A Reminder that We Matter

I never knew that making the transition to a fully-online newspaper would leave me wondering about the importance of high school journalism.  But, as deadline nights as we knew them disappeared, replaced by middle-of-the-night posts from students' homes, I began to feel disconnected from my newspaper staff.

And, because we meet as an extracurricular club, not a class, the time I was able to spend with students--and the time they were able to spend with each other--decreased noticeably.  So noticeably, in fact, that I began to wonder if we all shared that same sense of purpose and significance that I've felt in previous years.  

We didn't tackle many hard stories because the students were not present and engaged enough to handle them well.  And, while there was much to be proud of in the work students did this year, in avoiding some of the harder stories, I also felt as if we were falling short as a journalism team.  

Reading in preparation for this year's ASNE-Reynolds Institute, however--specifically the reading and webinar on the law of the student press--has reminded me of the vitally important role of the student press, of the essential nature of what students do when they report on the goings-on within their school community.  The readings and webinar have emboldened me to tackle more of the important but potentially controversial stories within our community, not for "gotcha" purposes, but to ensure the full story is being told.

David Gwizdala
James B. Conant High School
Hoffman Estates, Illinois