Discussion drawn from "High school journalism and the making of young citizens" by Clark and Monserrate
In 2008, researchers delved into the relationship between high school journalism and citizenship and collective sensibility. They studied previous research about adolescents being socialized to participate in civic life, then conducted interviews and observations over three years, asking teenagers "about their experiences in high school journalism and their views of its role in relation to the larger population of their high school." In total, they interviewed 45 journalism students, three parents, and six advisors.
The study concluded "that high school journalism experiences may serve less as a location for learning about politics as traditionally conceived, or even as pre-professional preparation for aspiring journalists, and more as an important avenue of socialization into an awareness of one's role within a larger collective. Moreover, participation in high school journalism further socializes young people into an understanding of journalism's role in relation to citizenship within that collective."
Are the skills being taught in the journalism classroom appropriate for high school curriculum?
The descriptive study used a number of carefully-selected anecdotes from the many interviews conducted to list a number of journalistic purposes that students felt their work fulfilled:
Judging by the extensive and diverse list of opportunities and skills these students derived from their journalism programs, I believe they are developing the abilities they need and more. On the most basic level, the general public would believe the purpose of a journalist is to truthfully inform the community, and these students have gone above and beyond, investing themselves wholeheartedly into positively influencing their community. They are only able to do so because of the training, advice, and support provided throughout their experiences in high school journalism. The effective and impacting use of that background leads me to conclude they have the skills they need to succeed in the field.
How do you reconcile that much of the education comes from students' negative experiences?
Clark and Monserrate discussed at several points in the article how many students expressed the resistance they faced from the community or authority, particularly angry school administrators who did not appreciate how they approached controversial issues. However, the researches felt that benefits of these experiences outweighed the difficulties students faced.
"While some of the students had negative experiences when their ideas of journalism's role conflicted with the ideas of authority figures, these students ultimately learned that they must sometimes take a stand in the face of authority in order to protect what they view as community interests, an idea that is consistent with emergent concepts of the 'self-actualized' and 'engaged' citizen."
"And when these teens receive positive (or even negative) feedback, as was often the case, they come to see themselves as ALREADY members of a larger collective to which they contribute. Sometimes, these contributions are in relation to helping others to be well-informed, law-abiding citizens. At other times, these contributions encourage what Dalton (2007) described as a more engaged form of citizenship that assumes young people can respect differing views and experiences within the community, and can widen their own views so as to participate in direct action or even protest when necessary."
It's difficult to accept that my students may have to suffer to reap certain benefits from their journalistic education, but like Clark and Monserrate, I believe that the experience is worth it. As a journalist, I have never felt more impactful, more vital to the democracy of my community than when I've been deeply challenged and/or strongly opposed. Besides increasing my feelings of citizenship and being part of a collective, I learned to work harder, smarter, and more carefully to find and share the truth for the wellbeing of my community. Being criticized, censored, or stifled unfairly by authority will spark passion and outrage in the least-rebellious of teens, and encourage them to support their "collective," even at considerable personal risk. Furthermore, as Clark and Monserrate point out, this helps students to see the value in considering and uplifting multiple perspectives.
Overall, based on the interviews and observations described throughout the research, I similarly conclude that these students have been well-equipped to fulfill a variety of purposes in their roles as developing journalists. They may face considerable obstacles, but these are necessary to help them build the technical muscles that will in turn allow them to tackle bigger controversies in the future.
The study concluded "that high school journalism experiences may serve less as a location for learning about politics as traditionally conceived, or even as pre-professional preparation for aspiring journalists, and more as an important avenue of socialization into an awareness of one's role within a larger collective. Moreover, participation in high school journalism further socializes young people into an understanding of journalism's role in relation to citizenship within that collective."
Are the skills being taught in the journalism classroom appropriate for high school curriculum?
The descriptive study used a number of carefully-selected anecdotes from the many interviews conducted to list a number of journalistic purposes that students felt their work fulfilled:
- increasing empathy
- bringing awareness about local issues
- advocating for people's rights
- criticizing authority (such as school administration)
- informing the community
- fulfilling personal goals
- informing the community without bias
- shaping public opinions
- providing advice
- encouraging people to consider unfamiliar perspectives
- connecting to new people and organizations
- giving people a voice
Judging by the extensive and diverse list of opportunities and skills these students derived from their journalism programs, I believe they are developing the abilities they need and more. On the most basic level, the general public would believe the purpose of a journalist is to truthfully inform the community, and these students have gone above and beyond, investing themselves wholeheartedly into positively influencing their community. They are only able to do so because of the training, advice, and support provided throughout their experiences in high school journalism. The effective and impacting use of that background leads me to conclude they have the skills they need to succeed in the field.
How do you reconcile that much of the education comes from students' negative experiences?
Clark and Monserrate discussed at several points in the article how many students expressed the resistance they faced from the community or authority, particularly angry school administrators who did not appreciate how they approached controversial issues. However, the researches felt that benefits of these experiences outweighed the difficulties students faced.
"While some of the students had negative experiences when their ideas of journalism's role conflicted with the ideas of authority figures, these students ultimately learned that they must sometimes take a stand in the face of authority in order to protect what they view as community interests, an idea that is consistent with emergent concepts of the 'self-actualized' and 'engaged' citizen."
"And when these teens receive positive (or even negative) feedback, as was often the case, they come to see themselves as ALREADY members of a larger collective to which they contribute. Sometimes, these contributions are in relation to helping others to be well-informed, law-abiding citizens. At other times, these contributions encourage what Dalton (2007) described as a more engaged form of citizenship that assumes young people can respect differing views and experiences within the community, and can widen their own views so as to participate in direct action or even protest when necessary."
It's difficult to accept that my students may have to suffer to reap certain benefits from their journalistic education, but like Clark and Monserrate, I believe that the experience is worth it. As a journalist, I have never felt more impactful, more vital to the democracy of my community than when I've been deeply challenged and/or strongly opposed. Besides increasing my feelings of citizenship and being part of a collective, I learned to work harder, smarter, and more carefully to find and share the truth for the wellbeing of my community. Being criticized, censored, or stifled unfairly by authority will spark passion and outrage in the least-rebellious of teens, and encourage them to support their "collective," even at considerable personal risk. Furthermore, as Clark and Monserrate point out, this helps students to see the value in considering and uplifting multiple perspectives.
Overall, based on the interviews and observations described throughout the research, I similarly conclude that these students have been well-equipped to fulfill a variety of purposes in their roles as developing journalists. They may face considerable obstacles, but these are necessary to help them build the technical muscles that will in turn allow them to tackle bigger controversies in the future.