Tweet5: Decision-making content control
rests with students, rooted in professional standards

Posted by John Bowen on Jan 14, 2013 in Blog, Law and Ethics, News, Scholastic Journalism, Teaching | 0 comments

Have a journalistic purpose in mind for every story you write/propose. Don’t write stories to be sensational. #25HZLWD http://jeasprc.org/decision-students/

Those who want to control student media often point to incomplete, biased or sensational treatment of stories. It really does not matter if the topic is controversial in nature. What does matter is that students, no matter the platform or approach, report and present these topics following journalistic standards – and that they make the final decisions for all content.

• Journalists must learn to recognize legitimate news values.

• Journalists must verify, verify, verify.

• Journalists must ask the tough and nagging questions of authorities and others a democratic society needs to continuously evolve and prosper. They must also then question the answers for complete and relevant meaning.

• Journalists have the inherent responsibility to find the best sources and to present relevant information in context and perspective so citizens have adequate viewpoints to consider.

• Journalists must find not only the best resources but substantiate sources’ information they use as well as present it clear and meaningful.