Posted on 12/23/2005 7:03:14 PM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist
COLUMBUS, Ind. -- A school board member wants to tighten control over what student journalists write after Columbus North High School's newspaper published articles about oral sex.
The proposal by Bartholomew County School Board member Russell Barnard would require all material to be approved by the newspaper's sponsor, the high school principal and the district superintendent before it is published.
"The administration needs to have control of what's published with the name of the school appearing on it," Barnard told The Republic for a story published Friday. "Right now it looks like the children are running the school and can do as they please. It's time that the adults run the school."
The four-page report in the Columbus North Triangle early this month discussed oral sex and its medical and psychological risks and featured student interviews on how widespread the practice has become. Principal David Clark said students discussed the project with him before it was published and convinced him the issue was important.
"But at no time, especially with regard to the recent article, have I felt the students were operating some silly high school gag," he said.
Barnard, however, said the piece was vulgar and unsuitable for a school newspaper. He crafted the proposed policy that argues that schools should set standards for speech that may be higher than those in the outside world.
"Public schools are not a public forum, and publications may be restricted to ensure they are compatible with the principal directive, teaching," the policy states.
Barnard has asked for his proposal to be placed on the agenda for the school board's Jan. 9 meeting.
Columbus North journalism advisor Kim Green said she would resign if the policy is adopted, and a student editor said most writers likely would quit.
"I don't do pretend journalism," said Green. "It'll be hard to find good journalism teachers when their expertise is turned over to someone else."
Nikki Shepherd, a senior at North and Triangle tri-editor, said submitting to prior review would be a step backward.
"It wouldn't be our voice anymore. It would be theirs," she said.
While the school board likely has the law on its side, that doesn't mean censorship is a good idea, said Mark Goodman, executive director of Student Press Law Center in Arlington, Va. In many cases, officials could be expected to censor any content they believed made the school "look bad."
"It's a recipe for teaching kids how to practice journalism in China, not the United States," he said.
Columbus is known for its architecture.
ah .... the legacy of BJ Clinton... something to be proud of.
"The four-page report in the Columbus North Triangle early this month discussed oral sex and its medical and psychological risks and featured student interviews on how widespread the practice has become. Principal David Clark said students discussed the project with him before it was published and convinced him the issue was important."
The School Board is like the publisher and is ultimately responsible for the content. The kids would need to go independent of the school to be entitled to select their own content.
But this sounds like a journalistic and reasonable approach that I would expect most high school newspapers to do, it's a shame the board is choosing to crack down.
"Nikki Shepherd, a senior at North and Triangle tri-editor, said submitting to prior review would be a step backward.
"It wouldn't be our voice anymore. It would be theirs," she said."
Start your own frickin' website idiot.
As to...
"While the school board likely has the law on its side, that doesn't mean censorship is a good idea, said Mark Goodman, executive director of Student Press Law Center in Arlington, Va. In many cases, officials could be expected to censor any content they believed made the school "look bad."
"It's a recipe for teaching kids how to practice journalism in China, not the United States," he said."
...I am quite certain if the article had been about anti-abortion groups his key would change instantly.
Hippos.
Don't let the door hit you in the ass.
What! Has this fool not noticed the American MSM is the propaganda wing of the Democrat party. Pleeese...
Sounds good to me
Giant can 'o worms.
The instant the school board shuts down the paper the kids will put up a website the school has not control over -- and I promise you, the school board will not like it. They'll be put in the uncomfortable position of taking students to court.
Send me one. I can't wait to win the lottery anymore.
has anyone seen the ACLU sniffing around this one yet?
"Is there nothing that is inappropriate at the high school level? Apparently not in Columbus North. What's next? The merits and demerits of hooking as as after-school job?"
The debate is whether or not to talk about what is going on.
"Oh, yeah, the kids need to know all they can about Oral Sex./sarc"
They should know that girls are four times more likely to get and STD as to get pregnant and oral sex is now the major way that herpes is transmitted among teens.
Ok, then, some information. But no need to be offering an instruction manual.
"Ok, then, some information. But no need to be offering an instruction manual."
Agreed there is no place for that in a high school newspaper.
It looks like the students wrote a well-reasoned piece and some school board member is using it to grandstand for political gain or an upcoming election.
God made the Idiot for practice, and then He made the School Board. -- Mark Twain
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