Manifesto
For most of us, expressing our opinions throughout high school was not always easy, and the fear of being judged by others was always on our mind. However a good place for most students, myself included, to air their thoughts was the school newspaper. But what happens when these stories are somewhat controversial, or the school administration decides to not let you publish a certain story? Doesn’t the first amendment’s guarantee of freedom of speech and press protect you against this censorship? Are there limits to your constitutional rights because you are a student?
Unfortunately what most people don’t realize is that this censorship of school newspapers is becoming more and more common, with administrations becoming more involved in voicing their opinions on what should and should not be published. Consequently, students are being limited in what stories they can publish, no longer being able to cover topics that are of actual interest to them and their peers.
High school is supposed to be a time in our lives where we are expected to explore a myriad of subjects, and essentially learn a little bit about ourselves before we are thrown into a whole new playing field, college. However because schools are impeding our ability to fully express ourselves, we are being given the shorter end of the stick, and for what? Because the administration thinks the article will be distracting or instill a negative image on the school?
Students, we should be allowed to publish articles on any topic, no matter how controversial, for that is what journalism is really about. High school, while a time for us to grow socially, is also a time in our lives where we are supposed to grow academically, and start to find topics that we find particularly interesting. By having the administration censor our work, not only does it give of us a negative outlook on journalism, but it also obstructs our ability to grow academically.
We as students need to take a stand against this restriction on our rights, and no longer let administrations dictate what we can and cannot publish. We should not be subjected to this unfair treatment.
Unfortunately what most people don’t realize is that this censorship of school newspapers is becoming more and more common, with administrations becoming more involved in voicing their opinions on what should and should not be published. Consequently, students are being limited in what stories they can publish, no longer being able to cover topics that are of actual interest to them and their peers.
High school is supposed to be a time in our lives where we are expected to explore a myriad of subjects, and essentially learn a little bit about ourselves before we are thrown into a whole new playing field, college. However because schools are impeding our ability to fully express ourselves, we are being given the shorter end of the stick, and for what? Because the administration thinks the article will be distracting or instill a negative image on the school?
Students, we should be allowed to publish articles on any topic, no matter how controversial, for that is what journalism is really about. High school, while a time for us to grow socially, is also a time in our lives where we are supposed to grow academically, and start to find topics that we find particularly interesting. By having the administration censor our work, not only does it give of us a negative outlook on journalism, but it also obstructs our ability to grow academically.
We as students need to take a stand against this restriction on our rights, and no longer let administrations dictate what we can and cannot publish. We should not be subjected to this unfair treatment.