Last Updated: December 29, 2000
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ASNE
on the move
ASNE begins project to aid high school journalism
ASNE brought much of the scholastic journalism world into the same room
in June and, for two days, brainstormed on how to nurture it.
“We are setting out to create a project that forges new paths and complements
the good work that others are doing,” said ASNE President Richard A. Oppel
at the beginning of the meeting in Atlanta.
Those others include the stars of the scholastic journalism world: Mark
Goodman of the Student Press Law Center, H.L. Hall and Linda Putney of
the Journalism Education Association, Richard Holden of Dow Jones Newspaper
Fund, Richard Johns of the Quill and Scroll Society, Edmund Sullivan of
the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and Lori Harris Keekley of the
National Scholastic Press Association.
With the financial support of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation,
ASNE is setting the following initiatives into motion:
In partnership with up to six accredited college and university journalism
programs, an ASNE Institute will train about 200 high school teachers in
newspaper journalism and First Amendment issues. These teachers will go
back to their schools to students start and/or reinvigorate scholastic
journalism and teach about the role of the press in a democratic society.
ASNE will coordinate partnerships between daily newspapers and a local
school or school district to start or improve the campus newspaper. Application
information will be sent to newspapers and schools this fall.
A new Web site to be launched this fall, www.highschooljournalism.org,
will be aimed at student journalists, teachers, guidance counselors and
editors.
The result of these efforts will be a deeper and more diverse corps
of fledgling journalists and teacher advisers. And students who do not
choose journalism as a career will gain a greater appreciation for the
First Amendment and a free press.
During the gathering’s kick-off segment, student journalists told their
stories and gave some good answers to questions. One, Marina Hennessey
of Avon, Ind., told how she, her journalism adviser and parents fought
to get an explosive story about football team hazing into the school paper.
Leaders of scholastic journalism said a lack of financial and technical
resources, concerns over censorship, lack of training for newspaper advisers,
block scheduling and non-certification of journalism courses are among
the concerns that can stymie student journalism.
As one participant put it, while high school journalism is alive and
kicking, it’s not thriving. ASNE is hoping the high school journalism program
and more interactions between America’s newspaper editors and high school
students will inspire tomorrow’s newsroom leaders.
For more information, contact ASNE Senior Project Director Diana Mitsu
Klos at 703-453-1125 or dmk@asne.org.
