Understanding My Rights
It's always important for journalists to be aware of the rights they are granted under the Freedom of Press, but this year it has become vital for me to know my own rights.
In the wake of my coverage of the local school board election, I came under fire by many community members. I was told I couldn't write about the election during school hours, accused of defamation and even accused of publishing writing that wasn't my own. There were threats of lawsuits and insults to my intelligence. Frankly, I was terrified of the uproar I had caused.
There was nothing I could do to make the controversy and chaos go away, but what I could do was learn as much as possible about my own rights; so I spent hours upon hours researching protections for student journalists in Iowa. I learned about Iowa's Student Free Expression law and other anti-Hazelwood protections, providing me reassurance that my work could not be censored or taken down by anyone's volition but my own. I discovered that sourcing information is confidential and that cases of defamation rely on a claim being provably false. I also consulted with the Student Press Law Center (SPLC)and utilized my resources to ensure that my reporting was solid and lawful.
During this time, I was being threatened with lawsuits if I didn't remove my article from the site, but I knew my rights as a student journalist and held strong, keeping the piece up.
In the wake of my coverage of the local school board election, I came under fire by many community members. I was told I couldn't write about the election during school hours, accused of defamation and even accused of publishing writing that wasn't my own. There were threats of lawsuits and insults to my intelligence. Frankly, I was terrified of the uproar I had caused.
There was nothing I could do to make the controversy and chaos go away, but what I could do was learn as much as possible about my own rights; so I spent hours upon hours researching protections for student journalists in Iowa. I learned about Iowa's Student Free Expression law and other anti-Hazelwood protections, providing me reassurance that my work could not be censored or taken down by anyone's volition but my own. I discovered that sourcing information is confidential and that cases of defamation rely on a claim being provably false. I also consulted with the Student Press Law Center (SPLC)and utilized my resources to ensure that my reporting was solid and lawful.
During this time, I was being threatened with lawsuits if I didn't remove my article from the site, but I knew my rights as a student journalist and held strong, keeping the piece up.
Building Positive Relationships
As a student publication, it is beyond important that the Spartan Shield has a positive relationship with school administrators, and that relationship begins with leaders within the publication. Good journalism is often accompanied by controversy, and it would be easy for the Shield to appear as a liability to the district. I have made a conscious effort to remain in touch with administrators, keeping them in the loop on breaking stories and potential issues, but also making sure they notice all of our incredible accomplishments and the accolades of myself and my staff and understand what an asset we are to the district.
Upholding Ethical Standards
Throughout my work as a journalist, I have held myself to a standard of always remaining unbiased and fair in my writing. I strive to provide people from all perspectives with opportunities to express themselves share their points of view, and I express if someone declined to comment. Additionally, I do my best to balance my quotes, remain neutral and always stick to facts, eliminating opinion and assumption.
As Editor-in-Chief, I hold my staff to the same ethical standards I follow. Often, I request that a piece be published under opinion when I feel an excess of bias has take hold, and I regularly leave comments suggesting more neutral turns of phrase. My staff is required to provide attributions for their information and quotes, hyperlink sources and exclusively use photos either obtained by themselves or from the Creative Commons. In the rare instances when a reporter decides to resort to the Creative Commons, they are required to get permission from me first to make sure that all other options have been considered. The use of AI is becoming more prevalent in journalistic environments by the day, making it increasingly important to be wary. I have made it very clear to my staff that articles written using AI are a serious violation of our standards. On the very rare occasions when a staff member has been caught using technology, the pieces have been removed from the site immediately and the writer received no credit. If I have any doubts whatsoever about a piece's validity, I do not hesitate to put it through an AI-checker to ensure it is truly written by its writer and that the integrity of the Shield is always secure. |
News Literacy
Everyone should stay up-to-date with the news, whether that me global events or the goings-on of their own local community. I personally make efforts to stay informed by listening to podcasts and reading from my favorite sources. My favorites include "The Daily," from The New York Times, NPR's "This American Life," and several podcasts from The New Yorker, including "The Political Scene" and "Critics at Large." For written news, I often peruse The New Yorker, CNN and my local paper, The Quad City Times.