ALUMNI WITH FREEDOM
They are individuals who have
been influenced as high school
editors, artists and photographers
experiencing the value of freedom
of expression. Four YouTube videos,
produced by EchoXtra talent,
reinforce the results. The Educational
Impact introduction demonstrates
how journalism teaches skills for
success.
• The proof? Explore “EchoXtra 2015 FREEDOM
TRILOGY: How Journalism Changes Lives.”
See these sites:
“Journalism Engages Thinkers”
“Journalism Activates Citizens”
“Journalism Develops Leaders”
• The inspiration? The videos show what every
committed group of journalism alumni could
produce to show off their high school experience.
• The challenge? Which groups of alumni will
take up the challenge to add support for the
Student Press Law Center?
As scholastic media alumni, they
can continue to influence high
school journalism. They can promote
the importance of ethics, content,
standards, facilities, momentum and
finances. It is great to interact with the
high school journalists themselves,
but the alumni also can endorse a
national vision.
“When people in authority and in
schools and in colleges tell us that
we must keep a heavy hand over
student journalists because there is
no telling what they might do, our
response must be, ‘No, we must have
the lightest touch possible over these
journalists because there is no telling
what they might do,’” said Frank
LoMonte, executive director of the
Student Press Law Center.
The Echo alumni recognized that the
Student Press Law Center had been
a strong support, beginning in 1976,
which was only two years after SPLC
was founded in 1974. The connection
enabled staffs to avoid mediocrity,
limitations and censorship. Rather
than getting people out of legal
jams, the Echo prepared the way for
freedom to publish by relying on
legal guidance ahead of publication.
Always the goal was to serve all
readers and to prevent administrators
from caving in to uninformed faculty
who feared student reporting and
student opinions.
The administration knew that the
Echo, which was delivered to all
students and faculty, had the best
legal advice, thanks to SPLC, and
the best legal support, thanks to
connections to top Chicago media
attorneys via the free help of the
Illinois Education Association.
Following legal guidance, the Echo
established essential standards: no
list of stories in upcoming issues, no
prior reading by any administrator
or faculty member, no penalty
for any student journalism action
and counsel about how to protect
students’ rights to make all content
decisions when signing the national
book contract with the publisher of
the Teenagers Themselves Trilogy,
1984-88.
ALUMNI WITH DREAMS
Everyone needs to experience
journalism as a reader, viewer or
listener. The fortunate, though,
participate as journalism producers.
They deliver emotional
stories, under crisp, powerful
headlines and create vivid
graphics and photographs.
In the process, they
discover the value of giving
entertainment, enlightenment
and enhancement. They realize
publication efforts are a hefty
assignment: brainstorming,
meeting and calling adults
they do not know, completing
multiple kinds of deadlines,
editing, fact checking and
dealing with the unexpected
emergencies. Whew!
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Journalism gifts need not end with
the publication of a newspaper issue,
the post to a website, the appearance
of a new yearbook or the sign off of
a television program. EchoXtra 2015,
a celebration of 26 years, 1967-1993,
when newspaper students worked
together on Glenbard East Echo staffs,
demonstrated the power of that
giving.
Media staffs might think about how
to establish a tradition of giving
to honor freedom of expression.
For example, staffs could donate a
graduation thank you to Student
Press Law Center. They could
encourage seniors and parents to
participate.
If 100 or 1,000 staffs establish this
tradition, the dollar impact could
happen soon. Plus, they are on the
road to future support.
We hope that the EchoXtra event
is simply a beginning. Hundreds of
scholastic media alumni, whether
from small, large or rural, urban
or suburban schools, have the
power to celebrate and to donate
to the Student Press Law Center.
As for all journalism productions,
brainstorming produces fantastic
results.