Law, Ethics & News Literacy
LAW
At the Al Neuharth Free Spirit Conference, a large emphasis was placed on understanding the freedoms of the First Amendment. During my time at the conference, we learned our rights from where the line is drawn for hate speech and defamation to how professional journalists recognize their First Amendment rights on the job.
At the conference, I also spoke with other student representatives who told me stories of how censorship has affected their school publications. This has made me appreciate even more how Iowa is one of the 17 states protected by the New Voices law.
ETHICS
At JCamp, professional journalist Joie Chen led a session regarding journalism ethics. We discussed scenarios such as "Is it acceptable to send a Black reporter to cover a Ku Klux Klan rally? Is it appropriate for a Palestinian or Israeli journalist to report about the ongoing conflict in Gaza?" Although we didn't all share the same views, I left the discussion with insight and new perspectives.
NEWS LITERACY
As student journalists, developing our news literacy comes with the job. Sara Whittaker, West Side Story's advisor, goes the extra mile to ensure we are informed on all the latest news. I experienced this even before joining WSS, as she would start every Thursday's Foundations of Journalism class with a "Current Events Quiz." Although I never feel fully prepared to answer every question—from Moo Deng the hippo’s whereabouts to key court rulings—Thursdays in the newsroom have quickly become my favorite.
This summer, while attending JCamp, I had the opportunity to put my news literacy skills to the test. Each morning at 6 a.m., a newspaper was dropped off at our rooms and we would dissect each paper story by story. By the end of the program, my team was crowned the 2024 JCamp News Trivia Champions!
