Law and Ethics
Reflection:
Understanding how journalism works at a deeper level is crucial.
Not being familiar with rules and ethical practices can lead to legal troubles and a loss of respect. Being fluent with what to do and what not to do is an important practice to teach all journalists so they can succeed with no repercussions.
Teaching Social Media Ethics
Basketball manager and reporter Tommy Yarrish leads a presentation for basketball players on how to use social media. Yarrish advised the team on how to build individual brands for future recruitment.
Photo courtesy of Bridgeland Basketball
In addition to being a student journalist, I have spent four years as Bridgeland’s boys’ basketball manager. I’ve been able to combine the two by running the team's social media account on gamedays to provide up-to-date coverage. This year, the coaching staff asked me to teach the players about how to use social media effectively. Another point in my presentation was how to be professional during interactions with members of the media in order to not make comments that could potentially harm their careers or prevent them from getting opportunities to play at the next level.
New Voices Texas
To read the staff editorial on New Voices Texas, click on the underlined title.
While attending Texas Association of Journalism Educators conferences every semester, I was able to learn about New Voices Texas, an organization focused on providing student journalists in Texas with press freedom, and specifically trying to “Cure Hazelwood,” in reference to the Hazelwood vs. Kuhlmeier case. I specifically met Neha Madhira, the leader of the campaign, who educated me about the purpose of New Voices and I was automatically intrigued. Madhira impressed me with how much she knew about the subject, since she had gone through censorship issues at her school. We were able to build a relationship off of it, as we both strongly supported the cause.
Since then, I’ve been able to realize how lucky my staff and I are to work at a school with no prior review policies or any sort of censorship. We have a great relationship with the administration. The staff has been able to have conversations about what is published and where the administration draws boundaries.
Bridgeland Student Media’s Editorial Policy
To read the Bridgeland Student Media Editorial Policy, click on the underlined title.
From the beginning, the staff decided it was best to work as a convergent media staff rather than split the program into strictly newspaper and yearbook staffs. While the classes are split, we work together to produce the online news site, magazine, and yearbook. Editors from the publications talk constantly and share the workload to support the adviser and the program as a whole.
As an editorial board, the editors share the weight of deciding the editorial policy for the program. It is important to us to preserve the integrity of a free press by establishing publications as a designated public forum and not operating under prior review.
We do not take lightly the responsibilities to our campus to report accurately and fairly. We have open discussions about how to cover societal issues that might be seen as controversial. Reporting without bias is of the utmost importance for the staff.
Tommy’s Takeaways from Law and Ethics:
Being informed on different court cases that shaped the face of student journalism.
The steps it took to create an editorial policy for an organization.
Learning AP Style and how to use it in writing.