Quill and Scroll Magazine Fall 2018

Page 1

Quill and Scroll THE MAGAZINE FALL 2018

SAVING DEMOCRACY

IOWA'S WATCHING

HOW CAN STUDENT JOURNALISTS HELP? PAGE 4

STUDENTS UNCOVER IMPORTANT STORIES PAGE 9

QUILL & SCROLL Q&A NY TIMES REPORTER NIKOLE HANNAH-JONES PAGE 15


Quill and Scroll The Magazine Volume 93, Issue 1

Contents 04

Director's Column

06

Student Advisory Board

08

SPLC Column

09

Cover Story

12

SPLC Column

15

The Q&S Q&A

19

JEA News

22

Tech Tips

23

TheChisel.com

24

The Back Page

04

Saving Democracy With professional newsrooms being emptied out, students play a vital role in holding elected officials accountable.

Why we do journalism

06

Three members of the Q&S Student Advisory Board weigh in on why they're a part of their school's publications staff.

ON THE COVER IowaWatch.org's High School Journalism Project has allowed students from across the state to participate in and write investigative stories that have been published in newspapers around Iowa.

STORY ON PAGES 9-11

Overcoming obstacles

12

Student Press Law Center Director Hadar Harris sheds light on how students can move ahead despite the hurdles in their paths.

Quill and Scroll is published twice per year by the Quill and Scroll International Honor Society for High School Journalists. Editor and Publisher Jeff Browne, Executive Director Assistant Editors Nichole Shaw Caley Griebenow Business Manager Judy Hauge Inquiries about the magazine should be sent to quill-scroll@uiowa.edu.

The Q&S Q&A

15

New York Times Magazine reporter Nikole HannahJones shares insight on how she made it to the top of the journalism pyramid.



QUILL AND SCROLL FALL 2018

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DIRECTOR'S COLUMN

DEMOCRACY IN THE BALANCE AS PROFESSIONAL NEWSROOMS EMPTY, STUDENT JOURNALISTS FILL THE VOID By Jeff Browne, CJE

what they want without proper oversight.

Quill and Scroll Executive Director When I served as the director of student media at After 28 years, plus a few weeks of teaching journalism,

Colorado State University, we did a count of the number

I’ve finally become a Certified Journalism Educator. This

of full-time employees devoted to telling CSU’s story.

comes after passing the CJE exam administered by the

The university had 49 full-time professionals — from PR

Journalism Education Association.

staff to photographers to video editors to web designers and others — to put CSU in the best light possible.

It was a humbling experience, in that I thought it would be relatively easy, but I was lucky to pass.

So you can probably guess what kind of reporters broke the news of President Larry Penley’s corrupt

More importantly, I learned by taking the test that today’s

administration. Yep, student reporters got all the good

journalism educators — your former and current teachers

leaks, followed all the best leads, and wrote all the

and advisers — possess an incredible breadth of

breaking news that finally led CSU’s Board of Governors

knowledge in multiple areas:

to fire Penley and his cronies.

They teach publication design and web design.

More recently, I finished a four-year run as the director of

They teach photography and videography.

CU News Corps, an investigative and explanatory news

They teach photo and video editing.

project at the University of Colorado Boulder. Students

They teach law and ethics.

there published a story outlining how the state incorrectly

They teach marketing, ad sales and public relations.

reported the number of officer-involved shootings. As a

They teach reporting and writing across multiple

result of that story, the Colorado legislature passed a law

platforms.

in 2015 that requires the state to collect accurate data on

They teach this inside language called “AP Style.”

officer-involved shootings.

Then they go back to the classroom and teach it all

THE PITTSBURG SIX AND IOWA WATCH

again the next day. We saw a similar situation play out two years ago in So what else is there for you and your advisers to cram

Pittsburg, Kansas, when the local school board hired a

into another school day?

new high school principal. In the course of doing background research to prepare for writing a profile on the

Saving democracy.

new principal, student journalists at Pittsburg High School came across some confusing biographical points in the

The United States is in a distressing period in our history.

principal’s resume. They included a doctorate from a

Public trust in journalism is at an all-time low. But that

diploma mill and some disturbing performance reviews at

trust is much lower among specific demographics, namely

a previous job.

political conservatives who view the basic journalistic enterprise as biased.

The story came about not because the students had been trained investigators. It came about because they just

Combine that distrust with the emptying of newsrooms in

exercised the regular practice of requesting documents,

small to mid-size, and even to large daily newspapers, and

closely reviewing them, checking and double-checking

you have a coverage gap that leaves politicians in city,

the information and then following up with phone calls to

county and state governments with much freer rein to do

clarify what wasn’t initially clear.


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DIRECTOR'S COLUMN

AS PROFESSIONAL NEWSROOMS EMPTY, STUDENT JOURNALISTS FILL THE VOID As they went deeper into the case, their adviser realized she had a conflict of interest in helping them with the story. So, they reached out to the Kansas Scholastic Press Association and asked its executive director to serve as adviser. Another professor at KU also pitched in.

In Iowa, high school students have worked with a privately funded investigative organization called IowaWatch to do crowdsourced stories about education in the state. Can you start with a simple document request and review, In 2016, a group of students from across Iowa, under the

working initially with administrators to look into school

direction of professional reporters at IowaWatch, looked

policy and practice, before then seeking outside feedback?

into how science teachers at their school taught about

Hadar Harris, the executive director of the Student Press

climate change, if they taught it at all. They learned that

Law Center, looks into the issues facing student

nearly half of Iowa's science teachers taught climate

journalists, and she outlines them for you beginning on

change inconsistently.

page 8.

The next year, the students looked into the mental health

Can you partner with an organization such as IowaWatch

of students, determining that dwindling resources left

so that you can have more of that professional training and

students in need of help without a place to turn for that

connection? See IowaWatch's story on pages 9-11.

help. And in 2018, students reported on pesticide “drift” and its impact on schools in their districts that sit right

Can you develop an informal relationship with a

next to corn and soybean fields.

professional reporter or a professional news outlet, and then work with or even just tip off that reporter to stories

Of course, those are all unique situations, and you may

you may not be able to fully report on your own? Read

never be in a position where you uncover malfeasance in

what New York Times Magazine Reporter Nikole

your building or district administration. Yet, even the best

Hannah-Jones has to say about investigative reporting

administrators would rather not release information if they

beginning on page 12.

don’t have to. If you’re in a public school, they have legal obligations to do that. Still, your relationship with your

Do you want to take advantage of Quill and Scroll’s new

administration doesn’t have to be adversarial. Let’s say

partnership with TheChisel.com to propose solutions to

your student journalists want to look into the athletics

community and school problems? Read about that

budget or into administrative salaries. They can approach

collaboration on page 23.

the administration with the idea that they need the administrator’s help in understanding the numbers.

Whatever you choose to do, Quill and Scroll can help.

Good administrators will embrace the opportunity to do

Our student-centered organization is dedicated to the

so. Of course, as we’ve seen just this spring in Prosper,

capital-T “Truth” as our first and enduring guiding

Texas, and in the Shawnee Mission School District in

principle. Read what some Q&S Student Advisory Board

Kansas, bad administrators can react poorly to having

members think about their role as student journalists on

student journalists question administrative policies,

pages 6-7.

practices and decisions. So tread lightly if that’s your situation.

Of course, we support all sorts of journalistic work, but think also about that first function of the Fourth Estate —

Are you ready?

holding our elected and appointed officials responsible for what they do and the decisions they make.

If so, I encourage you to dip your toe into some explanatory journalism, if not full-on investigative

So, yeah. Add “Saving Democracy” to your list of things

journalism at your school. It could take several forms, and

to do this year.

it’s not likely that everybody will be interested in or capable of doing such work.

No biggie.


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STUDENT VOICES

WHY THE FUTURE IS OURS TO MOLD A FEW HUNDRED WORDS FROM MEMBERS OF QUILL AND SCROLL'S STUDENT ADVISORY BOARD By Bronlyn Holland

We are here to dig deeper into stories and seek truth. We

Ola High School (Georgia)

are here to keep the courage and integrity of the press positive.

Recently, it has become commonplace for individuals to demonize journalists for the way we do our jobs — for doing investigative work, using anonymous sources and even for choosing journalism as a career.

We’re not immune to criticism as high school journalists. But let’s be perfectly clear: America isn’t free without the work we do. America needs journalists. Most importantly, America needs scholastic journalists.

Scholastic journalism is important because student publications give the youth of America a platform to speak out and investigate deeper into stories that need better coverage. Student journalists do not need to stand in the shadows and cower behind the oppression of what other journalists have faced.

One only has to look at President Trump’s Twitter history to see something disparaging about the nature of the press, about whom they offended and about how they twisted a story to a biased perspective. It is not a journalist’s job, however, to make sure everyone’s feelings are okay. Without strong scholastic journalism programs, we risk an entire generation of citizens who will not understand or appreciate the work of a free press. Yes, controversial topics rise to the surface, but that is the “classroom” for student journalists. They need to learn how to broadcast their voices in a way their message will get across.

These journalists can not be told “no” in fear of the repercussions of a story. Our job is to report.

We, as high school journalists, are the ones who students will come to when something is happening at the school or in the community. Yes, there are city publications, but they are not living their day-to-day lives at our school and hearing the conversations between administrators, teachers and students.

Bronlyn continues on page 7


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BRONLYN HOLLAND

STUDENT VOICES

Publication leaders on editorial boards and advisory boards know how to help others and coach them along.

Student journalists are more than photographers and

We know how to treat each other with respect.

writers. We are everything in between: storytellers, watchdogs, representatives, citizens, students and more.

We know when to stand our ground and how to approach

These roles compose scholastic journalism.

delicate situations. We are more than a flipbook with questions and a camera around our neck. We are here for

The leadership and technical skills scholastic journalists

the emotion —every smile and every tear.

obtain during their high school career is outstanding. These skills transpose students into more mature

This is our job and this is who we are.

individuals, independent thinkers and skillful leaders in the newsroom and community alike.

#AmericaNeedsJournalists

MORE STUDENTS NEED FREEDOM FROM CENSORSHIP By Jack Rintoul Kirkwood High School (Missouri)

Student journalism is in danger, and it's our job to fix it.

Fourteen states now have anti-censorship laws, but the lasting effects of Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier impact student publications around the country. That’s a problem.

Student journalists have an important job: to investigate problems, to expose issues and to challenge the district to make sure the needs of students are a priority. With administrative prior review, that job cannot be done. Prior restraint law constricts the platform for students to share their honest opinions and allows the district to pass new policies without review.

One of student journalism’s biggest successes is its ability

administrators and state legislatures that student

to teach students skills they can actualize as a career.

journalists can handle this responsibility. When working

Skills like writing, designing, leadership and working as a

on sensitive subjects, go the extra mile when reporting

team are invaluable when students move past their

and share opinions from all sides. Cover subjects that

secondary education. However, journalism classes lose

matter. Don't just write something for the sake of being

that edge when stories are looked over before print and

controversial.

administrators censor controversial articles. If change is going to happen, it must start with us. We can With the current political climate and distrust of the

create a country without censorship, and once our high

media, teaching honest and real journalism in high schools

schools are teaching truth-seeking, unbiased journalism,

and colleges is increasingly important and cannot be done

we can improve our national media for the better.

without students having the same rights as professional journalists. But with state senators who don’t care and

I am so lucky to go to a school that doesn’t limit my

power-hungry school board members, attempting

voice. The ability to delve into topics that might make the

to ensure editorial independence feels near impossible.

school board uncomfortable is what journalism is all about. My hope is that one day in the future, with the

That’s where students come into play. I urge publications

passing of laws like these, every student can experience

to work together and write to their local senators about

the same rights in their school, as I do.

creating and passing a “New Voices Act” to join the nationwide movement against prior review. We not

With the right work ethic, students now can ensure the

only need to let senators know; we need to demonstrate to

value and importance of student journalism later.


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STUDENT VOICES

HS NEWSROOMS ARE DEMOCRACY'S PERFECT LABORATORIES By Emily Hood Francis Howell North High School (Missouri)

Student journalism has had a strong presence in Missouri schools over the past 30 years. At Francis Howell North, we are fortunate to have a supportive adviser and administration that have provided us with the opportunity to tell many meaningful stories to our school community. After a student at our school passed away from a heroin overdose in 2016, our in-depth section of the newspaper profiled the heroin epidemic in Missouri and efforts by the community to help those in need. Because we are lucky to receive First Amendment rights at our school, we were able to provide important material to a grieving

topics. Teenagers with substance abuse issues could get

community looking to make change.

help because of stories in their high school's publication.

A high school newsroom is the ideal place for aspiring

Censorship not only prevents information from getting to

journalists to learn the ethical values of journalism and get

the school community, it also stops journalists from

the chance to make an impact in their communities.

checking those in power. A great example of journalists

Freedom of the press allows students to explore and share

checking power is the Pittsburg Six reporting team from

important stories.

Pittsburg, Kansas. Through their research, the six staff members discovered their new principal had lied about her

However, in 1988, student journalists were denied full

credentials when applying for the position. Their

protection under the First Amendment after the Supreme

discoveries forced the school board to hire a new

Court decision of Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier. This decision

principal. If those students had not been granted First

allows school principals and administration broad power

Amendment protection through state legislation and had to

to censor high school publications and restrict what is

go through a prior review process, it is not likely the

published to the student body.

principal would have allowed the story to be published. Because the students knew their power as journalists, they

Even in states where legislation overrides Hazelwood,

felt confident in their ability to investigate and report.

many administrators still use censorship powers illegally on their school publications.

The responsibility to cover sensitive topics can be a daunting task for a 17-year-old. The ability to quickly

It is essential journalism students are thoroughly trained to

make tough decisions is developed with age. However,

provide a full perspective on issues and events. Student

editorial policies for a publication allow for a guideline to

journalists need full First Amendment protections in order

follow in tricky situations. They outline specific

to accurately and fully report stories that range from

procedures journalists must follow to protect all parties

depression to the firing of faculty and coaches.

involved in a story. Editorial policies can help ease the worries of administrators and state legislatures. The

High school journalists are in a unique position to connect

decisions made by editorial boards can be based on

with their peers. They are able to share controversial

guidelines rather than emotion. Editorial policies help

issues that affect teens on a daily basis. Under the

journalists use their First Amendment rights responsibly.

Hazelwood precedent, a student could discover that classmates are suffering from drug abuse issues. They

Without First Amendment rights, student journalists are

could want to write an investigative piece on the effects of

not able to do their jobs effectively and cannot provide

drug abuse in their communities and resources available to

their community with vital information about the issues

those who need help. An administrator in many states

they face. In a time where the media is constantly

could legally prevent this piece from being published

scrutinized in the public eye, the importance of creating

purely because they fear the idea of bringing up drug

well-rounded, ethical and objective journalists is growing

addiction in the first place.

every day. Work created in the high school newsroom can build a foundation of high quality reporting by students

Because of censorship powers given to principals, many

that can carry over into strong journalism careers for years

high school publications don't attempt to cover tough

to come.


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STUDENT VOICES

IowaWatch high school journalist Fenna Sempken appears on KXIC radio.

IOWA STUDENTS KEEP "WATCH" SCHOOLS PAIR WITH A PROFESSIONAL INVESTIGATIVE TEAM TO PROVIDE STORIES ABOUT THEIR SCHOOLS AND STATE By Nichole Shaw

So, the three young journalists asked themselves: “Is this

Quill and Scroll

true at every school in Iowa? Are students getting the truth from their teachers about climate change?”

About two years ago, Iowa high school journalists Sarah Stortz, Olivia Fabos Martin and Tana Gam-ad started

Supported by mentorship and the resources of IowaWatch,

noticing inconsistencies in how their teachers at Cedar

they embarked on an investigative project to uncover the

Falls High School taught climate change.

dirty truth about the teaching of climate change across the state. What resulted was not only an intriguing story about

Relatively half the teachers at their school taught climate

inconsistencies in education, but a statewide initiative

change as a theory. The other half taught it as scientific

called the High School Journalism Project.

fact. Continued on Page 10


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STUDENT VOICES

IOWA STORIES FOCUS ON SCIENCE IowaWatch Executive Director and Editor Lyle Muller

The challenges she and her co-workers faced were

had reached out to Cedar Falls High School earlier in 2016

difficult and exhaustive, but with the mentorship of Muller

in hopes of expanding their reach to high school students,

and Brian Winkle, the journalism advisor for Cedar Falls

giving them the opportunity to ponder what they were

High School, they learned to go beneath the surface of an

interested in writing about professionally.

issue in order to uncover information that the public deserved to know.

“I wanted to prove that high school students can do this,” said Muller. “I wanted to prove that they were capable of

“Instead of just asking what your view on climate change

producing reporting that people would pay attention to,

is, it’s important to ask why do you think this way. Do you

and that high school journalism programs are worthwhile

think there is a mainstream popular belief into this topic?”

and important.”

Stortz said.

Muller created the “High School Journalism Project” to

It is vital for student journalists to understand the

prove high school journalists have the capacity to produce

background of both the issue they’re covering and the

quality investigative work and create a big impact on the

background of the person they are communicating

Iowa community. When the students brought their project

with, Stortz said. This ensures that reporters are getting

idea regarding climate change to Muller, he was ecstatic.

the best information available. When this truth was cemented, Stortz and her peers published their story.

Since that first story in 2016 — which ran in the state’s

The audience response was insane.

largest newspapers as well as the IowaWatch.org website — Muller’s High School Journalism Project has written

“It had a major impact on the Iowa community,” said Lyle

about the state of students’ mental health and the resources

Muller. “It proved that kids were capable of producing

available to students at Iowa high schools, and about the

quality journalism and could create a huge impact on the

dangers of “pesticide drift” to schools when they’re built

community. These high schoolers wrote a story that made

next to corn and soybean fields.

researchers open their eyes.”

But it was that first trio of young women who got it started

Their project led to a resounding call for change in Iowa

back in 2016.

science curriculum across the state. It was a catalyst for Iowa senators to demand developed teaching standards on

With IowaWatch backing their investigative work, the

climate change. University of Northern Iowa professors

journalists avoided the limitations of inadequate funding

and researchers opened their eyes to the problem of

and deprioritization that most high school journalism

inconsistency in climate change curricula and resolutely

programs suffer from. Through a survey, they collected

produced solutions that are used today to improve

data and anecdotal evidence from 133 science teachers

educational standards around the issue.

across 54 public and private Iowa schools. They undertook the intense investigative process and found massive

Science in the Media Director Christopher Martin said he

discrepancies in climate change curricula, leading to a

was impressed by the quality of work being published by

huge gap in student understanding of the environmental

the High School Journalism Project. Science in the Media

phenomenon.

funds IowaWatch through a grant given to them by UNI; however, IowaWatch has complete editorial independence

The skills learned through this experience were paramount

from them — the students use the data accumulated by

to their success now as college journalists.

Science in the Media to delve deeper into investigative work and create their stories.

“I gained the skill set to work well under strict deadlines and pressure,” said Sarah Stortz, then a high school

“It’s rewarding to see high school journalists do excellent

journalist at Cedar Falls High School. Now she works for

reporting that has won them awards,” Martin said. “Their

The Daily Iowan. “It was a good gateway from the high

stories have been good enough to be picked up by large

school realm to college. My time at IowaWatch taught me

news organizations like The Des Moines Register and The

to be considerate in not letting bias get in the way of my

Cedar Rapids Gazette. It’s just a testament to how good

reporting and getting participants to open up to me and

the stories were.”

share their viewpoints.” Continued on Page 11


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STUDENT VOICES

IOWA STORIES FOCUS ON SCIENCE Martin said the lessons these students learn, whether they become journalists or not, are important: to seek the truth, vet it, answer questions readers have and uncover the layers of hard information through journalistic work. An added bonus is seeing your name in print and knowing the story contributes to the high school and the entire state.

“I don’t think we can ever have too much quality journalism,” Martin said. “Journalists are not the enemy. These students learn how to be citizens. They’re engaging with really important issues in their community and state.”

IowaWatch doesn’t limit itself to environmental reporting by high school students. They’ve also covered serious issues like sexual assault prevention on a national angle. Fenna Sempken was the sole reporter for this project and was the first high school intern at IowaWatch in 2016.

Sempken came from Iowa City West High School and was eager to learn the ropes of professional journalism. The sexual assault story was the biggest piece Sempken did for IowaWatch, focusing on the lack of education for sexual assault in high schools and identifying red flags. She interviewed people from 12 states and discovered doing a story of this magnitude and seriousness made it more difficult for people to get back to her. She learned perseverance was paramount to the success of a story.

IowaWatch.org Director Lyle Mueller

Sempken was challenged throughout the entire process of writing this story, from people that didn’t want to speak to such a serious issue, to people that dismissed her because of her age.

The way to fight that marginalization was said best by Stephen Berry, IowaWatch co-founder.

“We look at high school students and think of them as children,” Berry said. “But what we’ve learned is that when you take a young person and give them an adult assignment and responsibility and treat them as an adult, they respond. They will act like adults.”

That treatment worked out for Sempken, and her advice for other high school journalists: “Write investigative pieces.”

It can be scary and intimidating as a high schooler to do the work of college and professional journalists, but the skills you learn are invaluable. Sempken said the journalistic experience improves time management and individual growth, rounding a person out.

Sarah Stortz from Cedar Falls worked on a story with IowaWatch about climate science curricula.


PAGE 12

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SPLC COLUMN

FIVE TRENDS MAKING JOURNALISM TOUGH By Hadar Harris, Executive Director Student Press Law Center

It was the best of times and it was the worst of times to be a student journalist in 2018...

Student-led activist movements have recently brought hundreds of thousands of people to the streets, voicing concerns about safety, security and the future. Commentators laud the Parkland students for their efforts to end gun violence and the young leaders of Black Lives Matter for fighting racial injustice. Less well known, however, is how brave student journalists are in speaking truth to power.

Student newspapers are NOT schools' public relations tools

They are uncovering sexual misconduct, exposing

The job of journalists (including student journalists) is to

corruption and mismanagement in their schools,

report the news – even when the news is not happy or

challenging district policies that remove books or

pretty.

discipline protesters throughout the country and so much more. But just as professional journalists are confronting a

While some administrators call unflattering or difficult

multi-pronged “war on the media,” student journalists are

news reports “fake news,” other administrators are

confronting that and more. The war for them begins

demanding that student journalists promote a version of

with their First Amendment rights being compromised

school events which only focus on the positive – painting

by a bad Supreme Court law and overzealous

a “fake news” reality for their readers. We are seeing a

administrators seeking to censor their work.

growing trend of school administrators treating the student-run newspaper as a de facto public relations

A free press is the backbone of democracy. Well-reported

vehicle for the school. Recently, in Prosper, Texas, a high

investigative work which documents, exposes and

school principal told the student editors that they could not

amplifies stories of public concern fill a critical oversight

publish pieces which were “negative,” censoring several

role which helps to educate the population and shine light

articles and then banning student editorials completely.

on issues of importance. Editorial opinion pieces help to promote discussion and exchange, focusing attention on

At Liberty University in Virginia, the Dean of the School

specific issues of concern.

of Communications recently told the student editors of Liberty Champion at the start of the school year, “Your

Yet today, student journalists, like professional journalists,

job is to keep the LU reputation and the image as it is. …

are facing significant issues which impact their ability to

Don’t destroy the image of LU.”

do their jobs. At the Student Press Law Center, we have been supporting and defending student journalists since

Prior review policies are reemerging where they had been

1974. Through our legal hotline and online resources, we

swept aside, and overt censorship continues to occur.

provide information and guidance on a wide range of

Different states have different laws and standards to

issues facing student journalists – we are also able to

protect the First Amendment rights of student journalists,

monitor and track emerging issues which face student

and much depends on whether it is a public or private

journalists today.

school. But ultimately, student journalists must remain vigilant and remember that their job is to report the news,

As we examine the role of student journalists in 2018, we

not become a PR vehicle for the school.

see a variety of trends which help shape their reporting and amplify their struggles.

Continued on Page 13


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SPLC COLUMN

#MeToo is everywhere and is the hardest story to report As national attention has been drawn to the exposure of incidents of sexual harassment and abuse, student journalists are also challenged to report on these stories.

#MeToo stories are among the most sensitive and difficult stories to report – they involve the most intimate moments that people experience and are often private interactions which need to be responsibly verified.

Since the Harvey Weinstein story broke in October 2017, the Student Press Law Center has seen a huge increase in the number of stories published in student papers related to sexual harassment or abuse. They've also had a significant increase of inquiries from journalists and advisers concerned about the legal and ethical aspects of reporting on #MeToo stories.

Challenges arise not only around whether or not to run the story, but also around how to get access to public records to verify the reporting. Good, solid, verifiable reporting is often the key to these stories, with sensitivity to the victims and fairness to the alleged perpetrators.

Cover protests and walkouts Over the past few years, students have become deeply involved in large scale mobilizations and student journalists have covered those walkouts and protests – sometimes risking discipline from school authorities or putting their personal well-being in jeopardy. In the wake of last year’s gun violence protests and national walk out day, we have seen a student journalist arrested, photojournalist cameras confiscated and stories censored.

For generations, students have protested policies they felt were unjust and have led social movements which have changed the world. Standing up, sitting down, kneeling or walking out has led not only to changes in policy, but changes to the standards by which students are allowed to express their opinions.

surroundings. Among the top recommendations to help avoid confrontations at the outset: wear press credentials

Indeed, 50 years ago, siblings Mary Beth and John Tinker

conspicuously; make sure someone knows where you are;

and their friend, Chris Eckhardt, wore black armbands to

bring cash; back up your cellphone and other electronic

school to conduct a peaceful protest of the Vietnam War.

data; do not escalate confrontations with authorities and

After they were suspended, their case would work its way

more.

up to the US Supreme Court which famously found that “free speech did not stop at the schoolhouse gates.”

Tip sheets are available from the Student Press Law Center or ACLU to be sure you are best protected when

As protests occur, student journalists have the right to

covering a protest or walkout.

cover the proceedings, just as any journalist would. But, it is important to take precautions and to be aware of one's

Continued on Page 14


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AI is here, and you’d better check the copyright

SPLC COLUMN

Against this backdrop, the New Voices movement, a grassroots group of student journalists and allies seeking to pass state-based press freedom protections, continues to gain momentum.

An emerging issue that may not seem relevant to “Saving Democracy” but which is certainly evolving and may have

Thirty years ago, the US Supreme Court decided the

an impact on press freedom, is the influence that AI

Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier case, which gave

(artificial intelligence) and machine learning is having on

public school administrators expansive rights to censor

compliance in the copyright realm.

student publications for “any legitimate pedagogical purpose.”

Over the past several years, there has been a significant increase in automatically generated letters which identify

While there are some narrow exceptions, Hazelwood has

copyright violations based on tags embedded in digital

been used for decades to limit the First Amendment rights

photos which can be tracked when they are reposted.

of student journalists and to enable overzealous

Student newspapers are receiving letters demanding

administrators to censor controversial or unflattering

payment and take-down of photos which violate copyright

reporting.

restrictions. Grassroots groups of student journalists, media advisers, This can be a costly and time-consuming error. As

parents, press associations and other allies have come

tracking of copyrighted work becomes easier, it is

together to fight back against the Hazelwood standard, by

important for student journalists to be extra vigilant in

advocating for the adoption of state-based “New Voices”

ensuring that they are not using copyrighted material

laws (named after the first such legislation, the 2015 John

without permission as the fines and fees could

Wall New Voices Act in North Dakota).

significantly harm the paper.

Stand up for the rights of student journalists: New Voices laws

To date, 14 states have adopted New Voices student press freedom laws or regulations and active campaigns exist throughout the country.

As student journalists and their allies think about the challenges facing them today, we hope that they will find their state’s New Voices Facebook group and get involved

Journalists are generally vigilant about preserving their

to promote basic proactive press freedom protections for

impartiality and do not like to take political stands. Yet,

student journalists.

recent events have pushed journalists from across the country to advocate for their profession, their safety and

Student journalists face many challenges today. As they

their fundamental rights and protections.

maneuver this new reality, with difficult issues to confront and a new difficult atmosphere in which to operate, their

On Aug. 16, 2018, over 380 news outlets across the

work contributes directly to informing the community,

United States published editorials focused on why a free

educating the electorate and building capacity within our

press is important. At least 20 student newspapers

democracy.

participated, despite the fact that the school year was just beginning.

Student journalists should be celebrated, elevated and

thank for the essential service they provide to our

In another stunning act of solidarity, following the tragic

communities and our democracy.

shooting in June at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland, more than 500 organizations and

Hadar Harris is the executive director of the Student Press

individuals joined with the Student Press Law Center to

Law Center. The SPLC is an independent, non-partisan

condemn the enabling environment that led to the

nonprofit organization that works to support and defend

targeting and murder of journalists.

the First Amendment rights of student journalists in the United States. The Student Press Law Center provides free

Journalists are taking extraordinary steps to protect

resources and legal assistance to help student journalists

themselves, stand up for their rights and the integrity of

confront a wide range of issues (including the topics

the profession and remind the public of the importance of

raised here). More information can be found at

good journalism and a free press.

www.splc.org.


PAGE 15

QUILL AND SCROLL FALL 2018

FAIR AND ACCURATE

AN INTERVIEW WITH NIKOLE HANNAH-JONES BY NICHOLE SHAW

THE Q&S Q&A


PAGE 16

QUILL AND SCROLL FALL 2018

THE Q&S Q&A

Quill and Scroll journalist Nichole Shaw interviews

Probably not. When you’re a black journalist, you’re

New York Times Magazine reporter Nikole Hannah-

often writing about institutions that don’t believe you

Jones about being an investigative reporter, the

have the right to exist or the right to be a full citizen,

influences on her journalism and how student

[and Wells challenged those standards]. She was also a

journalists can follow in her footsteps.

feminist, a suffragist, and was one of the first American women to hyphenate her name. She was a

Q&S: Tell me a little bit about your role at the New

career woman, even after she got married and had

York Times Magazine and the key responsibilities

children. So, to think of her doing this, in the years

that you hold there?

right after the end of slavery, is always very inspirational for me. She spoke her mind. I came to be

Nikole: I’m a staff writer with the magazine, and so I

that type of person as well.

basically write probably two big pieces a year, and sometimes smaller things as I choose. And my main

Q&S: What are some ways that you have affected

goal is to do long form—sometimes investigative,

change with the stories that you’ve published on the

sometimes explanatory pieces on what I write. But, I

communities?

mostly write about school segregation these days. Nikole: The things that I write about are probably Q&S: Tell me about your reporting process.

amongst the most deeply internal social problems in our country. With housing segregation and school

Nikole: I wouldn’t say I have a particular process. But,

segregation, I don’t ever expect change.

when I’m getting ready to dive into any story, of course I try to read everything that’s ever been written about it.

I do think my work has led to a significant amount of

And by that, I mean other journalists accounts but also

attention being paid to the issue, both with journalists

any type of research, any type of studies that have been

and with politicians and parents in communities.

written about it. What are the key sources who I need to

There’s a kind of organizing being done around this

speak with? Then, I just work my way through that.

issue now and actually is a topic of conversation while five years ago, it wasn’t.

I tend to take a really long time on pieces, because I do a lot of historical research, sometimes original historical

Has that led to any kind of large-scale system of

research, because history is very important to the work

change for black kids? No. But if one studied history

that I do.

like I do, you also know that change like this doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a long, hard-fought process, and

And you always have people who don’t want to talk to

a key part of that is even forcing people to have that

you. The best thing you can do in that case is be

conversation in the first place; and I think my work has

persistent. I really think it’s important to explain to

done that.

people that I want them to have a voice, that I want what I write to be fair. I want it to be accurate. Because

Q&S: What do you think your personal key to

there’s lots of ways [to get sources to talk to you].

success has been? How have you overcome the obstacles of white, patriarchal dominance in the

Someone may tell you “No” ten times, and on the 11th

newsroom and become successful?

time, that’s when they change their mind. I believe in trying to get people to speak to you on the record all the

Nikole: I think a lot of it is just luck in the universe.

way until you’re publishing.

Everything I could tell you: I was persistent, I worked hard, I believed in myself, I didn’t allow people’s

Q&S: How has legendary investigative journalist

perceptions of me to control what I did and didn’t do. I

Ida B. Wells’ career influenced you?

think all of those things are true for a lot of people who don’t ultimately find success. So, I sell those things,

Nikole: When you are a black woman who wants to do

and I think all those things are important. But in the

investigative reporting, there just aren’t a lot of models.

end, there’s a lot of people who work hard, there are a

I think it’s important for anyone to have images and

lot of people who are persistent, who don’t make it.

examples of people who come from similar circumstances and similar backgrounds doing the things

I think I could have done all of the things that I did,

that they want to do. But what I love about Ida B. Wells

and no one would know my name. When you’re a

is that she was a literal badass. She was fearless, and

person of color, the obstacles clearly are a lot greater,

she was outspoken.

and the people who are in positions to clear your path are a lot fewer. Luckily, I managed to be in the right

And so, people often called her an activist and a

place at the right time. I managed to have certain key

journalist. I think most black journalists’ kind of

people look out for me. But, I’ve realized how tenuous

straddle the line between not feeling that this idea of

that is, which is why it’s so important for me

objective journalism makes sense if you’re black.

personally to try to be that person for other journalists

Should you be objective about lynching?

of color who are coming behind me.


PAGE 18

QUILL AND SCROLL FALL 2018

THE Q&S Q&A

Q&S: How did growing up in Waterloo, Iowa shape

Newsrooms reflect the same racial hierarchies that

your perspective of racial and socioeconomic

every other organization does even though we like to

segregation in education?

think that we don’t.

Nikole: I would say that I grew up on what was

Q&S: Tell us more about the Ida B. Wells Society

considered the black side of my hometown. I grew up

for Investigative Reporting.

in a black neighborhood and started getting bussed to white schools in the second grade.

Nikole: I think daily we are changing lives. We have Jazmin [Goodwin] who just became our very first

One thing I always say is I literally saw how inequality

scholarship recipient, who is now going to get her

worked through the windows of my school bus. I saw

graduate degree for free. We have a scholarship at the

how neighborhoods changed, how the number of

City University of New York, a private school in

businesses, the number of grocery stores, the number

journalism. We are now offering a full-ride scholarship

of restaurants, how all of these things changed as you

to be a Society member for a year.

rode the bus from the black side of town to the white side of town.

Q&S: How do you think high school students should prepare themselves for work in the

At the same time, I was surrounded by working class

journalism industry?

black folks who did the most grueling physical labor. I saw how hard people in my community worked, but

Nikole: The best thing high school students, or anyone

that labor wasn’t paying off for better opportunities.

who wants to be a journalist, can do is to consume all

And so, being able to see that so up close, I think very

the journalism that you can. I think that reading and

early on, raised to me an awareness about how

reading voraciously is probably to me the most

inequality works. The explanations that we were given

important thing you can do to be a journalist.

—which was that black folks didn’t want better or black people didn’t work hard—just weren’t true.

And to really develop a sense of skepticism. It’s something that can be sharpened—that kind of lack of

I was aware that when other people tell our stories,

believing everything that you’re told and questioning

they often don’t get it right.

and picking apart things and having a very analytical mind. And that comes from reading and thinking a lot

I realized also very young that racism was not a

about the pieces that you read.

problem of the South, that the North was not better than the South when it came to racial justice and

I mean I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I still

equality; I was having to be bussed for integration in

read not just for information, but to really study the

the 1980s in the North.

people who I think are great journalists and great writers.

I think my own life and growing up in this particular place, in a state that didn’t even have that many black

As long as you’re reading and thinking, it’s always a

people, made it very easy for me once I became a

good thing. But also, consuming more traditional

journalist to start writing and seeing the counter

journalism is really important. Read a story and pick it

narratives to what we had always been told.

apart and ask yourself, what would you have done differently? What questions do you have? Where do

Q&S: Growing up as a minority, both in race and

you think the piece fell short?

gender, how did you manage the obstacles you faced as an aspiring investigative journalist?

Q&S: What is the most important thing high school journalists need to be aware of in the beginning of

Nikole: I’m at a point in my career where I don’t face

their journalistic career?

particular obstacles, but I certainly did for most of my career. Black reporters are not seen as investigative

Nikole: I would say it is important for high school

reporters. We are not placed on project teams. We

journalists to understand that there is no such thing as

often are not given the mentorship or the time or the

objectivity, and that when it comes to reporting, the

respect to do long-term, more investigative projects.

only thing that you’re probably objective about are

We often don’t get training opportunities. We don’t get

things for which you know very little about.

the same type of investments. We have to make our own way.

The only thing that I owe is to be fair and to be accurate.

You can go to almost any news organization and look at its project team or investigative team, and they’re

Your job is to be very aware of what those biases are

almost entirely white and male. That’s not because

and make sure that you’re reporting around them.

black journalists don’t have the talent or the drive to do

When we pretend that we have none, then I don’t think

that type of work. We’re just not seen that way.

that leaves us to safeguard our reporting.


NIKOLE HANNAH-JONES:

THE ONLY THING THAT I OWE IS TO BE FAIR AND ACCURATE


PAGE 19

QUILL AND SCROLL FALL 2018

JEA NEWS

JOYS TO THE WORLD

MENTORS STAY FRESH

JEA PRESIDENT ENCOURAGES STUDENTS TO APPLY FOR JOY (JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR)

QUILL AND SCROLL ADVISERS CAN BENEFIT FROM JEA'S MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

By Sarah Nichols

By Patrick Johnson

JEA President

JEA Mentoring Chair

As a student media adviser, I hear all sorts of interesting

We’ve all been there — brand new to a school or district,

things by accident each morning in the newsroom as

hopefully handed a curriculum (or two or three) to get

student journalists trickle in and out to upload photos, post

ready for the first two years of teaching, and, if all goes

stories and socialize before our school day begins. So, I

well, a classroom full of materials and resources.

know firsthand the levels of stress students experience, the extreme work loads they tackle and the balancing acts they

However, that’s not always the case, and that’s especially

manage. Thus, I make it a big priority to teach students

the case in journalism education.

how to say NO. While many schools have in-house mentorship or That means when I push students to say YES, I mean it.

induction programs, oftentimes they aren’t subject specific or there isn’t another journalism teacher in the school to

Taking advantage of the Journalist of the Year (JOY)

serve as that support.

scholarship competition is one of those musts, so I encourage seniors to carve out the time for such a

For new journalism teachers, even in the most ideal cases,

beneficial experience — and I encourage younger students

resources just aren’t there to always maximize success.

to begin planning now in order to take advantage when the time comes to apply.

How do I plan a budget? What do you mean you can’t print that?

Simply put, whatever comes next will be incredibly

What about traveling across the country for a national

selective. From the college admissions process to vying

convention? What even is a national convention?

for internships and breaking into professional

When am I supposed to get you those files? What program

opportunities — in any field — competition is stiff.

do I even use to produce those files?

Having a state and/or national award title gives students a

Who do I talk to get a lesson on copyright?

leg up in any situation.

What’s shutter speed?

Continued on page 20

Continued on page 20


PAGE 20

QUILL AND SCROLL FALL 2018

NICHOLS FROM PAGE 19

JEA NEWS

JOHNSON FROM PAGE 19

And one of the coolest new perks is a partnership with

These are just a few questions that commonly emerge

Quill & Scroll. All state winners who enter the Journalism

from a brand new journalism teacher, and if you are

Education Association’s national competition after

reading them thinking you’ve asked them before or are

winning their state contest will receive a free Q&S

asking them now, then don’t feel as though you are alone.

membership. Instantly becoming part of the Society’s elite membership gives students access to additional resources

While a few journalism teachers are fortunate enough to

and benefits while recognizing their excellent work as

have gone to journalism school or taken some journalism

journalists and supporting their personal and professional

classes, that isn’t always the case; actually, for the

growth.

majority it isn’t the case at all. The majority of Journalism Education Association mentees that is.

State winners entered in the national competition also have the opportunity for networking and recognition at the

JEA offers a program to support teachers in their initial

spring JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism

years of teaching and advising journalism; this program,

Convention before the national awards are announced.

as many of the mentees have noted in the past, is a game

Getting face time with other top-notch journalists can help

changer, lifesaver, and a much needed opportunity. The

validate experiences and develop important new contacts

organization looks to partner these new teachers with

before college.

master journalism educators either in the new teacher’s state or nearby through long-distance partnerships.

Developing an online portfolio — the scholarship competition’s main component — isn’t something to

Why participate? The real question is why not?

throw together at the last minute though. Students who intend to pursue Journalist of the Year, or formally known

The JEA Mentor Program is an opportunity to take risks

as the Sister Rita Jeanne Scholarship, should start now.

and chances, realize that journalism is beyond worthwhile and be a part of a community that just plain “gets it.” If

Carving out the time to showcase your work is worth

you have questions like the ones listed above, or even

every minute, as past participants will assure you. They’ve

more that you’re afraid to ask, then don’t hesitate to email

taken the Journalist of the Year experience with them

me, the JEA Mentor Program chair and request a mentor.

across the globe, from Southern California to Europe,

We’re here to keep you in the journalism classroom and to

from Politifact to Poynter and from the classroom to

make your life in journalism education easier.

the newsroom. Don’t wait. Come be a part of our team so we can help I think their own wise words offer the best perspectives.

Kellen Browning (@kellen_browning) Journalist of the Year 2016 Current gig: full-time intern for the Washington, D.C. bureau of McClatchy, covering Congress for newspapers in Washington state and Idaho, interviewing senators in the hallways and subways of the Capitol.

Words of Wisdom: One of the reasons I decided to enter the Journalist of the Year competition was that I knew even if I didn't win, I'd still have created a pretty comprehensive, lengthy portfolio of my best journalism in high school. It's an easy way to showcase your best work to potential future employers and internship coordinators, and it's also just cool to have a website where you can display all the projects you've worked on. It does take quite a bit of time, and I tend to procrastinate, but it's definitely worth doing now, so that you don't lose track of any strong pieces from high school.

Continued on page 21

you build yours.


PAGE 21

QUILL AND SCROLL FALL 2018

JEA NEWS

SIX TIPS ON APPLYING FOR JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

NICHOLS FROM PAGE 20 Wordpress is easy to use, and the website that I made back in 2016 served as a template for my current site, where I

By Rebecca Pollard, MJE

mostly post my collegiate and professional journalism.

JEA JOY Chair

As for the competition itself — obviously, it was nice to

1. Start early, like now. It is less cumbersome to put

win. It's more than just a cool recognition of your work

together your portfolio the earlier you start. You can

throughout high school; the scholarship money went

dedicate 30 minutes to an hour a week or break it down to

toward paying for college. But, I think the whole process

a few minutes a day to make it manageable with your

is beneficial, win or lose, because of the connections you

schedule. Starting early helps you gather ideas of what you

make. I met several other state winners, talk frequently

need to work on moving forward. For example, the

with some of the other national journalists of the year and

leadership category would make for some great examples

am close friends with another journalist who I competed

if you have something to go off of. When you are working

against in the California contest back in 2016.

with a staff member, coach them on their writing by planning ahead with screenshots of your editing

JOY is also a good opportunity to sift through your best

and photos or a video of you coaching that staff member.

work samples, which is something you have to do a lot when applying for internships during college. And

2. Study what others have done to gather ideas. We have

establishing connections with people from whom you're

created a resource on the JEA website to help with this.

requesting letters of recommendation is important as well,

It's inspiring to see how others have showcased their work.

because you'll be going back to those people — again, for

internship apps.

3. Get your state's contest details ASAP. Every state has a different deadline and expectations for its contest, which

Megan Fromm (@megfromm)

is where this all begins. You must win your state's contest

Colorado Journalist of the Year 2002

first before you can enter the national contest.

Current gig: high school journalism teacher and student media adviser (Grand Junction, Colo.)

4. Contact adults you want to write letters of rec early. Give them at least two weeks notice to create your letter; I

Words of Wisdom: Participating in the JOY contest was

suggest giving them even more time. Those letters are

both inspiring and humbling. The process allowed me to

definitely used by the judges to really understand you as

think through my own skills and contributions as a

an individual. Coach your recommender on what you

journalist, and then also to evaluate where I could push

need/want; don't just ask for a letter and say thank you

myself to grow. While the contest was admittedly very

when they accept. Help them understand that this contest

different back then, I have continued to feel a tremendous

is competitive, and you want to stand out. Encourage them

sense of camaraderie and pride for fellow state and

to create a narrative or re-tell a story about you they

national JOY recipients over the years. Winning at the

experienced to illustrate their point.

state level opened many doors for college and in the profession. Because of those connections, I earned

5. Write your essay creatively. Use your journalistic

internships and jobs that to this day were incredibly

skills. Engage the reader; this is your chance to speak

formative in who I am as a journalism educator.

directly to the judges and help them get to know you. Have several people read it and give their feedback. You

I encourage any student thinking about journalism or

have several people at your disposal who are experts at

media careers to pursue a JOY application. The process

editing: your adviser, editors, English teachers. I would

can really help illuminate a student's strengths and

even give it to someone who is not a journalist and see if

weaknesses, especially for someone who may want to

your story grips them.

pursue media as a career. The application process itself translates easily to career and college-readiness skills.

6. Make sure you include some of your less-than-stellar

Crafting a personal portfolio is grueling, stressful, and

work. It is important to show how you have evolved and

thoughtful work that pushes you in ways typical classwork

how student media has shaped you. While there are

doesn't; but you'll never regret the chance to showcase

photos, designs or stories you created and aren't proud of,

your passion and articulate your own story in a meaningful

include some of it so you can talk about what you learned

way. Winning is secondary to the process of applying.

through those experiences. Your career as a student journalist wasn't all sunshine and puppy dogs. It's

Learn more: http://jea.org/wp/scholarships/

important to show growth in addition to your best work.


QUILL AND SCROLL FALL 2018

PAGE 22

TECH TIPS

WHAT'S THE BEST DIGITAL STRATEGY? STRONG CONTENT GEARED TOWARD A SPECIFIC AUDIENCE Here are a few first steps to setting a strategy:

Know your audience. This sounds simple but it can be tricky, especially in scholastic journalism. The first step in setting a digital strategy is know who you are trying to reach. Online, print limitations (cost, distribution) do not exist. You can reach anyone anywhere. Obviously it makes sense to serve your community, but online your “community” can grow beyond your school. You can report on news that impacts parents, alumni, district employees, peers at other schools or even peers across the globe. Your online audience is different from (and potentially larger than) your print audience.

Test. Test. Test again. Digital is a newer space for everyone, journalists included. It’s where things change and evolve quickly. Digital allows By Erica Hernandez Mobile Producer at CNN

for experimentation. You can try something for a little bit, track the metrics to determine if it was successful and then use that test to inform your strategy moving forward. If you

Digital — this isn't a new concept in journalism. But to many, digital and digital strategy is still a mystifying concept. What does good digital strategy look like? How do I succeed in digital? How does my publication do well digitally with limited resources?

want to try live blogging a school assembly go for it. Maybe you want to try live tweeting a football game. Why not? My biggest piece of advice is track metrics of engagement for all your tests. How many retweets, replies and favorites did those tweets get? What were the pageviews like for your live blog? Keep trying and tracking your metrics until you

All good questions. And I won’t pretend to have the answers to these because the honest truth is: no one does.

feel like you have a better understanding of what works and doesn’t work for your audience.

No one publication is doing everything totally right in the digital space. The industry is still trying to figure out how to get our audiences to pay for content online. What is the value threshold for what people will pay for in digital? What is the best push notification strategy? How to diversify referrals beyond just Facebook. Just last month The New York Times made a pretty big change to their digital strategy in that they removed bylines from their

Content is king. I’ve heard this saying many times before, and I hope we all continue hearing it and saying it for many years to come. Strong content will do well anywhere. So post that long investigation into your school's hiring practices online. See how it does. Good storytelling will shine online just as much as it does in print.

homepage. This may seem like a minor decision to some, but others felt this was a huge shift in how the Times’ brands its journalism and journalists.

Some resources: One of my absolute favorite things to nerd out over is what different publications are doing in the digital space. Nieman

All this is to say there is still a lot to be figured out on digital. So, as student publications, this can be used to your advantage. There is no perfect guidebook to winning digital. It’s a space where mistakes are still being made and people are still learning every single day.

Lab, based out of Harvard University, is a great place to go for news about news. The Nieman Journalism Lab is “an attempt to help journalism figure out its future in an Internet age” according to their website. They have an afternoon newsletter that’s always filled with good reads about people who are innovating and experimenting online.


PAGE 23

QUILL AND SCROLL FALL 2018

THECHISEL.COM

DOES YOUR CHAPTER NEED AN ACTIVITY? QUILL AND SCROLL PARTNERS WITH THECHISEL.COM TO HELP YOU CREATE A BETTER WORLD AND BECOME BETTER JOURNALISTS What's TheChisel.com?

What's in it for you?

Inspired by journalist and statesman Benjamin Franklin,

PRIZES and INTERNSHIPS

TheChisel’s new ChiselLabs is a pan-partisan online

We’re offering to proposal-winning Quill and Scroll

platform where you can post a policy proposal or

chapters Amazon.com gift cards, which you can use to

community initiative. It's an easy-to-use tool to help you --

celebrate your successes or buy supplies for your chapter:

citizens and students alike -- build your own initiatives to get feedback from your peers, members of the public and

The first three chapters to post proposals and add five

TheChisel’s professionals; improve your proposals; garner

substantive comments to others’ proposals earn $100 each;

votes and support; and get your proposals into the hands of

The proposal with the best visuals: $100;

decision-makers.

The proposal with the most votes: $100; The proposal with the best sourcing and documentation:

Join experts from the nation's top think tanks and policy

$100

organizations -- Brookings Institution, American

The best overall proposal: $250; AND

Enterprise Institute, Brady Campaign, NRA, US PIRG,

Two students will be eligible for Summer Internships with

National Taxpayers' Union and others -- who've already

TheChisel.

published on TheChisel.com! What are the guidelines? How does it work?

Proposals must be complete and meaningful to be eligible.

USE THE PLATFORM IN TWO WAYS:

The best proposals will demonstrate multi-stakeholder

1) As Quill and Scroll chapters, you are encouraged to

perspectives, credibility, and rigorous analysis.

create a project that supports your community and the

A chapter may post as many proposals as it wishes.

society’s goals; proposing a solution to a community

At least 10 eligible proposals from Quill and Scroll

problem is a great way to do that.

chapters must be submitted for prizes to be awarded. Together, TheChisel team of policy analysts, writers, and

2) As journalists, you have an ideal opportunity to use

journalists, and Quill and Scroll’s executive director will

ChiselLabs’ online platform to crowdsource, get feedback,

choose the winners.

and revise your ideas. Once you've gone through the publishing and feedback cycle on TheChisel.com, you can

How do we get started?

then start to plan coverage in your publication. Plus,

Check out the great proposals on TheChisel’s website,

TheChisel.com’s fun tools guide you through the process

created by public policy professionals and the public. Use

of creating your own customized, visually-compelling

these as models or inspiration! Maybe you want to start a

proposal and URL, which you can share with the public

recycling program in your high school? Reconstitute your

and on social media.

student government by-laws? Change your school district’s vacation policy? Or, go wider: propose a townwide, statewide, or nationwide initiative!

Visit ChiselLabs.com and start thinking about a problem that needs to be solved. Then start developing a solution and begin doing the research needed for it, whether you choose to approach it as a chapter activity only, or whether you plan to produce journalism around the topic as well.


2019 Writing, Photo and Multimedia Contest Enter your best work published Feb. 1, 2018 to Feb. 1, 2019 Digital entry forms available beginning December 2018 https://quillandscroll.org/writing-photo-multimedia-contest/.


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