PARALLELS REAL LIFE ROLES AND ACTIVITIES
The production cycle students go through and the roles they play mirror the job of a professional journalist. So that students
not only feel connected, but actually are connected to the local community, they need real life roles and role models to emulate.
*Students writing news stories benefit from being in contact with a news reporter.
*Students doing layout and design work with people in that field.
*Students visit a newspaper on a regular basis watching their staff meetings and their work flow.
*Students writing reviews benefit from having the same kinds of publicity materials that the professional press has. So these
are ordered on a regular basis.
*Students profit from having the professional press as speakers and mentors.
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LEARNS AND FOLLOWS JOURNALISTIC CODES AND LAWS
Students need to know about the rules governing the press in the United States. It is imperative that they learn these rules in
beginning journalism so they can act and think independently.
In a nutshell, the rules are as follows:
Student newspapers, like the professional press, must censor for articles that are libelous, obscene or incite to riot. While
this might seem simple, in actual fact, it is difficult to make a determination between obscenity and poor taste.
Making sure articles are factual and that the facts are checked is important in avoiding libel. Also, students must be aware of
the different laws governing public people and private people regarding press laws.
Inciting to riot is easy to spot and to prevent. Students must not write articles which are inflammatory or specify ways to
meet and destroy property or the functioning of the school or community.
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RESPONDS TO AND INFLUENCES MULTIPLE AUDIENCES
The student newspaper is geared to a variety of audiences, but primarily to one audience: students.
Students get feedback from their peers regarding content and writing. This feedback is primarily informal as the student body
reads the paper and everyone talks about the articles.
Students in the program also critique the newspaper for several days after it is published. Critiquing means that they discuss the
content, the writing, the layout and the positioning of stories.
Faculty Audience
Students get lots of feedback from faculty members especially on the editorial and opinion pieces. Our faculty is supportive in
that they read the paper carefully, sending letters of praise or criticism. While students do not gear the paper to the faculty, they take into consideration that faculty members are avid readers of the
paper.
Parents
Parents, like faculty, are avid readers of the paper and are frequently sending in letters to the editor both complementary and
critical.
Local Community
Community members, unless they are on the subscription list, read the paper intermittently. However, with a circulation of 3500
newspapers, 2000 of which are mailed locally, there is a readership of double that since most newspapers are shared and read by more than one person. The community is supportive in that community members
read the paper, they support the paper with the advertising they take out, and they respond to the students with letters to the editor.
National Community
There are several national communities of high school journalists, the most popular being National Scholastic Press Association,
Columbia Scholatic Press Association and Quill and Scroll. The national community of student journalists is supported by several conferences each year at which students present their work, interact with
other student journalists, discuss issues of significance to them. At the end of each year, there is a critiquing service which high school newspapers may utilize to get an evaluation of their
publication. Student publications are ranked in each organization. This ranking helps students evaluate their work and make necessary changes to improve on their work.
Students also have a national audience via their website.
International Community
While some papers are sent internationally, the majority of international feedback comes on the Internet from the student newspaper's
website. This feedback comes in the form of emails to the website editors and then is shared with all members of the staff.
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MAKES USE OF AND PROVIDES RESOURCES
1. Adults in community
2. Faculty
3. Other newspapers
4. Libraries
5. Periodicals
6. Internet
7. University
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