Arm yourselves with a defense

In light of recent attempts by schools boards and administrations in Illinois to challenge the teaching done by our IJEA advisers and in light of the 40th-anniversary of the Tinker decision, IJEA wants you to spread the word about the value of journalism education and the good work of its teachers and advisers. There simply is no better time!

The first is a letter from the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication (ASJMC), which believes strongly in the value of scholastic media and urges high schools to encourage and support these programs nationwide. 

In a recent letter to school administrators across the U.S., ASJMC President Judy Turk described investing in scholastic media as “investing in a better world.”

“In schools with strong scholastic journalism programs,” she said, “students learn how a free and responsible press can improve their school communities by informing, entertaining and influencing their audience. Students who work on high school media learn to think critically, research topics, conduct interviews, write clearly for an audience and work together as a team.” Click here for a copy the letter.

The second is a statement written by the Student Press Law Center’s former director, Mark Goodman, now the Knight Chair of Scholastic Journalism at Kent (Ohio) State University on the anniversary of the famous Tinker armband case. In it, Goodman passionately defends the work of scholastic journalists. Read it … and share it! Click here for the blog.