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
PAGE 4
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.
QUILL AND SCROLL FALL 2018
PAGE 5
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.
QUILL AND SCROLL FALL 2018
PAGE 6
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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PAGE 7
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.
PAGE 8
QUILL AND SCROLL FALL 2018
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.
QUILL AND SCROLL FALL 2018
PAGE 9
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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PAGE 10
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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PAGE 11
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
QUILL AND SCROLL FALL 2018
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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PAGE 13
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
PAGE 14
QUILL AND SCROLL FALL 2018
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;
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The proposal with the best visuals: $100;
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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
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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/.