Lessons on Student Journalism from a "Bigmouthed troublemaker"

This from David Hawpe at C-J:

Cosmo, spit shines and HB 43

There are a couple of sensible ways for school officials to deal with student journalists who they believe have gotten out of hand.

One is to counsel with them, talk through questionable stories they have published or broadcast, and try to reach some kind of voluntary understanding about future coverage.

Another is to let the dust settle. Give it some time. See what the allegedly offending story produces in the way of reaction or consequences. Then decide whether further action is needed.

The way not to react is to conduct a purge, like some second-rate scholastic dictator -- confiscate undistributed papers and/or archived tapes, fire the student editors and/or their adviser, insist on red pencil review of all future stories and scripts by somebody in the principal's office.

It happens.

And when it happens, it's not much of a lesson in journalistic responsibility for the young folks involved.

That's why the General Assembly should pass House Bill 43, the Kentucky
Student Press Bill, which was introduced by Rep. Brent Yonts, D-Greenville. It
would extend free speech and free press protections to high school
journalists...

Read on for Hawpe's "Cosmo," and "spit shines" stories.