At an almost alarming rate, students these days are unable to determine news writing from opinion writing. In my two Journalism I classes, I conducted a pre-assessment experiment where students evaluated a news article and opinion article from the local newspaper. I asked students to read both pieces, underline the facts and opinions in each article and then decide which piece was from the news section and which piece was from the opinion section. Students were able to accurately identify facts...
One of the most exciting aspects of weaving media literacy instruction into the classroom is the rich source material that we are able to glean from news and entertainment media, pop culture and social media. It can also feel overwhelming to try to keep our instruction on pace. When Beyoncé dropped “Formation” on Feb. 6, 2016, and the next day gave a Black Panther-inspired performance during the Super Bowl halftime show, there was backlash on social media and from political pundits. I quickly...
Fake news. Bias. Alternative facts. Journalism is under attack, and our students certainly feel the apathy that results in this constant cycle of distrust. For students who might be interested in journalism, the job market seems dubious and there’s been increasing vitriol about mainstream news outlets being “fake news.” These realities and fictions affect morale about the field, to be certain, but larger trends in education also threaten the ways in which young people could and should be encouraged...
SchoolJournalism.org’s third annual First Amendment Matters PSA contest had many great entries. Choosing a winner was not an easy task. Entries needed to follow the contest specifications that included, but was not limited to: following copyright laws, using original content, meeting the time requirement, and fully addressing the First Amendment. Entries went through three rounds of judging and now the results are in and our sponsors are excited to honor the winners. Prize sponsors include: East Central College, Union, Mo., Journalism Program Academy of Scholastic Broadcasting Meek School of Journalism and New Media at the University of Mississippi, University, Miss. Missouri...
Is this even possible or applicable for every teacher? This is the first question that pops in my head as a I begin to write this article. As I enter my fifth year of teaching, I feel I have largely been able to create this separation in my life, but when I typically leave my classroom at 4 p.m., I look at the teachers’ vehicles still sitting in the parking lot, the teachers who will be here late into the evening for practices and meetings– well past a normal dinner hour with family. I think of the countless journalism teachers I have met who have mentioned many late hours with their students on top of the countless grading they regularly find themselves consumed by. I do not have to...
New Voices legislation expanded again with more states introducing bills this legislative session. After North Dakota passed the John Wall New Voices Act in 2015, the movement grew. This year, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin all introduced New Voices bills in the legislature. There has been positive movement on some of those bills. “The state I’m most excited about is the littlest, Rhode Island, because their law is the broadest in America,” senior legal fellow at the Student Press Law Center Frank LoMonte said. “Rhode Island was willing to extend legal protection...
Multiple surveys and studies have shown that Americans remain unaware of the five freedoms the First Amendment guarantees. When more Americans can name characters from an...
MIPA is a state organization working in association with the Missouri School of Journalism; Journalism Educators Association, JEA; and the National Scholastic Press Association,...
January 14, 2017
