THE WEEKLY SCROLL

March 11, 2021

News, tips and advice from Quill and Scroll

The Lede

Harry, Meghan and Oprah

Tell-all special reveals mental toll of being a part of — and then leaving — the world’s most famous  family

It’s been over a year since Prince Harry and his wife, American actress Meghan Markle, announced they would be taking a hiatus from royal life and moving to the states. Since then, both Harry and Meghan have decided to leave the royal family: no longer using their titles, money and status within the British monarchy.

Sunday, Meghan and Harry sat down with Oprah Winfrey to dive into their decision to leave the royal family. The interview, aired on CBS, brought in over 17.1 million viewers in the United States. Monday, it aired internationally, and gained an average of 11.1 million viewers in the United Kingdom.

The two hour special revealed information from Harry and Meghan’s experience in the royal family — specifically focusing on Meghan’s battle with mental health.

Harry and Meghan married in May of 2018; since then, Meghan has been torn apart by British tabloids, focusing on her clothing, posture, mannerisms, personality, suitability, familial history and race. Her experience, while completely separate, is reminiscent of the British tabloids past obsession with Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana, who was famously killed in a car crash caused by a paparazzi chase.

Oprah, familiar with the couple, spent over an hour alone with Meghan, bringing Harry into the interview later on in the evening.

Prior to its airing, the couple experienced mixed reactions in the media. Harry appeared in a laid-back segment of “The Late Late Show” with James Corden. Meghan, in contrast, was accused of bullying former aides within the palace while living in the UK.

Here’s what everyone is talking about from the interview:

  • Meghan experienced thoughts of suicide during her pregnancy with son Archie because of the realities of life within the royal family. She was refused help when speaking with a senior aide of the family.
  • Members of the royal family expressed concern over the potential color of Archie’s skin to Harry before his son’s birth.
  • Harry, Meghan and Archie were refused royal family security after taking a step back from their duties. The “Daily Mail” took advantage of this and revealed the couple’s location.
  • Princess Kate, wife to heir Prince William, made Meghan cry days before her wedding.
  • Both Harry and Meghan talk favorably about Queen Elizabeth.
  • Prince Charles, Harry’s father, stopped taking his calls after Harry and Meghan announced they would be stepping back. Harry’s relationship with Charles and his brother, William, appears strained.
  • Harry and Meghan were married in secret three days prior to their very public wedding.
  • Harry and Meghan are expecting a baby girl this summer.

Oprah appeared on CBS this Morning on Monday to discuss the interview.

The interview is all media outlets can talk about this week. Some react with great support to Meghan and Harry, while others scrutinize their actions and attack the truthfulness of their statements.

Buckingham Palace released a statement on behalf of Queen Elizabeth Tuesday regarding the interview.

Former CNN host leaves after controversy

Piers Morgan’s makes critical comments on Meghan Markle’s mental health and truthfulness

Piers Morgan, newly former host of “Good Morning Britain,” came under fire Monday morning after profusely stating he did not believe “a word” of Meghan Markle’s interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Morgan’s statements included a downplay of the racism Markle has experienced as well as her mental health.

ITV, the network sponsoring “Good Morning Britain” — and subsequently Oprah’s interview — received nearly 41,000 complaints about Morgan’s comments regarding Meghan, mental health and his fierce defense of the royal family. Tuesday morning, Morgan continued to defend his statements on Meghan, but did state it was, “not for him to question if she felt suicidal.”

Tensions climaxed when Morgan stormed off set on-air when his co-host posed Morgan’s opinions on Markle span from her refusal to acknowledge him. While Morgan did return to set to interview Markle’s estranged father, “Good Morning Britain” announced later in the day Morgan had permanently left the show.

Morgan took to Twitter Tuesday and Wednesday to share his opinions regarding backlash he received for his statements on the show.

He replied to a Twitter users statement, “Can we just cancel Piers Morgan” by saying, “Yes.” Now, questions rise whether Morgan’s outburst and subsequent leave of “Good Morning Britain” is skating over the issue viewers should be concerned about: rising claims of racism in Britain. 

Spring NHSJC registration open

Virtual convention offers easy access to materials

The JEA/National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) Spring National High School Journalism Convention registration is now open! Because the convention is virtual this year, teachers and students have access to convention materials from March 15 – May 15.

Key note speakers include Juanita Ceballos, the producer of “Vice News Tonight,” Brian Rosenthal, investigative reporter for “The New York Times” and Rob Curley, editor of the “Spokesman-Review.”

Early bird registration rates are available until March 1. The last day to register and access convention materials is May 15.

The convention includes contests like NSPA’s “Best of Show,” “Staff Recognition,” and individual competitions. You can also apply for registration scholarships for the convention.

It’s An Honor

Student Journalism Impact Award

Apply today!

JEA, in partnership with Quill and Scroll, sponsor the Student Journalism Impact Award, which recognizes a secondary school student/group fo students who has made a significant difference in their life, the lives of others, the school they attend or the community in which they live through the study and practice of journalism.

To enter, fill out this form.

Student(s) or their teacher/advisor must nominate the student(s) for the award. The entry must be original student work that was published within two years preceding the entry deadline. Further, the application must include URLs or PDFs of the article, a narrative explaining the impact of the work and three PDF letters attesting to the work from an adviser, school administrator, professional journalist and/or member of the community impacted.

For more information, visit our website. The entry deadline is Monday, March 15.

Scholarships!

Apply now for Quill and Scroll scholarships before applications close

The Quill and Scroll scholarship applications for both students and advisers are open now on our website! Interested in applying? Read below for information on both student and adviser scholarships.

Each year we award a number of scholarships to students and advisers focused on continuing their education or career in journalism. Scholarships are funded by our Quill and Scroll scholarship fund. In 2020, we awarded four student scholarships and one adviser scholarship.

Student Scholarships

All Quill and Scroll members as well as national winners in our Yearbook Excellence Contest and International Writing, Photo and Multimedia Contest are eligible to apply for our student scholarships. Applicants must intend to major in journalism or a related area of communications to qualify for the award. The scholarship can be used for tuition, room and board at any college or university. The top prize is $1,500, with other prizes of $500 available.

The student scholarship application deadline is May 15, 2021. Winners will be notified by June 1, 2021.

Adviser Scholarship

The Lester G. Benz Scholarship of $500 is available to teachers who:

  • teach at a Quill and Scroll school,
  • have at least one year teaching high school journalism and/or advising publications,
  • plan to return to the high school classroom and media advising next year AND
  • will apply the information gained in the course work, seminar or workshop taken as a result of this scholarship.

Two letters of recommendation are required to apply. Applications are due by April 30, 2021. Last year’s winner was Laura Bowe of the King School in Connecticut.

Visit here for more information on adviser scholarships. 

WPM closed

Results to come next week!

Our 2021 Writing, Photo and Multimedia Contest closed in early February. Since then, our judges have been hard at work reviewing entry materials in all 34 categories of the contest!

Sweepstakes and National winners for all 34 categories will be announced via Twitter Friday, March 15, starting at 10 a.m. CT. Stay tuned!

Help for editors

Quill and Scroll student board establishes online discussion board for student editors

The Quill and Scroll Student Advisory Board is working on a project that will produce a monthly newsletter and a discord chat for editors to use, so they can give and receive help, tips and ideas from other editors.

If you are an editor at a yearbook or news publication or broadcast news entity, sign up on this Google Form to be a part of the discussion. If you’re an adviser, forward it to your editors, be they editors-in-chief, section editors, photo editors or any leader on your staff.

We would like our network to really encompass and connect as many editors as we can. Thank you so much for your time!

New podcast!

JEA President Sarah Nichols discusses JEA events, Q&S values

We welcomed Sarah Nichols to the SOURCE, and she obliged by discussing how she uses Quill and Scroll’s eight guiding principles as lessons for her students to share. In addition, you’ll hear about managing JEA during the pandemic, the status of the JEA Advisers Institute, the National High School Journalism Conference and so much more.

It’s required listening if you’re in scholastic journalism or care about it.

Induction season!

It’s time to honor seniors and induct members

It’s that time of the year when Quill and Scroll chapters should be nudging their advisers to think about honoring seniors and inducting new members — be they sophomores, juniors or seniors — into our international journalism honor society.

We’re able to take and fulfill orders, even as Quill and Scroll staff work from both our home offices and our offices at the Adler Journalism Building on the University of Iowa campus.

We published this update in late 2020. It is still valid and includes a simplified order form for schools and advisers willing to pay via credit card, and an offer to host an online induction ceremony for your students. The sooner you induct new members, the sooner they’ll be able start planning chapter activities in the spirit of Quill and Scroll. Here’s a link to a PDF file of the Q&S Chapter Handbook if you don’t already have it.

We encourage advisers to submit their induction orders sooner rather than later to ensure speedy fulfillment and delivery. As we get closer to the end of the school year, our order numbers tend to increase. Order now to receive your materials sooner!

A reminder about cords:

Students MUST HAVE BEEN OR WILL BE INDUCTED into the Society to earn the honor to wear an Honor Cord (GHC) or Honor Cord with Insignia (GCI). If you order cords for non-members, please choose the Non-Member Cord Option (NCD). Quill and Scroll exists because of the special unifying bond brought about by membership and the lasting legacy of the induction ceremony.

And, as always, feel free to email [email protected] if you have any questions.

What’s Viral?

‘March Madness’ returns

After last year’s canceled tournaments, stakes are high

The 2020 March Madness tournaments — both the men’s and women’s — were cancelled almost immediately after the coronavirus pandemic broke out in the United States. While sports have returned to a somewhat normal schedule, the fan-favorite March Madness tournaments will take place in a format like never before, starting next week.

March Madness famously includes 68 of America’s top Division I men’s and top 64 women’s collegiate basketball teams. The men’s tournament hosts 67 total games and the women’s 63 in eight different event rounds.

Traditionally, games are played in different arenas and stadiums across the country. This year, all 67 men’s games will be played in Indianapolis, Indiana, between Lucas Oil Stadium, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Mackey Arena and Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Teams will practice at the Indiana Convention Center.

Women’s games will be played in San Antonio, San Marcos and Austin, Texas.

https://twitter.com/marchmadness/status/1369660455191535626

The NCAA, the tournaments’ sponsor, is hosting the events in one place in hopes of limiting health and safety risks caused by COVID-19.

Additionally, selections for the tournament will look different this year. Teams will be placed based on ratings, rather than geographical location. Thirty-seven men’s teams will be selected for the tournament on Selection Sunday, March 14, while 31 other teams will automatically qualify through winning their conference tournament.

The women’s selection show will be Monday, March 15.

Here’s the schedule for men’s March Madness 2021:

  • Selection Sunday, March 14
  • First Four, March 18
  • First Round, March 19-20
  • Second Round, March 21-22
  • Sweet 16, March 27-28
  • Elite Eight, March 29-30
  • Final Four, April 3
  • National Championship, April 5

Here’s the schedule for women’s March Madness 2021:

  • Selection Monday, March 15
  • First Round, March 21-22
  • Second Round, March 23-24
  • Sweet 16, March 27-28
  • Elite Eight, March 29-30
  • Final Four, April 2
  • National Championship, April 4

All 130 games will be aired; you can watch the men on CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV and March Madness Live. All women’s games will be carried on ESPN’s slew of channels.

Editor’s Note: At least one of us here at The Scroll is waiting for April Madness, the NCAA women’s national volleyball tournament, which is equally awesome to the basketball tournaments. Stay tuned for that!

Trump supporters want to #FreeBritney

Ohio and Florida reps request investigation into Spears’s conservatorship

Representatives Jim Jordan (OH) and Matt Gaetz (FL) sent a request to the Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee to ask for an investigation into Jamie Spears, the father of Britney Spears, and the terms and legality of her conservatorship on Tuesday.

The letter stated, “Given the constitutional freedoms at stake and opaqueness of these arrangements, it is incumbent upon our Committee to convene a hearing to examine whether Americans are trapped unjustly in conservatorships.”

While Jordan and Gaetz are gaining attention for their efforts in the #FreeBritney movement, a large portion of the letter focuses on the subject of conservatorships and cites Spears as a means to examine the issue further.

Even so, the #FreeBritney movement has gained so much attention lately that this letter is a huge staple within the movement and public eye.

While Jordan and Gaetz claim the attention on conservatorships is due to the need of all Americans, House Democrats have accused former Republicans in support of Trump are looking for ways to stay relevant in the media.

Cruise deep-fake creator comes clean

Purpose of video was to spread awareness about deep fakes

Two weeks ago, a parody TikTok account featuring eerily-real videos of Tom Cruise appeared out of nowhere — gaining nearly 20 million views from four videos featuring the actor’s face.

The videos gained international attention: deep fake technology allows users to edit the reality of photos and videos to reflect something else. In this case, Tom Cruise’s face and voice. Deep fake technology is concerning because of the false reality it creates. Now, nearly anyone can change the reality of a video with a click of a button (or a swipe of an app – most social media apps include some sort of “face swapping” technology).

Now, the creator of the Tom Cruise deep fake TikTok account is coming forward to talk about the purpose of the videos. Belgian visual effects artist Chris Ume spoke with The Today Show last week about the video’s success and ability to bring attention to deep fake technology.

Ume said, “The important thing is, we didn’t want to fool people at any moment. If I can help in creating awareness, or eve work on detection in the future, I would love to.”

While deep fake technology is alarming, especially in circumstances where viewers don’t know it’s being used, it is also a huge step in creating digital technology that can be used for enjoyment.

Just A Thought

Protecting against burnout

How student journalists can separate work from their personal lives heading into their careers

In Poynter’s “The Lead,” Taylor Blatchford discusses Anne Helen Peterson’s latest book, “Can’t Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation.” While the book focuses on Millennials, it includes lessons applicable to Generation Z: specifically relating to the coronavirus pandemic.

The book discusses our inability to separate work life from home life; we continue to live in the largest era of our time. In this article, Blatchford talks with Peterson about burnout for student journalists and tips to set up boundaries at work.

Check out the full interview at the link above.

Here’s a short excerpt.

As student journalists enter the industry, how can they push their publications to recognize burnout culture?

One way millennials got their reputation for being self-centered and indulgent is that when we entered the workplace, we tried to set boundaries. When you first start in a job, you have to see what the expectations are and how toxic things are. If it’s incredibly toxic, stay there for a year if you can and then look for another job. You’re just going to suffer.

…

The clearer you can be about expectations for production and when you shouldn’t be working, the better. In personal experience, a lot of the time the person setting these expectations for how much you should be working is yourself. Your managers would love for you to do a little less.