Center for Scholastic Journalism Blog

When we host the ASNE/Reynolds High School Journalism Institute at Kent State, we send teachers home with LOTS of new ideas. Sometimes maybe it’s too many….so we suggest they focus on four or five really important ones. Once they’ve crossed those off the list, they can move on to more. But it’s important not to be overwhelmed with too much to do all at once.

Top of the list really should be dusting off the editorial policy and exploring what the publications staff can do to make it better. For one thing, if it doesn’t indicate you are a forum for student expression, that’s a good place to start. That statement means editors and editorial board make content decisions — the very best way to learn critical thinking and responsibility…and just plain good journalism.

If you are a school that uses NEOLA policies — bylaws, procedures, handbooks and the like that allow districts to choose from templates on a wide range of compliance issues — check out the new options for student media and productions. From the original heavily prior-reviewed version to a much more open forum, at least one of the four choices now offered is much more educationally — and First Amendment-ally — sound. (You’ll know you have a NEOLA policy if its number is 5722 and you are in Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin or West Virginia.) Find out if your district could adopt that new, improved policy.

You don’t have a policy at all or you want more background on policies in general? The JEA Scholastic Press Rights Commission has lots of info about policies, including the JEA/AEJMC Model.  The Student Press Law Center has model guidelines for student media, too.

Just keep in mind a good policy can protect you AND the school while allowing students, both staff and audience, to learn about democracy and civic engagement with real-life experience.

Tags: adviser, American Society of Newspaper Editors, First Amendment, freedom of expression, high school, Journalism Education Association, Kent State University, NEOLA, press freedom, responsible journalism, reynolds, scholastic journalism, student media, Student Press Law Center