Law, Ethics, and News Literacy
Law
Foundations of Journalism
My introduction to the law and ethics of journalism came in my Foundations of Journalism class during my freshman year. Our teacher for the course compiled a slideshow of monumental moments for student journalists and outlined some of the basic ethical practices we would be applying. To my surprise, Iowa was at the forefront of the movement with the Tinker V. Des Moines Independent Community School District supreme court case. There, the idea of students speaking out about their concerns, needs, and perspectives sparked and trailblazed an impactful path for student journalists.
Iowa Student Free Expression Law
At WSS, we take pride in being “Student-led.” Our adviser Sara is an invaluable resource and mentor, but at the end of the day, as a public school publication, the Iowa Student Free Expression Law gives us students the right to report on topics that interest us, comment on controversial news, and publish without the approval of administration. However, with any level of freedom, comes immense responsibility. At WSS, we prioritize education around the ethics of journalism from an early age and following through set processes to produce the most ethical work. I believe that the freedom we are given is empowering, and it is our job to treat that power with respect and utilize it to create change.
From the Student Press Law Center: Iowa is 1 of 16 states that have passed New Voices legislation that protects the First Amendment rights of student journalists.
Ethics
Due to the sensitivity of the topic, writing about drug culture at West High brought up many ethical dilemmas that pushed me to be a more informed journalist. Here are some of the ethical issues that I was confronted with while writing "Epidemic."
Anonymous Sources
In order to legally protect our student sources, they needed to be anonymous. Even before starting to write the article, we had to discuss if this was a risk the publication was willing to take. Sometimes anonymous sources can reduce the credibility of the publication, but as an Editorial board, we decided that the content of the article was extremely relevant to trends at school and that our community could benefit from a deeper understanding of drug culture after the pandemic.
To provide the most anonymity for the sources, we decided to use “anonymous source 1” as identification and forgo the use of any pronouns or slightly identifying information.
Additionally, to increase credibility while maintaining the anonymity of student sources, we got four professional sources to provide outside perspectives.
Creating Trust
The next hurdle was reaching out to and creating trust with sources. We were cautious in approaching sources with a really wide angle, like saying, “Hey, are you interested in sharing your opinions about the drug culture at West?” Understandably, there were lots of rejections and hesitancy, which we had to accept. With sources who had some interest, we made sure to be as clear as possible about who will know their identity for verification purposes, and how we will use their perspective.
Oftentimes, the sources would ask us to show them the article before publication. This is not appropriate because of an NDA. However, we were able to compromise by sending what quotes we were planning to use and talking through any major concerns the source had. Working with these sources ultimately taught me that patience and transparency are key when building trust with a source and following ethical procedures.
Respecting The Content
In addition to respecting our sources’ preferences, I learned that I had to make sure I was treating the terminology and content of drug culture with respect. At the high school level, drug usage can easily turn into a joke, but the point of our article was not to glamorize drug usage, it was to reveal trends and experiences that we are seeing at West.
Additionally, our design was photo-based, and we had to ensure we included an editorial board-approved disclaimer to set the precedent that the models and content of the photos were not related to the sources interviewed.
News Literacy
Inspired by Watergate
In September, I had the opportunity to listen to Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the Watergate scandal journalists, talk about their journey and the current state of journalism. Their drive to dismantle institutions using Journalism was inspiring. Sometimes when it seems uncomfortable to write about a topic, that is the exact moment you need to start. Bob and Carl reminded me that the mindset going into investigative reporting is to always suppose what you are told is true and work tirelessly to prove that it isn’t. The movement of distrust that Watergate created was evident. I love that journalism fuels change.
A True Editor
One of the parts of their interview that resonated with me the most was when both reporters were talking about their editor at the Washington Post, Katharine Graham. Katharine demonstrated that an impactful editor is one who stands by her reporter's side no matter what, takes pride in strong ethics, and provides criticism that pushes everyone to success.
As EIC, it is natural for me to take the lead on navigating ethical concerns that the WSS has. Using resources like our adviser, Sara, the NSPA Code of Ethics, editorial board members, and The Student Press Law Center, I have grown to have a deeper understanding of the importance and nuances of ethics to have a trustworthy publication.