Manuals: PoliciesLaw and Ethics Module

Define the following words:

Truth

Reliability

Patriot

Pair with another student

Compare your definitions with your neighbor’s.

Whose definitions are correct?

These terms have many interpretations.

It’s important to pay attention to wording.

The goal of today:

We will examine policies and create one of our own.

Why wording matters:

Form a group of four.

For the following statements, identify any problematic wording and explain why.

What if this were your policy?

1. Students will make all final decisions with assistance from faculty adviser.

What if this were your policy?

1. Students will make all final decisions with assistance from faculty adviser

This contradicts the concept of a free student press. It’s a student publication.

What if this were your policy?

2. Student media will publish content only if appropriate for all students. All coverage must conform to the highest journalistic integrity standards. Students must be aware of ethical considerations with its readership.

What if this were your policy?

2. Student media will publish content only if appropriate for all students. All coverage must conform to the highest journalistic integrity standards. Students must be aware of ethical considerations with its readership.

● Who decides what is appropriate?● What are standards of journalistic integrity

and ethical awareness? Who decides?

What if this were your policy?

3. To provide only reliable information and establish an open free forum responsible expression of student opinion. All materials presented will be well-balanced, locally researched and include coverage of issues of broad student interest.

What if this were your policy?

3. To provide only reliable information and establish an open free forum responsible expression of student opinion. All materials presented will be well-balanced, locally researched and include coverage of issues of broad student interest.● What is responsible? Free forum?● Who decides and why? ● What is well balanced?● What does locally researched mean?

Examination

Now, look at your media-level policy.

● Can you identify problematic words/phrasing?

● Is it too verbose?● Does it include forum status?

Or this one?

The student media are designated forums for student expression in which students make all decisions of content without prior review from school officials. The adviser will not act as a censor, but will advise students. Students have the final decision on all content.

Comparison

How does your policy compare to the exemplar?

What questions do you have based on the differences?

Should you change any wording in yours?