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In This Issue:
Teens talk freedom |
August 15, 2005 |
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Teens talk freedom: Students debate Jason Connelly thinks the First Amendment is impractical. ‘‘The First Amendment seems very idealistic,'' said Connelly, a recent graduate of Lakeview High School. ‘‘If everyone was allowed to do whatever they want, then we would have anarchy and a very p----- off majority.'' Connelly and the other 24 percent of local teens who believe the press has too much freedom support a study conducted by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The Knight Foundation's nationwide study found that more than a third of high school students think the First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees. ‘‘Being able to question authority and have a voice in how government runs is positively essential,'' said Candace Perkins Bowen, Scholastic Media Coordinator for the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Kent State University. ‘‘Citizens who don't appreciate that won't even realize when their freedoms are eroding. Students who learn to blindly accept situations they really could and should change will not be the voting, thinking citizens we need in our country.'' The First Amendment gives Americans five freedoms: freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom to assemble and freedom to petition the government. In a survey conducted by Page One staff members, local high school students commented on First Amendment freedoms. Eighty percent agreed that newspapers should be allowed to publish stories without prior government approval, compared to slightly more than half in the national survey. ‘‘The First Amendment is one of the greatest aspects of our nation,'' said Greg Murray, a recent graduate of Howland High School. ‘‘It gives us the freedom to say and do whatever we want. Everyone should be able to speak their mind freely without fear of censorship.'' However, Ryan Cunningham, a Howland High School senior, disagreed. ‘‘I believe that the freedom of the press is far too open and that it should be limited more, because sometimes it invades individuals' privacy,'' said Cunningham. According to the Knight Foundation's survey, over half of high school students, compared to 39 percent of teachers and one-quarter of principals, think students should be allowed to report controversial issues in their student newspapers without approval of school authorities. Two local high school newspapers, Howland High School's The WAVE and Hubbard High School's Hub, undergo review by the schools' respective principals before publication. Frank Thomas, Howland High School principal, said that, though the school has the right to censor, he ‘‘very seldom tries to eliminate content'' from the newspaper. He said he reviews articles to look for hidden meanings and to make sure controversial issues are presented fairly. Lauren Miller, a senior at Howland High School, said Thomas once censored specific names from one of her articles regarding a school-related incident. ‘‘I feel that prior review is necessary for all newspapers,'' said Miller. ‘‘With it certain things can be censored that may not be appropriate or may possibly hurt another person, intentionally or unintentionally. Although people are entitled to freedom of the press, I think it is fair that they (school officials) review them (newspaper issues) and possibly cut things out. As long as the administration and staff are understanding with one another, I see no problem with it. Bowen, however, said she has a different view of the situation. ‘‘The minute he (Thomas) ‘looks' at all, the publication is no longer an open forum,'' said Bowen. ‘‘This also shows he has hired a teacher but doesn't trust him or her and doesn't trust students, trained, one hopes, in journalism, to make good decisions.'' Hubbard High School principal Larry Lushinsky reviews the Hub before printing. Lushinsky said there is ‘‘no censoring due to content.'' He said he eliminates anything that may be embarrassing, harmful, offensive, hearsay or demeaning, as well as any grammatical mistakes. Lushinsky said he only wants ‘‘fair'' journalism. ‘‘How can you not censor for content when the things he mentions are content?'' said Bowen. ‘‘It's strange -- a principal rarely, if ever, goes into a chemistry classroom and tells a science teacher the experiment is too dangerous. He doesn't assume he knows all about chemistry. Yet for some reason, many principals assume they know good journalism without any media or communications training.'' Denah Julian, a recent Hubbard graduate who wrote for the Hub for two years, said her story on Hubbard High School's plan to implement uniforms was censored. Julian said she talked to two administrators who had opposing views on the issue. She said the administration didn't like that the story revealed the opposite viewpoints and demanded she change the story to present a unified stance on the issue. ‘‘I complained about it to the (journalism) teacher,'' said Julian. ‘‘She said, ‘Can we change it so it doesn't look like this,' and I said, ‘But that's how it is.''' Julian said she eventually changed the wording of the story so it did not look as black and white but kept the different views. ‘‘For the most part, they (the administration) let us write about pretty much anything we want to,'' said Julian. She said the newspaper has written stories on drinking, drugs and sex. ‘‘I think the school's administration should be able to review publications. After all, you can't publish gossip in a high school paper,'' said Julian. ‘‘What they tried to censor in my article shouldn't have been censored, though. They were facts. It was just the truth. I didn't do anything except report what they said." Harding High School's video production teacher Fred Whitacre said he does not censor the school news before it is aired, but also said that nothing is aired that would cause offense to anyone. Bowen said that ‘‘offense'' is in the eye of the beholder. ‘‘If Woodward and Bernstein didn't want to offend Nixon, would we have ever gotten to the bottom of a really bad situation?'' said Bowen. ‘‘Sometimes the truth needs telling and it might upset someone, but the end result would be a better world or community or school.'' ‘‘As an American, I value my rights to freedom of expression,'' said Justin Fisher, a Howland High School junior. ‘‘By being allowed to express myself, I feel truly free. In other countries without freedoms similar to the ones we have through the First Amendment, people are arrested just for speaking their mind. I appreciate the First Amendment and the freedoms that it promises.'' ‘‘I can't stress enough how students, working with a journalism teacher who has had thorough training, learn so much more as far as critical thinking, seeking balance, et cetera,'' said Bowen. ‘‘When someone tells them what to print and think, they quit trying.'' Alison Kemp of Howland High School contributed to this story.
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Page One and Knight Foundation surveys Newspapers should be allowed to publish freely without government approval of stories. Knight Foundation Survey: 51 percent agree Page One: 80 percent agree Musicians should be allowed to sing songs with lyrics others may find offensive. Knight Foundation Survey: 70 percent agree Page One: 68 percent agree How do you feel about the amount of freedom the press has? (Page One only) Too much freedom: 24 percent Not enough freedom: 27 percent Just enough freedom: 49 percent
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Study blames schools for First Amendment apathy A recent John S. and James L. Knight Foundation study, ‘‘Future of the First Amendment: What America’s High School Students Think About Their Freedoms," concluded that high schools are ‘‘failing their students when it comes to instilling in them appreciation for the First Amendment.’’ However, the study noted that those who have taken journalism and civics classes better understand and appreciate their First Amendment freedoms. Twenty-one percent of high schools have no form of media and 51 percent offer one form. Journalist and other media professionals had a variety of thoughts about the study’s findings and the impact students’ attitudes could have on America’s future and the journalism industry. Student media should be a high priority in schools, said Candace Perkins Bowen, Scholastic Media Program coordinator at Kent State University’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. ‘‘No other course gives students the change to practice democracy, to use such a wide range of skills — information-gathering, writing, editing, critical thinking, teamwork, design, math, computers," Bowen said. Bowen disagreed with some of the Knight study’s findings about the state of media classes in high schools. She said that another study’s statistics were much less worrisome. That study, ‘‘Status of Journalism and News Media in the Nation’s Secondary Schools,’’ conducted by Jack Dvorak, journalism professor at Indiana University, in 1998 included yearbooks, and found that nearly 80 percent of high schools had a newspaper. The Knight study found that 74 percent had newspapers. Bowen said that she is surveying Ohio schools, and of the 26 surveyed so far, more than 75 percent have newspapers and all 26 have yearbooks and some have broadcast and Web sites as well. Glenn Luther, the former managing editor for Town Crier newspapers in Boardman and Poland, has seen first-hand what a world without First Amendment freedoms is like. Luther went to Afghanistan to teach photography to Afghans, who had been forbidden to own cameras under the rule of the Taliban. Luther said his experiences in Afghanistan helped him to understand how important the freedoms of speech and press are to democracy. ‘‘The media helps to provide checks and balances that are necessary to maintain a stable and strong democracy,’’ Luther said. ‘‘In Afghanistan, freedom of the press still stares down the barrel of a gun controlled by those in power. Warlords and other government officials have been known to shut down and imprison those who question their policy and punish them for the content they print." Sixty-one percent of student newspaper participants believe that newspapers should have the right to publish without government approval, compared to 50 percent of students who aren’t part of their school’s paper, the study found. ‘‘When the media waits for approval of the government the government has free reign to cover up their mistakes and intentional wrongs no matter how big or small," Luther said. ‘‘Our duty (as journalists) is to independently inform the people with the truth, not to get caught in the political web work of government officials." According to the study, 87 percent of students who have taken at least four media and/ or First Amendment classes think people should be able to express unpopular opinions, compared to only 68 percent of those who have participated in no classes of that nature. Henry Gomez, business reporter for the Plain Dealer in Cleveland, noted how important the First Amendment is in his career. ‘‘What good am I if I can’t report on the job the city of Cleveland’s new technology chief is doing without reporting his salary and the criticism he gets from others?’’ Gomez said. ‘‘If we lived in anything less than a First Amendment democracy, the city could censor my story in fear that it would create negative public opinion. But the facts are the facts.’’ Luther suggested that schools could best help students understand the First Amendment by having a course on understanding and interpreting the media. ‘‘After graduation, the media is what educates adults. If you are not aware of the imp ortance of the media or how the media operates, your education could be built on sinking sand,’’ Luther said.William Dale Harrison, Ph.D. and chairman of the department of communication and journalism at Auburn University, believes that part of the problem with students appreciating the First Amendment is that they are not able to practice their rights in schools. ‘‘Public K-12 schools are among the few public entities where the First Amendment is not in full force, so it is absolutely critical that schools themselves fully apply it,’’ he said, noting that when students learn among censorship, they carry that lesson with them. Harrison offered two suggestions for schools to better teach the First Amendment. First, he said, schools must permit unpopular opinions and encourage ‘‘responsible, open debate.’’ Second, they should work to make certain students are educated about the entire Bill of Rights and have the chance to see how important the First Amendment is to guaranteeing our rights. Opinion is divided on what kind of impact students’ beliefs could have on the future of American journalism. Luther said the two main things that the study points out is that Americans do not know what a country without a free press is like, and that Americans are ignorant of how important a free press is. ‘‘Limiting the press only limits the strength of our democracy,’’ he said. Harrison said the study shows that Americans favor uniformity over freedom. ‘‘Fortunately, journalists value the First Amendment and always will,’’ Harrison said. Gomez said the impact could be positive. ‘'Perhaps we as journalists should re-evaluate the time we spend away from the newsroom and work harder as educators to get through to you young kids,’’ Gomez said. ‘‘One day those students will be running this country. We can only hope that by then they will better understand the freedoms our soldiers die for.’’
Back to Top Page One staff to promote teen papers to journalists Page One WARREN Three current and former Page One members will make a presentation about teen journalism to the Newspaper Association of America Foundation Board of Trustees. The Foundation’s directors selected Badger High School senior Hannah Miller, Howland High School and Kent State University graduate Luis Sanchez, and Tribune Chronicle Assistant Managing Editor Guy C. Coviello to explain to the trustees the importance of teen journalism programs. The trustees include many distinguished executives in the journalism industry. Among them are Washington Post PublisherBoisfeuillet Jones Jr., Arizona Republic Publisher Susan Clark-Johnson, E.W. Scripps Co. Foundation President Judith Clabes, The Poynter Institute President Karen B. Dunlap, Hearst Newspapers President George B. Irish, Orlando Sentinel CEO Kathleen M. Waltz, and Newspaper Association of America CEO John F. Sturm. The NAA Foundation operates programs that promote newspaper use by young people and improve literacy through family and community initiatives, and provides grants to organizations that fulfill these objectives. The Page One contingent will advocate to use more resources on targeting teens. Miller and Sanchez were Youth Editorial Alliance teen fellows. The YEA is an organization of youth editors and other newspaper professionals attempting to increase teen readership and improve youth journalism. YEA holds an annual national conference during which 10 teen fellows, considered to be among the best scholastic journalism students in America, lecture on how newspapers can attract more teen readers. Sanchez said he would not have considered a career in journalism if not for Page One and the YEA fellowship. He has since worked for the Akron Beacon-Journal, Cincinnati Enquirer, Philadephia Inquirer and Atlanta Journal-Constitution before accepting his current position as a photojournalist for the Santa Fe New Mexican. Miller has won 13 regional scholastic press awards and is featured in a newspaper industry video used in journalism and circulation conferences across the nation. Coviello has advised Page One for the past 12 years. In that span the NAA Foundation rated it the best teen journalism program in the country four times. The presentation will take place Sept. 9 in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Herndon, Va.
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