The Weekly Scroll for August 24, 2018
News, tips and advice from the Quill and Scroll International Honor Society
Compiled and written by Quill and Scroll journalist Caitlyn Martin
The Lede
Women’s Journalism Hall of Fame
Ida B. Wells, Tracy Baim, Joy Darrow, Laura Washington, and Ellen Warren were the first inductees into the Chicago Women’s Journalism Hall of Fame on Aug. 15. In recognition of their monumental and lasting contributions to both Chicago and the field of journalism itself, the Association for Women Journalists Chicago hosted a dedication ceremony for the current inductees, and plans to award a new Distinguished Achievement Award each year.
Long-form hard copy to character limits and screens
Reading statistics have shifted immensely in the past 50 years. Literacy isn’t declining, but SAT scores are at an all-time low and researchers are investigating a link between differences in teen reading practices as a contributing factor. Students today report reading significantly less for recreation, and spend an increasing amount of time on social media daily. Is this transition detrimental to society, or is it simply a matter of modernizing media and messages to penetrate audiences effectively?
“Enemy of the people”
President Trump speaks of journalists as enemies of the people, colluding with insidious intent to produce fake news and influence society. This negative and constant portrayal has led to increased public distrust in the media, increased violence against journalists, and most recently, an editorial drive orchestrated by The Boston Globe. On Aug. 16, 411 American papers published editorials promoting the preservation of America’s free press. Among the editorials written and published were the following Quill and Scroll charter high schools and distributed by the Student Press Law Center:
The Paw — Tigard (Ore.) High School
The Pearl Post — Daniel Pearl Magnet High School, Lake Balboa, California
The Southerner Online — Henry W. Grady High School, Atlanta
FHCToday.com — Francis Howell Central High School, Cottleville, Missouri
It’s An Honor
Start with style
Welcome back scholastic journalists! The revised 2018 Quill and Scroll Stylebook is now available for purchase. Priced for student staff convenience at $3 each, we encourage advisors to buy a whole class set here. Updates to stylebook guidelines include provisions on gender and pronoun use.
Enter the 2018 Yearbook Excellence Contest!
Proud of your yearbook work? Looking to showcase staff skill? Interested in gaining access to exclusive scholarships and awards of excellence? Enter the 2018 Quill and Scroll Yearbook Excellence Contest today!
High school students who are contributors to or staff members of a student yearbook at any public or private high school are invited to enter the competition. Awards will be made in each of the 18 categories. Categories include Theme Development, Student Life, Academics, Clubs or Organizations, Sports, People, Advertising, Sports Action Photo, Academic Photo, Student Life Photo, Clubs or Organizations Photo, Feature Photo, Graphic Design, Photo Illustration, Index, Headline Writing and Design, Caption Writing, and Personality Profiles. There are two enrollment classes: Class A: more than 750 students; Class B: 749 or fewer.
Winners of the Quill and Scroll 2018 Yearbook Excellence Contest will receive a National Award Gold Key and are eligible, as seniors, to apply for one of the Edward J. Nell Memorial or George and Ophelia Gallup scholarships. The deadline to submit material is Oct. 10. More information about entry (and the form to apply) can be found here.
Does your school have a Q&S Charter?
What’s Viral?
Journalists face Digital Combat
Public backlash to challenging stories and prominent journalists on social media is increasingly common, and (maybe not so) surprisingly misogynistic. The blurred lines of confronting online harassment as a journalist are discussed here. Hateful gendered slurs hurled at female journalists on Twitter and Facebook create an oppressive hostile work environment, but how can a female journalists respond without fear of losing their job, losing their audience, or facing retaliatory harassment?
Public Interest Tech courses
As digital natives, we are part of a society that relies heavily on technology and a fluid understanding of it. Every profession, from baker to politician, benefits from a public interest technology education. In March, the Facebook data privacy case seemingly made a fool of House and Senate members who didn’t understand the functions and limitations of technology and software. In recognition of this emerging need for widely-implemented public interest technology education, prominent universities including MIT, the University of Chicago, and Carnegie Melon University are merging traditional programs with tech-based education. Single-discipline education may no longer suffice.
Just A Thought
Shhhh-ecret Investigation
A primary metaphor for journalism, the watchdog, symbolizes journalism’s purpose in holding those in positions of power and authority accountable for their actions and decisions. For high school students, this may mean keeping tabs on administrators, hiring, and budgets. The Student Press Law Center offers five tips for reporting on concealed information here.
Fostering newsroom diversity
Broadcasting, print publications, and journalism organizations harbor among the worst diversity statistics in all fields, from Congress to Hollywood. Why is this a problem? High Country News examines how journalism, a field dutifully bound to representation, has fallen behind in diversity and inclusion in the newsroom. Thinking about your staff and community demographic, how can you engage more students in your publication to ensure the most inclusive and representative coverage from a variety of perspectives?
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