During Newspaper 1, I learned about the importance of the First Amendment as well as the process it took to achieve these them. During my first year on the HiLite staff, I have written a multitude of stories, one of which is a column. In writing a column, I understood the possibility of backlash; however, I knew I had the right to an opinion, especially under the HiLite staff. In addition, while writing my first story, The Age of Activism, one of my sources stressed the importance of understanding how different movements have affected our lives. I recognize their impact every issue.
Standard 2: Legal and Ethical Principles
Once again, this was a very important topic of discussion during Newspaper 1. We learned about the different barriers student expression and press had to overcome such as Tinker v. Des Moines and Bethel v. Fraser. In class, we also discussed the importance of accuracy and truth, especially in student journalism. Thus, every time I write a story or design a graphic, I always double check my facts and quotes to ensure they are correct and up to date. Moreover, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) was also an important topic. While I have not had to go through the process of FERPA yet, when I was writing my Orphan Drug story, many of my peers advised finding a patient who took orphan drugs; however, because of the late notice as well as requirement of FERPA, we decided against the decision. Still, I understand the need for FERPA in order to ensure the security of our sources.
Standards 3 and 4: Media Writing Processes/ Writing for Media
Throughout my first year at the HiLite, I have never once missed a deadline and have rarely asked for extensions. Furthermore, since I am a Copy Editor, I have to ensure I meet all my deadlines since the time it takes me to copy edit stories must be within one to two days after the story is submitted in order to ensure that other reporters meet their deadlines. I also always turn my beats in before the due date in order to help out the Beats Editors. I understand the importance of deadlines and getting work done early, especially when taking on multiple assignments at a time.
During my experience as a Feature Editor, I learned a lot about communication skills and work ethic. Communication is really key in order for a staff to function properly and produce the best content it possibly can. Furthermore, I developed an even stronger work ethic, allowing me to foster better organizational skills as well. Leadership is not about bossing others around; it's about having everyone feel like an integral part of the team and having everyone work together coherently.