Scholastic Journalism 2012 Abstracts
Faculty
Friend or foe? Media advisory boards the norm at four-year schools; Most advisers give high marks for priorities, performance • Lei Xie, Fairfield University; James Simon • This exploratory study seeks to determine how often Media Advisory Boards exist and what factors correlate with a school having such a board. This study, based on a national survey of members of the College Media Advisers organization (N = 157), is designed to provide baseline data on such questions as how boards differ in title and size, what characteristics of a school help explain differences in the composition of a board, and what are the most common functions of a board.
Framing “BONG HiTS 4 JESUS”: A content analysis of local newspapers’ coverage of the Supreme Court’s decision in Morse v. Frederick • Karla Kennedy, University of Oregon • This study examines the effect of the Supreme Court’s decision in the student speech case, Morse v. Frederick (2007) also known as “Bong Hits 4 Jesus.” Newspaper articles were content analyzed utilizing framing theory. Results indicated that the media framed the case to be more about illegal drug usage than student free speech.
The State of Scholastic Journalism in South Dakota: A Microcosm of Changes Across the Country • Chuck Baldwin; Lyle Olson, South Dakota State University • For more than 35 years, problems facing the student press have been dissected so that the primary issues are clear: funding, curriculum pressures, teacher/adviser training, censorship, minority involvement. A 1996 survey found that scholastic journalism in South Dakota is no different from the rest of the country. But since then, financial pressures have increased, curriculum changes have been mandated, in part, by the No Child Left Behind Act, and technology has changed the journalism landscape.
Scholastic Journalism Teacher Use of Digital Devices and Social Networking Tools • Bruce Plopper, University of Arkansas at Little Rock; Anne Fleming Conaway • Given adolescents’ ever-increasing use of digital devices, and calls from governmental officials to incorporate more technology into classroom activities, a survey of scholastic journalism advisers in a poor, largely rural state was conducted to determine how they used digital communication devices in their teaching. Results showed lack of funding, lack of teacher experience, and lack of administrative permission suppressed use of several devices, while student-owned devices were used for a variety of journalism-related purposes.
High School Student Publications As Public Relations Tools: What Historical References Say About Such Use/Misuse • Bruce Konkle, University of South Caorlina • Today’s high school publication advisers and staffers primarily prefer to think of student newspapers and yearbooks as journalistic endeavors, not public relations tools covering only positive aspects of a school.
Creating Collegiate Media Opportunities in the Classroom Using Social Media: A Case Study of Experiential Learning • Cindy Royal, Texas State University • Classroom experiential learning projects can extend the benefits of student media to more participants. Social media tools offer efficient and cost effective ways to engage students that allow them to publish their work, promote events and to enhance their professional networks. A case study of one such project is performed to assess the ability to create engaging and productive experiences within journalism curricula.
Educating for Freedom & Responsibility: Lessons from the First Amendment Schools Project • Cynthia Mitchell, Central Washington University • This paper is a case study of the First Amendment Schools project, the most comprehensive and ambitious program ever undertaken to educate K-12 students in how to use and practice their First Amendment freedoms. The lessons learned include that school reform programs need to build in sustainability, provide ways to spread their lessons beyond the schools initially targeted for reform, and build in key measures of accountability.
Of Black Armbands and Pink Boobie Bracelets: Should Pink Be This Year’s Black? • Genelle Belmas, Cal State Fullerton • In 2011 and 2012, federal district courts handed down opposite decisions on the question of whether middle school students should be allowed to wear silicone bracelets emblazoned with “I ♥ Boobies!” One case is now on appeal to a federal appellate court. This paper examines the cases and the precedents and suggests that these bracelets, even though they contain a slang term that some may consider vulgar, should be protected as political or social discourse.
Student
Journalism’s Next Generation? How High School Journalists View the Future of Journalism • Joseph Dennis, University of Georgia; Amy Sindik, Univeristy of Georgia • This study of more than 150 high school journalists shows that they are a highly media literate group that has tremendous respect for traditional print media, but expresses concern over where the industry is heading. This concern is causing many students to avoid majoring in journalism. Even though many propose that journalism will be mostly consumed online and on mobile devices in five years, most students see the traditional print newspaper surviving the digital tide.
Negotiating Identity and High School Journalism: Race, Ethnicity, Gender, Class & Sexuality • Eddie Madison, University of Oregon • The United States is experiencing several dramatic shifts in culture and demography. Nearly 36% of the nation’s population self-identify as minorities; women are now the majority in the workforce; and an increasing number of states are acknowledging same-sex relationships –– yet inequities persist. Against a backdrop of contradictions, members of America’s increasingly diverse student population strive to assert their identities and chart their futures. This qualitative study focuses on Palo Alto High School, which is widely.
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