by Moe Zilla

Created on: May 10, 2009   Last Updated: May 24, 2009

It's the energy of teenagers that will drive the next generation of journalists, and their curiosity is our best hope for the future. "Life was meant to be lived, and curiosity must be kept alive," Eleanor Roosevelt once said. Teenagers are enthusiastic and bright, just waiting for their chance to be adults. Your task is channeling their enthusiasm, while teaching the important rules of journalism that they'll need to know. It's not enough to learn just the techniques of journalism. The most important thing to teach is its guiding principles.

Here's the most important thing to teach a young journalist: it feels good to be fair. One exercise could involve writing about politicians they dislike - and then asking at the end if they'd learned anything that surprised them. They may want to "go easy" on sympathetic subjects - but don't all people deserve the same level of consideration? This is something journalists should feel at a gut level, and it can be boiled down to a simple formula: are you telling the truth? Withholding crucial context should feel wrong - and so should the inclusion of misleading details.

And there's a great way to embody this "personal code of honor" which journalists practice: have a real journalist speak to the class. Many reporters would be thrilled to share stories from their career, along with lessons about the principles that guided them. The students may feel special, like they're equals in an important and exciting field. But it also suggests the responsibilities that come with the role. Imagine a grizzled journalist describing behind-the-scenes decisions. ("We found out later that our source was mistaken. If we'd published that story, we'd be sued for defamation...") The lessons have more authority when they come from an actual journalist.

Human Costs

Journalism is fun, but make sure your students know what not to do. Describe libel - and how it's nearly impossible hard to find work if your past employer was sued over your libelous remarks - but describe its human toll, too. There's unforgettable stories about lives ruined by a false, malicious story. (Imagine a business being destroyed or a family torn apart.) At the same time, teach your teenagers not to be frightened by empty threats of a lawsuit. You can't sue a reporter for telling the truth, and a journalist should never be intimidated.

Checking Your Facts

Libel is an intentionally false story, but teach your teenagers that it's still wrong to publish bad information unintentionally.

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>