The Kent State School of Journalism is featuring BHSN as a school operating as an open forum for student expression.
Click here to visit North's profile.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
First Amendment Symposium
The Indiana High School Press Association is hosting another First Amendment Symposium at the Indiana Statehouse March 4 from 4 to 7 p.m. There will be several speakers and presentations with updates on First Amendment issues, and the Indiana High School Journalist of the Year and David Adams awards will also be announced.
BHSN Publications will be there, so come join us!
BHSN Publications will be there, so come join us!
Friday, January 25, 2008
First Amendment Forum images
North Central High School Publications Director Tom Gayda
North senior Jeremy Gotwals asks the panel a question
Audience members raise their hands during the Q&A session
IU School of Journalism Association Dean Amy Reynolds
Indiana High School Press Association Executive Director Diana Hadley
Indiana High School Journalism Institute Director Jack Dvorak holding the special First Amendment edition of the North Star
Columbus North High School adviser Kim Green
Interim IU Student Media Director Nancy Comiskey (left) speaking with students
All images by Clark Hadley
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Thank you for our rights
By Elizabeth Munroe
Editor in Chief, the North Star
At Bloomington North, we are incredibly fortunate to have an administration that understands and honors the rights of free press guaranteed by the First Amendment. Our administrators have never tried to subject our publications to prior review nor do they have any plans to do so. Similarly, our adviser steps back and allows the publications to be truly student-run, with the student editors, including myself, making all decisions about content. In fact, our adviser refuses to do anything but give suggestions and only does that upon request.
In this way, student journalists at North are guaranteed the same freedoms of the press offered to professional journalists. This approach provides for an excellent opportunity to grow and learn. Without such an opportunity, I do not believe our paper would have won the Hoosier Star award last year, an award given to the top five high school newspapers in Indiana. Similarly, without such freedoms, our staff members would not win as many Harvey Awards from the Indiana High School Press Association, naming them some of the top writers, photographers and designers in the state.
It is these freedoms that allow students to learn how to practice responsible, ethical journalism. Because the responsibility for the content of the newspaper is ours, we take care in what we choose to publish. When we publish something possibly controversial, we make sure we have good reasons to do so and strong evidence behind the story. For example, in October, we published a story, complete with photos (although not showing faces), about the “dirty dancing” at our school’s Homecoming. The article examined the rules of school dances and the role of chaperones. Many people were upset by the article’s criticism of the Homecoming dance and the photos, but we believed it was an issue that needed to be addressed. We responsibly, however, published all six letters to the editor, even though there were none in support of our decision to publish the article. Had our administration or adviser banned us from publishing this story, the issue of inappropriate dancing would have remained unaddressed. With such constrictions, our paper would not have served one of its most important purposes: acting as a public forum for our school. Not only this, but the student journalists involved in writing and publishing the story would not have learned how to responsibly handle controversy and criticism.
The staff of North publications are sincerely thankful for the guarantees of free press granted to them by our school administrators and adviser. Many schools in the state and the country are not as lucky, so we are truly thankful.
Editor in Chief, the North Star
At Bloomington North, we are incredibly fortunate to have an administration that understands and honors the rights of free press guaranteed by the First Amendment. Our administrators have never tried to subject our publications to prior review nor do they have any plans to do so. Similarly, our adviser steps back and allows the publications to be truly student-run, with the student editors, including myself, making all decisions about content. In fact, our adviser refuses to do anything but give suggestions and only does that upon request.
In this way, student journalists at North are guaranteed the same freedoms of the press offered to professional journalists. This approach provides for an excellent opportunity to grow and learn. Without such an opportunity, I do not believe our paper would have won the Hoosier Star award last year, an award given to the top five high school newspapers in Indiana. Similarly, without such freedoms, our staff members would not win as many Harvey Awards from the Indiana High School Press Association, naming them some of the top writers, photographers and designers in the state.
It is these freedoms that allow students to learn how to practice responsible, ethical journalism. Because the responsibility for the content of the newspaper is ours, we take care in what we choose to publish. When we publish something possibly controversial, we make sure we have good reasons to do so and strong evidence behind the story. For example, in October, we published a story, complete with photos (although not showing faces), about the “dirty dancing” at our school’s Homecoming. The article examined the rules of school dances and the role of chaperones. Many people were upset by the article’s criticism of the Homecoming dance and the photos, but we believed it was an issue that needed to be addressed. We responsibly, however, published all six letters to the editor, even though there were none in support of our decision to publish the article. Had our administration or adviser banned us from publishing this story, the issue of inappropriate dancing would have remained unaddressed. With such constrictions, our paper would not have served one of its most important purposes: acting as a public forum for our school. Not only this, but the student journalists involved in writing and publishing the story would not have learned how to responsibly handle controversy and criticism.
The staff of North publications are sincerely thankful for the guarantees of free press granted to them by our school administrators and adviser. Many schools in the state and the country are not as lucky, so we are truly thankful.
Reflection on the First Amendment special issue
December was a hectic month for the North Star, Bloomington High School North’s news magazine. The North Star comes out every three weeks, on dates set by the editorial staff before the school year begins. However, as we were planning stories and photos for our December issue, set to come out Dec. 14th, our staff had an unusual idea.
Our adviser Ryan Gunterman had planned a First Amendment forum for our school on Dec. 13, where renowned journalism professors and high school advisers from around the state were coming to speak about the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment. Our staff decided it would be a good idea to inform students about the First Amendment and to interest them in the issue before the forum.
So, we got ambitious. We decided to create not a special section in our December issue, but rather an entire, 8-page special issue devoted to First Amendment awareness, to come out before the forum, on Dec. 7. The first four pages of the issue were each devoted to a freedom guaranteed by the First Amendment. These freedoms were illustrated through features stories about the pledge of allegiance, online speech on Facebook and Myspace, recent cases involving freedom of the press and our school corporation’s press policy, and local Right to Life protestors. These stories were followed by a staff editorial, written by myself, and a column emphasizing the importance of First Amendment freedoms. The back page of the issue was a story written in remembrance of David Adams, a student media director at IU who the staff felt deserved to be honored for his work with students and support of the First Amendment. We decided to make the overall design for the issue resemble a manila folder, emphasizing the fact that we were conveying important information to our readers.
Creating this special issue required extra work from everyone on staff, especially the editors. Many people ended up writing one or two more stories than they usually write each month, which around the time of final exams was a lot to ask. Not only this, but the special issue required us to stay after school more than usual. For each issue, our editors stay after school on Monday to finish designs, often not leaving until 7 or 7:30 p.m. Afterward, I take home print-outs of the entire paper and edit it, returning the next day to make changes with the help of my fellow editors. This stressful experience usually only happens once every three weeks. However, with our decision to create the special issue, in December, we had to go through this procedure two Mondays in a row.
The issue was well worth the effort. As a student journalist, I know the importance of the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment and have a deep appreciation for them, ingrained in me since my first day of Introduction to Journalism my freshman year. Therefore, it is appalling to me how little most high school students know about the First Amendment. According to a 2006 Knight Foundation survey, 76 percent of students say that they either don’t know anything about the First Amendment or they take it for granted. This lack of knowledge was obvious at the forum held at our school, where one senior even asked what the First Amendment stated. By producing this special issue and addressing the First Amendment through interesting stories and photos, I believe the North Star did its duty to the students at Bloomington High School North and enlightened them about one of the most important guarantees of freedom in the U.S.
Elizabeth Munroe
Editor in Chief, the North Star
Our adviser Ryan Gunterman had planned a First Amendment forum for our school on Dec. 13, where renowned journalism professors and high school advisers from around the state were coming to speak about the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment. Our staff decided it would be a good idea to inform students about the First Amendment and to interest them in the issue before the forum.
So, we got ambitious. We decided to create not a special section in our December issue, but rather an entire, 8-page special issue devoted to First Amendment awareness, to come out before the forum, on Dec. 7. The first four pages of the issue were each devoted to a freedom guaranteed by the First Amendment. These freedoms were illustrated through features stories about the pledge of allegiance, online speech on Facebook and Myspace, recent cases involving freedom of the press and our school corporation’s press policy, and local Right to Life protestors. These stories were followed by a staff editorial, written by myself, and a column emphasizing the importance of First Amendment freedoms. The back page of the issue was a story written in remembrance of David Adams, a student media director at IU who the staff felt deserved to be honored for his work with students and support of the First Amendment. We decided to make the overall design for the issue resemble a manila folder, emphasizing the fact that we were conveying important information to our readers.
Creating this special issue required extra work from everyone on staff, especially the editors. Many people ended up writing one or two more stories than they usually write each month, which around the time of final exams was a lot to ask. Not only this, but the special issue required us to stay after school more than usual. For each issue, our editors stay after school on Monday to finish designs, often not leaving until 7 or 7:30 p.m. Afterward, I take home print-outs of the entire paper and edit it, returning the next day to make changes with the help of my fellow editors. This stressful experience usually only happens once every three weeks. However, with our decision to create the special issue, in December, we had to go through this procedure two Mondays in a row.
The issue was well worth the effort. As a student journalist, I know the importance of the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment and have a deep appreciation for them, ingrained in me since my first day of Introduction to Journalism my freshman year. Therefore, it is appalling to me how little most high school students know about the First Amendment. According to a 2006 Knight Foundation survey, 76 percent of students say that they either don’t know anything about the First Amendment or they take it for granted. This lack of knowledge was obvious at the forum held at our school, where one senior even asked what the First Amendment stated. By producing this special issue and addressing the First Amendment through interesting stories and photos, I believe the North Star did its duty to the students at Bloomington High School North and enlightened them about one of the most important guarantees of freedom in the U.S.
Elizabeth Munroe
Editor in Chief, the North Star
Friday, January 18, 2008
Revealing Anonymous Sources: A violation of the First Amendment
By Scarlett Heydt
Voices editor
The First Amendment is something that a lot of people either don’t pay attention to or they don’t fully appreciate the liberties it gives people. Probably the most important part of the First Amendment is the guarantee of freedom of expression. There are of course exceptions to this rule. For instance, people are allowed to express themselves, but not in such a way that advocates the overthrow of the government.
However, this brings to light another part of the First Amendment, freedom of the press. In my mind, freedom of expression and freedom of the press are linked. It is necessary for newspapers to have the right to express views and expose injustices without having any sort of penalty.
Unfortunately though, that part of the First Amendment is not always upheld. In the media, there have recently been several cases where journalists have been forced to reveal anonymous sources. To me, this is a violation of two parts of the First Amendment. Journalists should not be persecuted for printing anything, as long as they uphold journalistic ethics and standards. Not to mention, anonymous sources should be granted the right to stay anonymous. Journalists use sources to tell a story. By forcing them to give up their credibility and name these sources, the only alternative being jail, that’s ruining their opportunity to express themselves.
By making journalists reveal anonymous sources, the courts are taking away their First Amendment rights. If this is going to continue, what’s the point of even pretending the First Amendment guarantees basic rights? This shouldn’t even be a question. The First Amendment is first because it’s so important. People, the courts in particular, need to be reminded of this, before First Amendment rights disappear completely.
Recent cases involving anonymous sources:
- In July 2005, Judith Miller, a reporter from the New York Times was sent to jail for not revealing her source in a story which leaked the identity of an undercover CIA operative. She spent eighty-five days in jail and was released on September 9th, 2005.
- In September 2006, Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada were sentenced to eighteen months in jail for not revealing a source. Their source gave them information that helped them write a book that exposed some professional sports players as steroid and /or drug users.
- Josh Wolf, a freelance journalist and blogger, was jailed in August 2006. He refused to submit his entire tape of a free-trade protest that he filmed in July 2005. He was in jail for two-hundred and twenty-six days, the longest any journalist in America has been jailed for protecting sources.
Voices editor
The First Amendment is something that a lot of people either don’t pay attention to or they don’t fully appreciate the liberties it gives people. Probably the most important part of the First Amendment is the guarantee of freedom of expression. There are of course exceptions to this rule. For instance, people are allowed to express themselves, but not in such a way that advocates the overthrow of the government.
However, this brings to light another part of the First Amendment, freedom of the press. In my mind, freedom of expression and freedom of the press are linked. It is necessary for newspapers to have the right to express views and expose injustices without having any sort of penalty.
Unfortunately though, that part of the First Amendment is not always upheld. In the media, there have recently been several cases where journalists have been forced to reveal anonymous sources. To me, this is a violation of two parts of the First Amendment. Journalists should not be persecuted for printing anything, as long as they uphold journalistic ethics and standards. Not to mention, anonymous sources should be granted the right to stay anonymous. Journalists use sources to tell a story. By forcing them to give up their credibility and name these sources, the only alternative being jail, that’s ruining their opportunity to express themselves.
By making journalists reveal anonymous sources, the courts are taking away their First Amendment rights. If this is going to continue, what’s the point of even pretending the First Amendment guarantees basic rights? This shouldn’t even be a question. The First Amendment is first because it’s so important. People, the courts in particular, need to be reminded of this, before First Amendment rights disappear completely.
Recent cases involving anonymous sources:
- In July 2005, Judith Miller, a reporter from the New York Times was sent to jail for not revealing her source in a story which leaked the identity of an undercover CIA operative. She spent eighty-five days in jail and was released on September 9th, 2005.
- In September 2006, Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada were sentenced to eighteen months in jail for not revealing a source. Their source gave them information that helped them write a book that exposed some professional sports players as steroid and /or drug users.
- Josh Wolf, a freelance journalist and blogger, was jailed in August 2006. He refused to submit his entire tape of a free-trade protest that he filmed in July 2005. He was in jail for two-hundred and twenty-six days, the longest any journalist in America has been jailed for protecting sources.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Forum featured on j-school website
The Indiana University School of Journalism website is featuring a story and photos about the Bloomington HS North First Amendment Forum.
The forum consisted of a panel of several journalism school faculty members as well as area journalism advisers and the president of the IU chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. Nearly 200 high school students attended the event with publications students from schools such as Bloomington HS South, Martinsville, and Eastern Greene County joining those from North to discuss the First Amendment and how it applies to their everyday lives.
Click here to view the story.
Images from the event will be uploaded to this blog in the near future.
The forum consisted of a panel of several journalism school faculty members as well as area journalism advisers and the president of the IU chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. Nearly 200 high school students attended the event with publications students from schools such as Bloomington HS South, Martinsville, and Eastern Greene County joining those from North to discuss the First Amendment and how it applies to their everyday lives.
Click here to view the story.
Images from the event will be uploaded to this blog in the near future.
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