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Resources from the Foundation make it easier to do your job.

By Sandy Woodcock

First Published: Fall 2007

Over the last few years, the Foundation has made great strides in developing resources that teachers, youth editors and NIE professionals can use or share with client groups.

We have continued to embrace that tradition in 2007, and this fall, you will find a number of new products.

We have maintained our partnership with the Student Press Law Center, and in September we added two PowerPoint presentations – “Press Freedom” and “Reporter’s Privilege” – to the five developed last year. The newest are about 45 minutes long, and like their predecessors, come free of charge and with teacher’s presentation notes.

“Press Freedom” covers the press rights of high school journalists afforded through court decisions and state laws.

“Reporter’s Privilege” introduces students to a hot topic: confidential sources. It addresses situations ranging from when reporters should be allowed to keep unpublished notes secret to when it is appropriate to use confidential sources. 

The Foundation also has partnered with the SPLC on a series of monthly podcasts offering updates on conflicts and controversies affecting legal rights of student media. Generally posted on the last day of the month, they run about eight minutes. Visit www.splc.org for details on how to download the podcast files.

The August podcast focused on what the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in the Morse v. Frederick “Bong Hits 4 Jesus” case means for student journalists, while the September podcast dealt with understanding state student free expression laws, in particular ones recently passed in Oregon and Illinois. 

These podcasts provide great springboards for local commentary or coverage on student press rights. They also can help students on your youth staff, in your school and in your readership market understand and appreciate their First Amendment rights.

As reported in this issue’s cover story, Foundation research shows that teens who use newspapers for schoolwork and read newspaper youth content are more likely to volunteer, vote and engage in civic expression as adults. Research from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation indicates that students involved in high school media programs are more likely to understand and appreciate the First Amendment. 

For these reasons and more, the Foundation is proud to do its part in developing newspaper-reading, civically engaged adults who appreciate the First Amendment by awarding the annual Student/Newspaper Partnership Grants. The 2007 recipients are:

The Barrow County News and Winder-Barrow High School, Winder, Ga.; USA Today and Robert E. Lee High School, Springfield, Va.; USA Today and Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy, Washington, D.C.; USA Today and Friendship Collegiate Academy, Washington, D.C. …

California Newspapers Partnership North and College Prep Architecture Academy High School, Oakland; California Newspapers Partnership North and Mandela High School, Oakland; California Newspapers Partnership North and Leadership High School, Oakland …

Ulster County Townsman, Woodstock, N.Y., and Onteora High School, Boiceville, N.Y.; The Waterbury (Conn.) Observer and Waterbury Youth Services Inc.; The Rogersville Review and Cherokee High School, Rogersville, Tenn. …

Bonners Ferry Herald and Boundary County Middle School, Bonners Ferry, Idaho; Los Angeles Times and Manual Arts High School, Los Angeles; Sedalia Democrat and Smith-Cotton High School, Sedalia, Mo.; and The Honolulu Advertiser and Kalaheo High School, Kailua, Hawaii.

NAA Foundation Director Sandy Woodcock can be reached at 571.366.1008 or sandy.woodcock@naa.org.