Most Recent Articles
How can my school get involved
in the New Voices campaign? QT21
Almost a quarter of all states have now passed legislation protecting voice in student media, and instilling the virtues of the First Amendment as state statute for student media. North Dakota’s success in 2015 seemed to spark the latest fire that has seen legislative recognition of student speech in Illinois, Maryland, Vermont and Rhode Island.
That still leaves 38 states without overt student press rights protections, which muddies the waters for students, advisers, and school administrators.
If you live in a state without clear student press protections, work with your state-level scholastic media organizations, professional news organizations and school administrators to show the benefits of doing so.
The most important element of student press protection is that it establishes, state by state, a practical First Amendment laboratory in the schools, where students are empowered to make decisions, develop civic efficacy and establish ethical decision-making guidelines.
It also benefits schools and administrators in that it establishes clear and specific guidelines for student press that would not be acceptable. In most cases, that means libel, invasion or privacy, obscenity, or language that materially disrupts the rights of others to learn.
Students in states that have clear student press protections can also help by sharing the success stories of their real-life practice of the First Amendment in their schools. How has your classroom experience helped you make ethical decisions? How have you become more of a leader because your state law empowered you to do so?
Guideline
Support free expression for others in local and larger communities
Stance:
Students in all schools should actively support student press rights legislation in their states and/or other states with active legislation.
Reasoning/suggestions:
The New Voices campaign has successfully created student press protection laws in several states in the last two years. Currently, 13 states explicitly protect student press rights.
Building student media programs by protecting student press laws is one of the most efficacious means of building civically minded students. In a time when the media is increasingly under fire for the accuracy of their reporting, it’s critical we foster an environment in high schools which promotes ethical, truthful and accurate storytelling while protecting students’ rights to tell those stories.
Teachers and students who would like to be active in this movement, should contact their JEA state directors or reach out to the Student Press Law Center.
Resources:
JEA updates its Adviser Code of Ethics
Center for Scholastic Journalism Legislative Conference videos
Read More
History should not repeat itself
by Stan Zoller
On Nov. 9, as is the case every year, there will be an observance of Kristallnacht.
Historically, Kristallnacht, often referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, was a 24-hour period, from Nov. 9 to Nov. 10, 1938, when Adolph Hitler ordered troops to ransack the homes and businesses of Jews in Germany and Austria.
In addition to the destruction of homes and businesses, Nazi troops made a concentrated effort to destroy books and other printed materials to prevent not only religious observances, but also learning.
The move by any governing body to prohibit education by destroying, confiscating or preventing dissemination of information is reprehensible.
Especially for student journalists.
But, time and time again stories emerge about overzealous administrators who, for unknown reasons, prohibit distribution of student media.
The latest case is at Evanston (Illinois) Township High School where the Sept. 22 edition of the Evanstonian was confiscated and distribution prohibited.
But not, the paper’s editors told me, by the principal.
By the English Department chair. On a day, no less when the paper’s longtime adviser and journalism teacher, Rodney Lowe, was not at school.
Reasons, you ask?
Students say none were given. They speculate that the eye of her disdain was a two-page spread on student use of marijuana. While some tweaks may have been in order, there was nothing that would have invoked the ire of an administrator, unless he or she is compelled to invoke the late Alexander Haig’s mantra of “I am in charge now.”
But why the department chair and not the principal? That’s a good, no make that great, question because, the day before, the principal saw the paper and did not have a problem with the issue.
[pullquote]The act is clear, noting that:
“This Act does not authorize or protect expression by a student journalist that: (1) is libelous, slanderous, or obscene; (2) constitutes an unwarranted invasion of privacy; (3) violates federal or State law; or (4) incites students to commit an unlawful act, to violate policies of the school district, or to materially and substantially disrupt the orderly operation of the school.” [/pullquote]
What may be the most disturbing element of this situation is that officials at Evanston High School seem to have blatantly ignored Illinois law 99-0678, the Free Speech of Scholastic Journalists Act, signed into law in July 2016.
The act is clear, noting that:
“This Act does not authorize or protect expression by a student journalist that: (1) is libelous, slanderous, or obscene; (2) constitutes an unwarranted invasion of privacy; (3) violates federal or State law; or (4) incites students to commit an unlawful act, to violate policies of the school district, or to materially and substantially disrupt the orderly operation of the school.”
The work done by the Evanstonian staff does not infringe on any of these areas.
In addition to the confiscation and prohibition on distributing the print issues, the department chair demanded that “the article” be stricken from the paper’s website.
The Evanstonian has a long history of excellence. “… I am distressed this kind of ignorance could possibly take place and at of all places Evanston High School, where one of the most important groundbreaking student newspapers of the past, the Evanstonian, thrived…” longtime adviser Wayne Brasler told me in an email exchange.
That level of excellence has continued as Evanston was the 2015 state champion in the Illinois High School Association’s state journalism tournament.
So, what lies ahead? Friday, Oct. 13, student staff members of the Evanstonian are scheduled to meet with the superintendent, the principal the department chairman.
While it is nearly a month after the publication date, the meeting comes on the heels of Monday, Oct. 9’s school board meeting in which four student staff members gave eloquent and extremely well-prepared statements.
Also giving statements were myself and Maryam Judar, an attorney who heads the Citizen Advocacy Center, a Chicago area-based organization that monitors transparency by local governments, access to public records, and adherence to sunshine laws. In May the CAC sponsored a four-part series on the rights of high school students. One session focused on scholastic press rights.
While the Board was mum following the statements, during the new business of the meeting, school board member Jonathan Baum called for the “Evanstonian situation” to be discussed during open session at the next School Board meeting. After the meeting Baum said he may not be happy about student marijuana use, but he does believe in a free press.
The next school board meeting is scheduled for Oct. 23.
It will be interesting to see if a free press reigns, or if it will be a matter of academic Kristallnacht.
Read MoreDisturbing images: public’s right to know
vs. invasion of privacy QT18
A 9-year-old girl, burning from napalm, runs naked down a Vietnam road. A vulture watches a Sudanese child, emaciated from famine, crawl across the ground. Two yellow-clad health workers carry a limp 8-year-old boy who might be infected with Ebola to a treatment facility.
What do these images have in common? They are all extremely disturbing, and they all won Pulitzer Prizes.
While high school journalists are unlikely to encounter these extreme conditions of war, famine and disease, they do need to think about the ethics behind publishing disturbing images. When does the public’s right to know — and the potential benefit of exposing these tragedies — outweigh the emotional harm these images might have on the people in the photographs and those who love them?
If the images are taken in a public space, there’s no question the photographers have the legal right to publish. But, as we often tell our students, just because you can publish doesn’t mean you always should.
The highest ethical responsibility for a journalist is to seek truth and report it, but journalists must also consider the responsibility to minimize harm.
[pullquote]When does the public’s right to know — and the potential benefit of exposing these tragedies — outweigh the emotional harm these images might have on the people in the photographs and those who love them?[/pullquote]
The answer isn’t for editors to set up a set list of what kind of images should or should not be published, but rather to develop an ethical process to help them work through the benefits and drawbacks of publishing a disturbing photograph.
When constructing a process for determining whether to publish an image, students should consider many questions, including:
- Is this image important and relevant to the story? Is the image merely explotive/sensational, or does it have news value?
- What makes it meaningful?
- Will the audience understand the information conveyed without reading any accompanying text?
- What story does it tell?
- What story would others be able to get from that photo?
- What impact will publishing this photograph have on the people in the image or on those people’s loved ones?
- What impact will it have on the news consumer? Does the public’s right to know outweigh any emotional harm to the subject or the subject’s loved ones?
- What, if any, warnings should accompany online content?
- How would they defend the decision to run the image to others, including stakeholders and those directly impacted by the image?
- Is there an alternative, better, way to show the story?
Advisers may want to set up hypothetical situations to allow students to practice this ethical process. Here are some scenarios to spark debate:
- During a soccer game, a student falls and breaks her leg. The photographer gets a series of pictures of the accident, including one that shows graphically the severity of the break with bone protruding and another that shows a close up of her face, covered in dirt and tears, as paramedics rush onto the field. In an article about the injury, should the editors publish one of these images? If so, which one?
- A student comes to the Prom very drunk and ends up starting a fight. The photographer has a several pictures of the flight, including ones from when the police arrived. In an article about the fight, should the editors publish one of these images? Why or why not?
- The worst happens — a student brings a gun to school and opens fire. Though, no one is killed before the shooter is contained, two students are injured. One of the reporters had a camera nearby and got the following pictures: a picture of the campus police officer running toward the shooter, a picture of one of the victims bleeding on the ground, and a picture of the shooter being handcuffed. In an article about the event, should the editors publish one of these images? If so, which one?
Guideline: Students should consider not only the news value of an image but also the emotional effect of the image on the audience. They should balance the public’s right to know with the privacy of the people in the image and their loved ones when considering publication of disturbing photos.
Social Media Question: Disturbing photos give powerful insights into tragedy but can be exploitive. How can we balance public’s right to know with potential harm?
Reasoning/suggestions:
Determining whether or not a disturbing photograph should be published requires a deliberate, ethical conversation among student editors. Once editors determine the image is not a legal invasion of privacy — taken in a private space where the subject had a reasonable expectation of privacy — they need to consider the ethics of publishing the image.
When constructing a process for determining whether to publish an image, students should consider many questions, including:
- Is this image important and relevant to the story? Is the image merely explotive/sensational, or does it have news value?
- What makes it meaningful?
- Will the audience understand the information conveyed without reading any accompanying text?
- What story does it tell?
- What story would others be able to get from that photo?
- What impact will publishing this photograph have on the people in the image or on those people’s loved ones?
- What impact will it have on the news consumer? Does the public’s right to know outweigh any emotional harm to the subject or the subject’s loved ones?
- What, if any, warnings should accompany online content?
- How would they defend the decision to run the image to others, including stakeholders and those directly impacted by the image?
- Is there an alternative, better, way to show the story?
Resources:
Presentation Slideshow: Photo Ethics: Disturbing Images, JEA Scholastic Press Rights Committee
Ethics, Dignity and Responsibility in Visual Journalism, Jason Tanner, Human Rights for Journalism
Visual ethics guidelines, Principal’s Guide to Scholastic Journalism
Visual Journalism, NPR Code of Ethics
Pulitzer Prize Photographs Gallery, Newseum
Lesson: To Print or Not to Print, Journalism Education Association
Lesson: When Journalists Err Ethically, Journalism Education Association
Lesson: With Freedom of the Press Comes Great Responsibility, Journalism Education Association
SPJ Code of Ethics, Society of Professional Journalists
NPPA Code of Ethics, National Press Photographers Association
Photojournalism ethics needs a reexamination, The Poynter Institute
Visual ethical guidelines join online, yearbook ethics, JEA Scholastic Press Rights Committee
Audio: Using Images from Social Media, JEA Scholastic Press Rights Committee Press Rights Minute
Read MoreWhat we learn by covering tragedy
by Lori Keekley
When I first signed up for this week’s blog, I was excited to write because it’s Banned Books Week.
However, I scrapped that plan Monday when I learned about the shootings in Las Vegas. So, instead of my original plan of blogging about overt censorship, I’m working to help students learn to not self-censor their coverage concerning the Las Vegas shootings.
While the students and I have talked about the coverage of state gun ownership and gun laws, where legislators stand, what students think and the impact on our school and community, I can’t help but think about the other coverage I’ve seen.
We’ve looked through Columbia Journalism Review’s digest of the coverage during the past two days to see how we’re approaching the topic. The students are tracking down every person rumored to have someone who they know there.
They are also examining how gun violence has impacted their community after a workplace shooting that involved the parent of a student who attended our school. What conversation did it forward then … what is it now? Has it sparked activism? Has it incited more calls for Second Amendment protections?
But it’s more than that.
This weekend I finished “The Hate U Give,” by Angie Thomas. Since then, the main character has remained with me, and I can’t stop thinking about the gun violence she experienced while growing up in a poor black neighborhood.
We have students where I teach who also have been impacted by gun violence. Instead of self-censoring or being afraid of covering this, I will continue to encourage my students to cover the students and staff of St. Louis Park High School. By showing their stories, their fears and their views, we robustly cover our student body, which is our main goal.
This week has left me, like many others, with many more questions than answers — many of which will never have answers.
Read MoreCovering controversy QT17
Journalism is not public relations.
Although some administrators would like for students to only publish “positive” stories, a journalist’s job is to watch and report on the school. This may involve students including stories that might make the school “look bad.”
When students cover stories, such as a drastic dip in standardized test scores, the science lab catching on fire or the cost of a new stadium, it informs the public on topics of importance. If student journalists are not covering these topic, who will?
We must, as educators, help students navigate how to include potentially controversial coverage and how to handle the ethical and legal points that arise. We also need to help them find resources for their questions, such as the Student Press Law Center.
Also of importance, students who participate in high school journalism are more likely to be civically engages as adults. School mission statements often cite the importance of “creating future leaders,” “producing critical thinkers,” and even “empowering others to respond to the real issues of the nation and community.”
By students evaluating whether or not to cover a potentially controversial topic, like gun control and not standing for the pledge, they begin to see how they can educate, impact, evaluate and interact with the world around them.
Guideline:
Because journalism differs from public relations, student media should strive to cover real and relevant content importance to the school and community. When controversial issues arise, as they have lately, students should not self-censor.
Instead, they should evaluate the content journalistically and evaluate the importance the information is to the reader. During this evaluation, students should take into consideration journalism legal standards, availability of sources, verification information, timeliness, and the the ethical ramifications of including the controversial coverage.
Social media post/question: Including potentially controversial coverage like gun control and kneeling during the pledge can create challenges, but important topics are worth the risk.
Stance: Students should not shy away from potentially controversial coverage just because it might ruffle some feathers. They do, however, need to be journalistically responsible in their approach and coverage.
Reasoning/suggestions: Journalism is not public relations. Although some administrators would like for students to only publish “positive” stories, a journalist’s job is to watch and report on the school and on sensitive issues. While some of this content may be positive in nature, conflict will happen. We must, as educators, help students navigate how to include potentially controversial coverage and the ethical and legal points that arise. We also need to help them find resources, such as the Student Press Law Center, for their questions.
Resources:
SPLC.org
10 Ethical questions to ask The Pointer Institute
Covering controversy, JEA Scholastic Press Rights Committee
News vs. Public Relations Lesson
Handling Controversy, JEA Scholastic Press Rights Committee
Practice Sensitivity in Your Reporting, JEA Scholastic Press Rights Committee
Sensitive Issues Guide, JEA Scholastic Press Rights Committee
Tips for Covering Controversial Subjects, JEA Scholastic Press Rights Committee
Reporting Controversy Requires Establishing a Sound Process, JEA Scholastic Press Rights Committee
Don’t Be a Fool, JEA Scholastic Press Rights Committee, Press Rights Minute
Verification Before Publication Prevents Many Issues, JEA Scholastic Press Rights Committee
Read More