington Times reported.
• Our addition: essay contests and a First Amendment Day allowing “reasonable” free expression emphasizing student freedom of expression in and out of school for each school year.
• From his proposal: According to the Washington Times, Clemmons said, “I believe that all students in American should be taught civics and the importance of our constitutional freedoms.”
• Our addition: What he said. But start with the First.
Tweet18: Develop, follow code of ethics
Develop a strong code of ethics, and follow it daily in planning all coverage. #25HZLWD http://jeasprc.org/tweet18-develop-follow-code-of-ethics
No matter which media platform you use, ethics will play a daily role in your decision making.
Rushworth Kidder in “How Good People Make Tough Choices” says ethics is a “right versus right” process.
“Right versus wrong” situations are best decided by knowing and applying press law. The act of deciding involves a concept we will call ethical fitness. Ethical fitness removes the need for control because students practice critical thinking. At the same time, we do not permit anyone to punish students for making – or failing to make – decisions that are not right versus wrong instances.
When it is time to take action, students who are ethically fit, who have already done the thinking, are prepared to resolve issues they face.
From story selection to explaining why a decision was made not to name a source, ethical thinking is at the core of a successful scholastic journalism program.
Resources:
• NSPA Student Code of Ethics
http://www.studentpress.org/nspa/pdf/wheel_modelcodeofethics.pdf
• JEA Adviser Code of Ethics
http://jeasprc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/JEAadvisercodeof-ethics-2015.pdf
• Press Rights Commission Online ethical guidelines for social media
http://jeasprc.org/online-ethics-guidelines-for-student-media/
• Press Rights Commission yearbook ethical guidelines
http://jeasprc.org/yearbook-ethics-guidelines/
• Visual reporting ethical guidelines
http://jeasprc.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Visual-ethics2012.pdf
• Questions student staffs should discuss before entering the social media movement
http://www.jeasprc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Questionsstudentstaffsshoulddiscussbefore-enteringsocialmedia-environment.pdf
• Online ethics resources
http://www.jeasprc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Questionsstudentstaffsshoulddiscussbefore-enteringsocialmedia-environment.pdf
• Journalism ethics situations
http://jeasprc.org/constitution-day-learning-materials-part-2-journalism-ethics-hypotheticals/
• Social media toolbox available
http://jeasprc.org/social-media-toolbox-available-to-help-those-considering-and-using-social-media-in-journalism/
• So say we all
http://jeasprc.org/so-say-we-all-2/
• What values?
http://new.jmc.kent.edu/ethicsworkshop/2009/
• What are the ethics of online journalism?
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