Getting it right

Springdale makes adjustments in name of journalism

The practice of journalism has been front and center in recent years, perhaps for no bigger reason than President Trump’s cynical manipulations about “fake news” in which he attempts to undermine public confidence in the work of journalists.

Journalists deserve criticism sometimes. Those who rush to get it first before they’re sure of getting it right deserve every bit of scrutiny they get. The news media, as with any other human endeavor, is flawed. But a world with a free press is far, far superior to a world without one.

Day to day, journalists try to report infor- mation people need, but they face constant barriers from people who want to keep information away from the public. This is the way it’s been since power has existed and journalists have tried to deliver information about who has it and how they wield it.

We write this not to get critics to lay off or, heaven forbid, to feel sorry for the plight of those practicing in the trenches of reporting the news. But journalists also do not owe anyone apologies for performing their vital role in the course of human endeavors.

Journalism isn’t a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants profession, although one can certainly find practitioners of it who could be accused of doing so. Rather, journalists attempt to do their jobs by applying tried and true skills and practices that help to discern what needs to be reported, how it should be reported fairly and accurately, and what steps should be taken to provide context to the issues in need of exploration.

As a nation, and around the globe, we need trained professionals dedicated to the pursuit of the best obtainable version of the truth at a given moment.

So we’re glad to hear debate among lawmakers, educators and others about the work of journalists, about laws and regulations designed to provide for open and transparent government, about free speech and a free press, about objectivity and about a dedicated pursuit of accurate reporting.

In Springdale, the public school system in recent months has gotten a real opportunity to examine its role in the training of young journalists. Last fall, the Har-Ber Herald published coverage of school transfers involving athletes. It was coverage that upset school administrators because, in our view, it raised uncomfortable questions about policies, procedures and practices. In other words, the work did its job, even if its execution might have been imperfect.

The school district’s immediate response was to scrub the high school’s newspaper website of the coverage and discipline the faculty advisor. That reaction was a poor one.

In the months since, the district put together a committee of about 27 student media advisers to develop a protocol for student media. It is said to be a compilation of best practices from around the nation and conversations among staff. It stresses the importance of ethical standards for student journalists.

School districts are in a tough spot. On the one hand, they have committed to training journalists to ask questions and explore whether decisions affecting students are the right ones. School district administrators are in the undesirable position of both supervising the education of the students while also being the potential subject of the students’ journalistic efforts.

If a student journalist is exploring a story about whether, for example, school discipline is being handled fairly among different kinds of students, an administrator can either be committed to the tenets of journalism education in supporting such efforts, or he can be an administrator who sees his primary job as protecting the administration. It’s a built-in conflict of interests.

“Developing a sense of ethics is essential for student journalists, who learn to distinguish right from wrong and good from bad in their work,” the document states. “The power of news media can be used in good or bad ways, and young journalists must be nurtured to develop the self-discipline to choose what’s right and good — even when the right choice may cost something in the short run.”

The document advances seven principles: Be responsible, be fair, be honest, be accurate, be independent, minimize harm and be accountable.

Last year’s coverage by the Har-Ber Herald did not deserve the reaction it got from Springdale administrators. It did not fall apart when examined through the lenses now becoming part of this school district protocol. The school district should acknowledge as much.

This self-examination is, we hope, not just about student actions, but very much about how faculty and administrators react when student journalists actually try to commit journalism. When it’s done well, even if it results in some embarrassment to administrators or a need to change policies, such journalism should be applauded by everyone.

No matter what policies and practices manuals the Springdale Public Schools adopt, the question of administrators’ attitudes won’t be fully answered. Based on the reaction to last year’s coverage, school officials did not prove their hearts are in the right place when it comes to journalism education. If they are drafting these protocols as a way to justify those kinds of responses, the district has not advanced its understanding of its important role in teaching journalism.

If, on the other hand, they are earnestly attempting to establish a stronger foundation from which learning and the practice of journalism can unfold within Springdale Public Schools, this flare-up can end up having long-lasting, positive impact.

As with so much, time and behaviors will determine whether anyone is learning anything.