With the emergence of the Haldane Outlook this school year, it has been made clear that some of our school’s student journalism policies need to be adjusted to better support student excellence. Specifically, the administration needs to change policies that allow the administration to review and possibly censor newspaper content before publication, also known as prior review.
Beginning after the publication of the very first issue of the Outlook this past November, my newspaper peers and I were called in and out of meetings with the administration. In these meetings, we were given wonderful praise by administrators, which we appreciated. But while they expressed support and encouragement for our newspaper, they also supported the idea of prior review in equal measure, failing to understand that it is the Outlook’s independence that makes it an authentic and quality student publication.
Out in the working world, newspapers are (or should be) protected by the constitutional First Amendment right of freedom of the press. Without the freedom of the press, we would have no democracy; the foundation of our country rests upon the people’s ability to disagree with one another and with their government, no matter the power imbalance between bodies. If people cannot speak their minds, cannot report on current events, cannot write about the state of the nation and its impact on them, the people will not be informed, and the government cannot be held accountable. As Judge Murray Gurfein stated in his 1971 ruling in favor of the New York Times’ right to publish the Pentagon Papers: “A cantankerous press, an obstinate press, a ubiquitous press must be suffered by those in authority in order to preserve the even greater values of freedom of expression and the right of the people to know.” The Haldane administration is clearly very proud and enthusiastic about the emergence of the Outlook, and we are incredibly grateful for their support. But many in our administration struggle to see how prior review would negatively impact the qualities that make the Outlook a paper to be proud of. As an educational community that places an emphasis on preparing its students to be responsible and active citizens, it is Haldane’s duty to recognize the autonomy of its student newspaper. If school administrators– “those in authority”– are truly committed to producing civically-minded students, then they must accept the democratic institution of a student press free of prior review, and the minor risks and major benefits that come with it.
As an independent student newspaper, The Haldane Outlook rejects prior review by our school’s administration. The first section of our newspaper’s Charter, which we wrote in the summer of 2024, states: “The Haldane Outlook is committed to remaining an independent voice. We reject prior review by school officials or administrators, as well as any and all other individuals or groups save for those whom the Editors allow to advise on matters of style and/or content.” This Charter, which was reviewed by our community and faculty advisers, and approved by our principal prior to ratification, is an important agreement for ensuring our paper’s independence and preserving the authenticity of the student voice. We used as our model the Charter of the award-winning student newspaper of one of New York City’s best public high schools, The Stuyvesant Spectator. The Spectator– along with thousands of other student newspapers across the country– likewise rejects prior review. I believe with conviction that all student newspapers should have the protected right to reject administrative review, the way that other newspapers have the protected right to reject governmental review. Students have thoughts and opinions which deserve a platform that is untouched by the school administration so that they may be truly free to speak their minds in a professional manner. The Haldane administration’s position of authority and power makes them capable of withstanding a student voicing disagreement with them and their policies in a publication. The administration should in fact welcome such dissent and discussion.
In meetings with the Haldane administration, we have been asked: why should the Outlook be treated like a professional paper, when it is run by high school students? We believe that the best way to learn how to be professionals is to practice adhering to professional standards– in any field, but especially in journalism. The widely accepted standards of scholastic journalism have at its core the principles of professional journalism, as a way of teaching young journalists how to write, report, interview, and investigate like professionals before they enter the workforce. By the time young journalists graduate, they will already have a deep understanding of the best practices and ethics of journalism, making them not only valuable potential employees but also individuals with strong critical thinking skills and a solid ethical baseline.
Prior review would take away not only from the quality of the reporting, but from the educational value of student journalism itself. To quote the Principal’s Guide to Scholastic Journalism, published by the international high school journalism honors society, Quill and Scroll: “Prior review…truncate[s] any educational atmosphere where students learn from their decision-making, thus inhibiting the development of life skills that are the foundation of good citizenship in a democratic society.”
We hold the Outlook to professional standards because students’ voices matter. Our opinions on school policies that affect us matter. Our perspective on current events in this world that we will inherit matters. If the school administration can censor what a student newspaper can print, it is no student newspaper at all. Even if the administration does not actively use censorship power, just the threat of them being able to do so can cause students to self-censor. With the possibility of administrative censorship hanging over them, students may choose to write about softer, less controversial topics; or otherwise cover controversial topics in a way that would please the administration rather than in a way that showcases the whole truth. Think of the topics the Outlook has been so bold as to cover this year: sexual education, ICE, elections, trans rights, etc. What happens when students begin to feel the pressure of potential censorship weighing on their shoulders as they write? They bite their own tongues and hold themselves back with their own hands, before the administration can. They stop writing about what matters to them, and internalize the lesson that protecting the school’s reputation is more important than protecting students’ right to the truth. This loss of authenticity is not one I hope to ever see at Haldane.
School administrations have legitimate concerns behind their reasoning for retaining the right to censor. I understand the fears many schools hold of the student newspaper producing libelous content, printing cruel stories, or carelessly spreading misinformation. But our student newspaper is not without guardrails or guidelines. The Outlook itself has four adult advisers: two Haldane teachers and two community members. These advisers do not interfere with the student editing process until they are invited by students into that process, and their role in our organization is not to censor or regulate us on behalf of the administration. Rather, their job is to help student journalists be the best writers and reporters that they can be, and to act as liaisons between us and administration if needed. This job description is outlined in the Journalism Education Association Adviser Code of Ethics. Having four adult advisors– two of whom are Haldane teachers– should be more than enough adult guidance in the newspaper room to ease the administrative concerns and fears that continue to be expressed to us.
It also cannot be discounted that the Outlook Charter, which our journalists are bound to follow, includes numerous protections against unethical journalism: “All student journalists– including Editors, staff members, and contributing writers/photographers/illustrators– must follow professional standards of journalism, in reporting and writing”; “The Haldane Outlook will strive to be accurate, fair, and impartial in its coverage of issues that affect the school community and will explain to readers its journalistic processes when necessary”; “The Haldane Outlook will cover the total school population as effectively and accurately as possible, will treat all people with respect and will not demean individuals on the basis of age, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or mental/physical disabilities”; “Reporters of The Haldane Outlook must be clear with their sources about what is on record and what is off record. The Haldane Outlook will not publish information obtained off record”; “The Haldane Outlook staff will adhere to standards of professional and student journalism as outlined in the National Scholastic Press Association Model Code of Ethics”; “The EIC will hold factual information in opinion columns and editorials to the same standards of accuracy as news stories”; and more. In our Charter, we have an Ethics section, a Content Policy section, and even sections dedicated specifically to the coverage of deaths and crime. We are thorough, and we are transparent; our Charter is publically available for all to read on our website.
Furthermore, each article written for the Outlook goes through an extensive editing process, passing under the eyes of multiple student editors, then reviewed by the adult advisers, before it is finally approved for publication by the student editor-in-chief; this process, too, is outlined in our Charter.
As Haldane students, instilled within each of us are the Haldane Essentials: components of academic excellence that include critical thinking skills and emotional intelligence. We want our school to recognize that while many of us are not yet adults, we can be trusted to produce a fair, credible publication without the school needing to engage in prior review and censorship.
Haldane is an incredible school. It produces incredible students. My peers both within and outside of the newspaper are intelligent, passionate, worthy individuals, who think deeply and critically about the world around them. It is a testament to Haldane that its students produce this thought-provoking paper in its name to act as a voice of the student body, and I am so thankful for the support and pride that we have been shown by teachers and administrators alike. For the coming school year, my peers and I call upon the Haldane administration to work with the Outlook to formulate a clear, written operating agreement that supports the values we have outlined in our Charter. This way, the Outlook can continue to make Haldane proud by producing the high-quality journalism prior review would hinder.
It has been the challenge and the blessing of my life to be chosen to help found and to lead The Haldane Outlook, and I am inexpressibly grateful to have faced these challenges and received these blessings alongside the Outlook’s hard-working staff, Editorial Board, advisers, and my partner-in-journalism, managing editor Lincoln Wayland. I know that the Outlook has a bright and successful future ahead of it as a living document which will change and adapt over time but which will always–always–stand in support of free student expression and authentic student journalism.
To provide feedback, express a concern, ask a question, or submit a letter to the editor, email [email protected].
