Non-journalists, media literacy is in your hands EDITORIAL

Sunshine Week, from March 12-18, and Freedom of Information Day, today, March 16, is an opportunity for everyone to learn about the importance of communities small and large having access to public information.

Last year, Central Michigan Life collaborated with various campus partners to host a week-long string of events, all-related to open government and media transparency. These events offered valuable, necessary information. It was expected that many attendees would be from Central Michigan University’s various, accredited media departments. They were.

What we missed was the non-media students.

Sunshine Week is all about getting the truth across, but when you’re telling that to journalists, you’re often preaching to the choir.

Journalists study this; we live it. This information, really, is for the population that does not know it. The people on the other end of the story, camera, or TV — the consumers.

Non-journalists are the ones that need to learn the ethics and laws of the trade.

This year, we challenge our campus community to let this week be the one that kickstarts your learning about media literacy.

Think you know it already? Check again. Does a journalist have the right to cover a public event? Yes. Does a photojournalist have the right to publish a photo of a person at a public event, even without their permission? Yes.

Does a newsroom have the right to deny a request to remove a photo/video/story? Yes.

Does the newsroom have the right to publish, verbatim, what is said in a recorded interview? Yes.

These answers may come to you as common knowledge or as a shock. Regardless, they are questions we routinely answer.

Central Michigan Life is an independent, student-run campus newsroom. What does that mean?

• Independent: We are not affiliated with CMU.

• Student-run: Our newsroom is made up solely of students. There are three staff positions (director of student