Law & Ethics
Prior Review & Censorship
Effective journalism urges readers to reconsider some aspect of their paradigm. I strive to write stories that expose new ideas and address pressing issues in my community. However, administrators in my district often show resistance to certain ideas that seem controversial.
For example, I have pushed to publish in-depth coverage on the experiences of transgender students in high school, which was recently approved. We saw an increase in students being open about their identity, and I believe that introducing new ideas about gender fluidity can stir positive change. My Co-Editor-in-Chief and I proposed the idea to our Principal during the last school year and we agreed to wait until this year to publish. When we pursued it again, we were invited to have meeting with him and the Communications Director of the school district. Since we live in a fairly conservative district, the Communications Director was not fond of taking a stance on transgenderism. Though she functionally rejected the idea, I continued to fight for coverage on transgender issues for The Hoobeat. I created a cover-letter and an outline that explains the aim of the coverage: to educate and share stories. I realize that the district has to answer to the community, but I believe that by emphasizing neutrality and focusing on being informative, this type of coverage can embolden positive change.
We have always had to deal with prior review, and by extension, censorship. There are times when articles get rejected last minute, which forces us to write late-night replacement articles. However, dealing with these restrictions has only made me stronger in my desire for coverage of hard news. In a curricular setting such as a school newspaper, the school's authority is generally greater than the protection guaranteed by the First Amendment. Under the Hazelwood Standard created by the Supreme Court in 1989, schools can justify censorship. As we learn to deal with censorship, we know that abiding to ethical journalistic standards and working with our administration is the best way to continue publishing about important issues.
For example, I have pushed to publish in-depth coverage on the experiences of transgender students in high school, which was recently approved. We saw an increase in students being open about their identity, and I believe that introducing new ideas about gender fluidity can stir positive change. My Co-Editor-in-Chief and I proposed the idea to our Principal during the last school year and we agreed to wait until this year to publish. When we pursued it again, we were invited to have meeting with him and the Communications Director of the school district. Since we live in a fairly conservative district, the Communications Director was not fond of taking a stance on transgenderism. Though she functionally rejected the idea, I continued to fight for coverage on transgender issues for The Hoobeat. I created a cover-letter and an outline that explains the aim of the coverage: to educate and share stories. I realize that the district has to answer to the community, but I believe that by emphasizing neutrality and focusing on being informative, this type of coverage can embolden positive change.
We have always had to deal with prior review, and by extension, censorship. There are times when articles get rejected last minute, which forces us to write late-night replacement articles. However, dealing with these restrictions has only made me stronger in my desire for coverage of hard news. In a curricular setting such as a school newspaper, the school's authority is generally greater than the protection guaranteed by the First Amendment. Under the Hazelwood Standard created by the Supreme Court in 1989, schools can justify censorship. As we learn to deal with censorship, we know that abiding to ethical journalistic standards and working with our administration is the best way to continue publishing about important issues.
Anonymous Sources
Powerful stories require first hand accounts of experiences to strengthen their validity. For coverage on issues such as eating disorders, depression, or anxiety, it is necessary to talk to real students in order to personalize the news. However, in order to make these students feel more comfortable about sharing their stories, we must protect their identity. This is when we use an anonymous name. Maintaining anonymity allows us to not only keep students safe, but effectively share their stories without revealing their identity.
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