We've moved! Find us now at wjea.net/blog

It's been a fun run here at blogspot for this WJEA blog. Unfortunately, Blogger has outlived its usefulness, and we've now moved the blog onto our own server using the wordpress.org software. Check it out at http://wjea.net/blog.

We hope to see you there early and often, and we hope you love the changes as much as we do! And if you want to find something we've written in the past, don't worry -- all of our posts from here appear over there, too.

Everett superintendent stepping down in September

One of the main opponents of student free speech in the state of Washington, Everett School District superintendent Carol Whitehead, is retiring at the end of the summer -- four months ahead of schedule.

Whitehead's free speech legacy includes ...

• Being sued by a pair of students at Everett High School who were unfairly censored;
• Watching a pair of her high schools' newspapers (Everett and Cascade) head underground because of repressive administrative practices;
• Suspending and nearly expelling a student for "working on" one of those underground papers and suspending a journalism teacher for allowing it;
• The tacit endorsement of secret video surveillance on that teacher; and
• The relocation of the journalism teachers at both Everett and Cascade to another school in the district.

Whitehead said she decided to up the time frame of her retirement from January to September because of a recent threat on her life.

Some thoughts on the First Amendment

I ran across a couple of stories on the First Amendment today that I thought might be of interest to you that I'm passing along.

First comes this story from the Chicago Tribune, exploring the possibility that censorship is on the rise in the wake of the firing of a respected adviser in Naperville, Ill. Quoted in the story are former SPLC director Mark Goodman and current SPLC director Frank LoMonte.

"Experts are adamant that losses like (adviser Linda Kane's) reverberate and are much more foreboding. The disagreement that led to Kane's dismissal stemmed from some controversial articles on drug use among students, and experts say her firing is part of a growing trend toward censorship in high schools, a trend that erodes citizenship, even chips away at democracy in important — if almost imperceptible — ways."

That last statement rings especially true for those of who believe student journalism is at the cornerstone of teaching democracy to future citizens — both those who work on publications and those who read them — and is supported by this recent article from the First Amendment Center.

"After 12 years of censorship and regimentation, many high school students will graduate this spring with little or no idea about what it means to be a free, active and engaged citizen in a democracy.

"When they march across the stage to get their diploma, let’s hope someone slips them a copy of the First Amendment — with instructions on how to use it.

"Far too many public school officials are afraid of freedom and avoid anything that looks like democracy. Under the heading of “safety and discipline,” administrators censor student religious and political speech, shut down student newspapers and limit student government to discussions about decorations at the prom.

"Fortunately, a growing number of brave students defy the odds and take seriously what they hear about free speech in civics class."

It reiterates a lot of points many of us have made many times over the years, but it never gets old — especially since this particular piece also ran in the Spokesman-Review. (It's the top link on the Google search — that's the only way to get to an S-R article without a subscription.)

If you're hungry for more information on the Naperville issue, I suggest starting here, then going here and here.

Come hear NBC war correspondent speak

The Washington News Council is sponsoring a special presentation featuring Richard Engel, war correspondent for NBC News, on June 9 at 7 p.m. in The Seattle Times Auditorium and is inviting advisers and students to attend.

The cost is $10, and only about 60 seats remain out of the 100 originally available. Tickets can be reserved by calling 206-262-9793 -- ask for WJEA President Kathy Schrier.

The evening will be moderated by KING 5 anchorman Dennis Bounds, and is scheduled to last two hours.

Everett School District admits spying on journalism teacher

Every time it seems like the actions of the Everett School District can't get any weirder or more outrageous, Superintendent Carol Whitehead proves us wrong.

It turns out that Whitehead's district viewed Kay Powers, the former journalism teacher at Cascade High School, enough of a threat that it set up video surveillance in her classroom -- without her knowledge -- to see if she was helping students produce an underground newspaper.

For her part, Whitehead says she had no knowledge of the cameras when they were installed, but defends the district's actions as legal. The teachers union, of course, disagrees.

Legal or illegal, the words "hostile" and "unsavory" jump to mind.

New WJEA officers announced

The results are in, and it's official: These are your new WJEA officers, who are slated to begin their two-year terms in August -- the beginning of the organization's fiscal year:

• President: Vince DeMiero, Mountlake Terrace HS
• Vice President: Sandra Coyer, Puyallup HS
  
• Secretary: Susan Fergueson-Holihan, Mt. Si HS
• Treasurer: Deb Kalina, Jackson HS
  

DeMiero takes over the top spot after a distinguished 20-year career as adviser of The Hawkeye, in which he won numerous awards, including WJEA Adviser of the Year (twice) and the NSPA "Pioneer" award (the organization's highest recognition for advisers). He's stepping down as adviser of The Hawkeye at the end of this year, but will continue teaching at MTHS and will support new adviser Mark Isakson as adviser emeritus.

Coyer (current secretary) and Fergueson-Holihan (current vice president) essentially flip roles, while Kalina takes over for Lu Flannery, who is stepping down after having been the WJEA treasurer for a very, very long time.

Current president Kathy Schrier will move into both the past president role and the newly created WJEA executive director position.

You can learn more about all of your new officers here.

Tri-City Herald picks up on NAA study

We've already talked here about the Newspaper Association of America study that suggests journalism kids do better academically than non-journalism students. The statistics are nice, but wouldn't it be really cool to put an article from an actual journalist who had determined the statistics to be valid in the hands of skeptical parents or administrators?

Now you can.

Ken Robertson at the Tri-City Herald wrote a nice editorial touting the NAA findings and encouraging parents to put their kids in journalism programs if they really want their students to succeed. Feel free to use it liberally for promotion of your program. I know I will.

Text of Plaschke's keynote available

If you attended the JEA/NSPA spring national convention about two weeks ago, you probably attended LA Times sports columnist Bill Plaschke's keynote speech on Saturday. And if you did, undoubtedly you walked away inspired and emboldened to carry out the mission of great journalism: To tell the stories of those around us.

If you didn't attend the convention, or did but somehow missed the most amazing keynote I've heard in my nine conventions, or you just want to relive the speech again, there's good news: Text of his speech is available at this link. I plan on using it in my class every year from here on out. It captures everything that we should aspire to as journalists and journalism educators.

Here's a preview to whet your whistle, or if you were there, to remind you how awesome it was:

I was a miracle. All because of my words. It was proof that words can take you place you will never imagine.

That can be you. Be that miracle. Your words can make you one. That’s why journalism is still the greatest equalizing business in the world. It doesn’t matter your color or your gender or your bank account or where you live or how you talk. If you can write, you can touch, and if you can touch, we will hire you, because that’s one thing newspapers still do better than anyone else, we can touch and be touched, the morning paper soggy from the milk and the tears.

Be the miracle.

And write the miracles.

Awesome. That's the only word I can think of.

Study confirms journalism kids do better

As journalism educators, we all believe that exposing kids to all of the trappings of journalism -- writing, design, photography, leadership, critical thinking and self management -- is good for their education. But for a long time, very little empirical evidence existed to back up what we all intuitively knew.

No longer. A new 2008 study by the Newspaper Association of America has reaffirmed the findings of a groundbreaking 1987 study that found that students with journalism experience had better grades and standardized college entrance test scores than students without journalism experience.

Just over 31,000 college students were sampled for the study, roughly 20 percent of whom had experience on their high school newspaper and/or yearbook. As in the 1987 study, the journalism students had statistically significant higher scores in the following areas:

• High school overall grade point average
• ACT composite score
• ACT English score
• College freshman English grades
• College freshman grade point average
  

While skeptics might say that students involved in journalism are probably better students to begin with, the study does "show conclusively that journalism experience in high school translates into better college performance in several key areas, such as the ability to express oneself clearly and reason incisively," according the study's executive summary.

According to the study itself:

"If nothing else, we can conclude that high school newspaper or yearbook staff involvement is an excellent outlet for talented, active and involved students. It also gives them a chance to apply their natural leadership abilities while also exercising their critical thinking, designing and writing skills."

Create a motto, win a prize

Roy Peter Clark, writing guru at the Poynter Institute, is conducting a contest: Come up with a six-word motto for journalism.

But time is short. Here are the rules:

1. The motto must be about journalism, but does not have to contain the word journalism.
2. The motto must be exactly six words long, not five, not seven.
3. Multiple entries from the same writer are OK.
4. The deadline for entries is: Friday, April 25, at noon EST.
5. Poynter is free to publish, or not, any entry.

Here's what he came up with in getting the juices flowing:

• Last one out, turn off lights.
• If it doesn't fit, edit it.
• Need more Knight, but less Ridder.
• All the news no longer fits.
• See no evil, write no story.
• Feed the watchdog, euthanize the lapdog.

Think you can do better? E-mail it to Clark by Friday. The winner will receive a free copy of Clark's book, "Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer." I attended a keynote of his at a national convention, and his 50 tools are simple and powerful. Give it a shot.

WJEA members: Don't forget to vote!

If you're a WJEA member, you should have received your ballot for the 2008 WJEA officer election in the mail. There are five candidates running for four positions:

• President: Vince DeMiero, Mountlake Terrace HS
• Vice President: Sandra Coyer, Puyallup HS, and Jeff Nusser, Wenatchee HS
• Secretary: Susan Holihan, Mt. Si HS
• Treasurer: Deb Kalina, Jackson HS

Full candidate information can be found here. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by April 30; you can vote in person at the May board meeting in Kenmore on May 3.

Washington storms California, returns with plenty of hardware

It was a successful weekend for the Washington schools at the annual NSPA/JEA spring national convention in Anaheim, Calif., over the weekend, as seven different publications placed in Best of Show competitions and 94 students came back with individual awards.

The Best of Show competition was highlighted by the first place finish by The Peninsula Outlook in the newspaper of eight pages or less category, led by editor Taylor Buck, the 2008 WJEA Future Journalist of the Year, and adviser Derek Smith.

The other Best of Show placers:

• The Sound, Gig Harbor HS - Seventh Place, Newspapers 1-8 pages
  Arianna Thornton and Catherine Van Zimmerman, editor
  Ehren Gossler, adviser
• The Hawkeye, Mountlake Terrace HS - 10th Place, Newspapers 13-16 pages
  Ji Mun, editor
  Vince DeMiero, adviser
• Viking Vanguard, Puyallup HS - Fourth Place, Newspapers 17+ pages
  Matt Anderson, editor
  Sandra Coyer, adviser
• The Apple Leaf, Wenatchee HS - Fifth Place, Newspapers 17+ pages
  Claire Mueleman, editor
  Jeff Nusser, adviser
• The Academy Times, Charles Wright Academy - Seventh Place, Newsmagazines
  Emily Rome, editor
  Steve Matson, adviser
• WaWa, Wenatchee HS - Eighth Place, Yearbooks 275-324 pages
  Madeleine Warner, editor
  Jeff Nusser, adviser

As for individual awards, the following students earned superior ratings in their contests. Just 6 percent of all entries earned that designation:

• Dallas Welker, Emerald Ridge HS - Newswriting
• Megan Albert, Emerald Ridge HS - Sportswriting
  
• Alex Gratzer, Kentwood HS - Review Writing
• Maria DeMiero, Mountlake Terrace HS - Newsmagazine Layout
• Ji Mun, Mountlake Terrace HS - Advertising
• Kellen Ray, Wenatchee HS - Yearbook Copy/Caption: Sports
• Elise Utterback, Franklin Pierce HS - Yearbook Copy/Caption: Sports
• Laura Livingston, Charles Wright Academy - Yearbook Copy/Caption: Academics
• Katie Wheeler, Deer Park HS - Yearbook Copy/Caption: Academics
• Elsy Pawelak, Gov. John R. Rogers HS - Yearbook Layout: Theme
• Sara Chemodurow, Gov. John R. Rogers HS - Computer Design: Infographics
• Mike Ake, Puyallup HS - Computer Design: Photoshop Art
• Travis King, Peninsula HS - Newspaper Sports Photography
• Cody Gibbons, Wenatchee HS - Two Weeks' Work
• Rebecca Perry, Emerald Ridge HS - Video Commercial/PSA

The full results of the Best of Show can be found here, while the full results of the write-offs can be found here. Congratulations to all the winners!

A challenge from the state of California

Many of you out there have received the free help of the Student Press Law Center at one time or another. WJEA supports this awesome organization with a $500 donation each year, but this year, we've been challenged to raise the bar.

California's state student journalism organization has pledged $2,000 to the SPLC, and is challenging other states, including Washington, to best that figure.

A couple of WJEA members already have pledged support, and we're asking if you'd consider doing the same. If you'd like to make a pledge -- no matter how small -- you can either e-mail WJEA president Kathy Schrier with the amount and she'll send you an invoice, or you can make a direct pledge and donation online via this link.

California is a much bigger state, but wouldn't it be awesome if we could show up to Anaheim with a big check for our important friends at the SPLC?

Workshop opportunity for editorial cartoonists

Just passing this along from the American University Discover the World of Communication Summer Program:

(At the program) students will work with professional editorial cartoonists on how to capture the essence of an issue or event in a single drawing. The course will introduce beginners to world of editorial cartooning, while giving experienced cartoonists a chance to hone their skills. Partial to full tuition scholarships will be available to the top high school editorial cartoonists.

Students wishing to be selected for a partial to full tuition scholarship should send 3 editorial cartoons or drawings, or a paragraph describing his/her interest in learning how to become an editorial cartoonist by May 1 to:

Discover the World of Communication
American University
4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20016

Attn: Sarah Menke-Fish, Assistant Professor and Director

Please include your name, age, high school and home phone number. Winners will be notified no later than May 5, 2008. Check out the website at soc.american.edu/highschool.html for additional courses.

Another successful conference in the books

Thank you to everyone who attended the 2008 WJEA State Conference at Auburn High School on Saturday. The conference was a huge success, as we had more than 350 students and nearly 40 advisers attend.

If you missed out, you can catch up on all of the award winners here. Special congratulations to our major award winners.

STUDENT AWARDS

• Future Journalist of the Year: Taylor Buck, Peninsula HS (Gig Harbor)
• Lu Flannery Outstanding Journalist: Emily Rome, Charles Wright Academy (Tacoma)
• Newspaper Best of Show: JagWire, Emerald Ridge HS (South Hill)
• Newsmagazine Best of Show: The Commoner, Gov. John R. Rogers HS (Puyallup)
• Yearbook Best of Show: The Thunderbolt, Todd Beamer HS (Federal Way)
  

ADVISER AWARDS

• Adviser of the Year: Kay Locey, Gov. John R. Rogers HS (Puyallup)
• Fern Valentine Freedom of Expression Award: Jeff Nusser, Wenatchee HS
• Special Recognition awards: Brian Schraum and Fern Valentine
• Adviser Scholarship awards: Stephanie Keagle, Auburn Mountainview HS (Auburn), and Michelle Hornaday, Edmonds-Woodway HS (Edmonds)

Thanks again to all who participated and attended! And don't forget to mark your calendars for the adviser and student workshops at Central Washington University.

Conference just three days away; presenter lineup finalized

The 2008 WJEA state conference at Auburn High School is now just three days away, and we've finalized the presenter lineup.

If you just can't wait until Saturday to get your presenter program, you can get a sneak peak at this Google spreadsheet. I think it's a tremendous lineup that is going to give all students a wide variety of learning opportunities. This is in addition to the contests in the morning and the keynote by the Seattle P-I's Monica Guzman. Exciting stuff!

Hopefully we'll see you all there.

WJEA state conference deadline just a few days away!

Don't miss out on what is shaping to be one of the very best WJEA state conferences yet.

The event is on March 15 at Auburn High School, and is going to feature write-off competitions, a keynote from Seattle Post-Intelligencer blogger Monica Guzman, presentations by advisers and industry professionals that will give you knowledge you can take with you to make your publication immediately better, and an awards ceremony that will celebrate the accomplishments of student journalists around the state.

Still not convinced? Check out some of the presenters we've got lined up for the day:

• Chris Pirello, podcaster extraordinaire from the University of Washington
• Mike Sando, football writer for ESPN.com
• Brian Schraum, instigator of the student press legislation in Washington and recent graduate of Washington State University
• Kathy Schrier, WJEA president
• Julie Simon, Graphics and Design Editor for the Seattle P-I
• David Montesino, Assistant Managing Editor for Visuals at The News Tribune
• Judith Endejan, lawyer for Graham and Dunn speaking on reporter privilege
• Patrick O'Callahan, chief editorial writer for The News Tribune
• Mike McLaughlin, desk editor at the Seattle P-I
  
• Dan Hardebeck, 2007 WJEA adviser of the year from Timberline HS
• Scott Bush, freelance designer
• Students such as Matt Anderson, editor-in-chief of the Puyallup HS Viking Vanguard, and the editorial board of JagWire newsmagazine at Emerald Ridge HS.
  
• And me! (Jeff Nusser, adviser at Wenatchee HS)

And trust me when I tell you more are on the way. What are you waiting for? Download your registration materials here. Or, if you like, you can do it all online now! Check it out at wjea.net.

WJEA state conference now less than four weeks away

The 2008 WJEA state conference featuring keynote speaker Monica Guzman of the Seattle P-I is now less than four weeks away. You can download registration materials here for a great day of competing and learning on March 15 at Auburn High School.

Find more information at wjea.net.

Indiana in the spotlight again - and not the good kind of spotlight

Some of you might remember the plight of Amy Sorrell and her staff at Woodlan Junior-Senior High School in Indiana last year. Well, another case of censorship has reared its head in that state about 150 miles away in Franklin.

The staff of the Franklin Community High School student newspaper The Electron -- an uncensored open public forum for 25 years -- wrote a series of articles in a two-page spread on safe sex and sexually transmitted diseases. The principal, Craig McCaffrey, disagreed with the way the articles were written and felt there should have been more of an emphasis on abstinence. Now he wants prior review.

You can read all the details over at J-Ideas, which has reprinted an article from the local newspaper on its Web site. (Update: Here is the story from today's Indianapolis Star.) Essentially, the principal would like the ability to censor the publication because he disagreed with the content, something that is not protected even under the Hazelwood decision.

How can you make your voice heard?

If you would like to reach McCaffrey to voice your concerns about his unfounded censorship, you can reach him via e-mail here. If you would like to send a note of support to the adviser of The Electron or her staff, you can reach Carmen Mann-Lynch here. If you would like to contact the Franklin Community School Corporation's school board, you can find all five members' e-mail addresses here.

Reminder: Deadlines loom

Don't forget, there are some deadlines coming up for journalism-related recognitions.

First, the deadline to apply for WJEA scholarships is Friday. Most of the awards require some amount of preparation, so if a student is planning on applying for one, they need to get on it.

Second, the deadline for NSPA Honor Roll applications is Friday as well. Any student who has been on the staff of an NSPA member publication for at least a year and has a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or greater is eligible. Seniors who apply and submit some additional information are eligible for $1,000 scholarships.