Upstream News Editorial Policy

Thanks to The JEA Model Editorial Policy for guiding us through this process. 

Upstream News is the official student-produced media of news and information published/produced by Upstream News students. Upstream News has been established as designated public forums for student editors to inform and educate their readers as well as for the discussion of issues of concern to their audience. It will not be reviewed or restrained by school officials prior to publication or distribution. Adviser may – and should – coach and discuss content during the production process.

Because school officials do not engage in prior review, and the content of CVHS Media is determined by and reflects only the views of the student staff and not school officials or the school itself, its student editors and responsible student staff members assume complete legal and financial liability for the content of the publication.

• FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

As it is essential to preserve the freedom of the press in order to preserve a free society,

1. The media will serve the best interest of the students and faculty of Carnegie Vanguard High School.
2. Any decisions affecting the publications on all levels will be made by the student editors, the adviser is allowed to give legal advice and his/her opinion, but the final decision rests in the hands of the student editors;
3. Only the student editors may prevent material they judge to be in violation of the media editorial policy from being printed;
4. All media will vigorously resist all attempts at censorship, particularly pre-publication censorship and self-censorship;
5. All media retains the right to publish any and all material obtained through an interview by a staff member of the publications staff, holding that the interviewee was made aware that the information could be published in any form at any time;
6. All student media referenced in this editorial policy are designated public forums;
7. Student journalists may use print and electronic media to report news and information, to communicate with other students and individuals, to ask questions of and consult with experts and to gather material to meet their news gathering and research needs;
8. Upstream News and its staff are protected by and bound to the principles of the First Amendment and other protections and limitations afforded by the Constitution and the various laws and court decisions implementing those principles;
9. Upstream News will not publish any material determined by student editors to be unprotected, that is, material that is libelous, obscene, materially disruptive of the school process, an unwarranted invasion of privacy, a violation of copyright or a promotion of products or services unlawful (illegal) as to minors as defined by state or federal law;
10. Definitions and examples for the above instances of unprotected speech can be found in Law of the Student Press published by the Student Press Law Center.

1. THE STUDENT EDITORS

1. The student editors decide on all decisions that pertain directly to the CVHS media that the student editors oversee.
2. The student editor and staff who want appropriate outside legal advice regarding proposed content should seek attorneys knowledgeable in media law such as those of the Student Press Law Center. Final content decisions and responsibility shall remain with the student editors.
3. The duly appointed editor or co-editors shall interpret and enforce this editorial policy.

III. THE ADVISER

1. The adviser is a professional teaching staff member and is in charge of the class just as in a conventional classroom situation;
2. Is a certified journalism teacher that serves as a professional role model, motivator, catalyst for ideas and professionalism, and an educational resource;
3. Provides a journalistic, professional learning atmosphere for students by allowing them to make the decision of content for the media and ensuring the media will remain an open forum;
4. Guides the media in accordance with approved editorial policy and aids the educational process related to producing material;
5. May caution, act as legal consultant and educator terms of unprotected speech, but has no power over censorship or veto except for constitutionally valid reasons;
6. Will keep abreast of the latest trends on journalism and share these with students;
7. Will submit student media produced by the students to rating services and contests in order for the school publication’s staff to receive feedback;
8. Will forward any received correspondence and/or information to the appropriate editors;
9. Will provide information to the staff about journalism scholarships and other financial aid, and make available information and contacts concerning journalism as a career;
10. Will work with the faculty and administration to help them understand the freedoms accorded to the students and the professional goals of the school publications;
11. The adviser will not act as a censor or determine the content of the paper. The adviser will offer advice and instruction, following the Code of Ethics for Advisers established by the Journalism Education Association as well as the Canons of Professional Journalism. School officials shall not fire or otherwise discipline advisers for content in student media that is determined and published by the student staff.

1. THE BUILDING ADMINISTRATION

1. The Carnegie Vanguard High School administration will provide the students of CVHS with a qualified journalism instructor to serve as a professional role model, adequate classroom equipment, and space for a sound journalism program.
2. CVHS administration will offer equal opportunity to minority and/or marginalized students to participate in journalism programs.
3. CVHS administration is not required to view and approve publication content before publishing.

All content decisions will be made in occurrence to the following provisions, while keeping in mind that the overall purpose, role and goal of all CVHS Media is to:

1. Inform, interpret and entertain their readers through accurate and factual reports, where information has been thoroughly gathered and information has been completely verified;
2. Serve as an educational laboratory experience for those on staff;
3. Be accurate, fair and impartial in its coverage of issues that affect the school community;
4. CVHS Media will not avoid publishing a story solely on the basis of possible dissent or controversy;
5. Cover the total school population as effectively and accurately as possible;
6. The staff of CVHS Media will strive to report all issues in a legal, objective, accurate and ethical manner, according to the Canons of Professional Journalism developed by the Society for Professional Journalists; The Canons of Professional Journalism include a code of ethics concerning accuracy, responsibility, integrity, conflict of interest, impartiality, fair play, freedom of the press, independence, sensationalism, personal privacy, obstruction of justice, credibility and advertising.

REGARDING PROFANITY

1. The media will not print unnecessary profanity.
2. The student editors will make the decision on whether content is considered profane or whether it is a cultural or non-vulgar slang term, after contacting the Student Press Law Center.
3. The student editors reserve the right to edit quotes for unnecessary profanity, repetition of content, grammar mistakes and vulgarity; quotes that have been edited will be noted accordingly when published.
4. Any edited quote will be read back to the source prior to publishing and sources will have a chance to make changes.
5. Staff interviewers have the right to ask a source when necessary to repeat a quote without the use of profane language.

 

REGARDING STAFF WRITING

1. 1. All writing in the media, other than letters to the editor, will be written by students of the journalism program.
   2. Any writing submitted from an outside source for use will be accepted upon request of the student editors or when open opportunities arise, and will be viewed by editor-in-chief(s) and adviser for verification.
   3. Any material submitted from an outside source can be edited by the student editors and must comply to this policy.
   4. Writing must be the original work of the writer and not previously published on any publication, unless otherwise specified by the adviser and editor-in-chief(s).
   5. Editors reserve the right to not publish staff writing if the staff member does not comply with editorial suggestions for revisions to bring student writing up to journalistic standards.

 REGARDING EDITORIALS

1. All printed editorial subject matter will be determined by the student editors.
2. The media will not publish any material for which there is evidence that the author is using the paper for inappropriate personal gain.
3. The media will endeavor to provide a chance for comment on all sides of a critical issue in the same edition.
4. The student editors, which consists of the staff ’s student editors, will determine the content, including all unsigned editorials. The views stated in editorials represent that of a majority of the publication’s staff. Signed columns or reviews represent only the opinion of the author.

 REGARDING CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES

1. All coverage of controversial issues will occur upon a timely subject.
2. All sides of the issue will be presented and reviewed so as to refrain from any bias, with the exception of opinions pieces.
3. In news, all sides of a school, community, city, state, national, or international political issue will be presented factually so as to inform rather than promote or endorse.
4. The media will not publish material that is unnecessarily obscene, libelous or an unwarranted invasion of privacy.
5. The media will not attack people and/or organizations;
6. If question on the veracity of publication persists, the issue will be brought to the student editors who must consider the following questions before publication of the piece:
   1. Why is it a concern?
   2. What is its journalistic purpose?
   3. Is the information accurate and complete?
   4. Are any important POVs omitted?
   5. How would we feel if the story was about ourselves or someone we know?
   6. What are the consequences’ of the publication?
   7. Is there a logical explanation to anyone who challenges the issue?
   8. Is it worth risking our credibility?
   9. What are the alternatives?

REGARDING BYLINES

1. All articles, graphics, photos, art, columns, pages, reviews and other material creatively conceived, with exception to staff editorials, mug shots and cutouts will be bylined with the producer’s name.
2. All bylined writers will be held accountable for their work.
3. When more than one person has contributed creatively to a piece of work, any person who has contributed to the work must be bylined as a producer.

 REGARDING NEWS AND FEATURES

1. The media will specialize in and emphasize on informing their readers of school news and unique students in the Carnegie Vanguard High School community.
2. The media will cover community, state, national and international news if it is directly relevant to the school community, and includes local angle.
3. The media will strive to provide coverage to all school organizations and functions.
4. When faced with undesirable news such as student or staff or faculty crimes, the publications will endeavor to publish the facts correctly, explain the issue and put a stop to any speculative stories that inevitably develop.
5. Major district issues and news will be priority over school news (these major issues will be decided by the student editors).

 REGARDING DEATHS

1. Any current student, staff member, faculty member or building administrator who dies during the year will be recognized in the school media unless the family declines.
2. The media will publish factual information (date of birth, date of death, survivors) in an article including one mug shot if possible on theCarnegie Vanguardcall.com.
3. The school media will work to obtain permission from the deceased’s family before publishing any information regarding the cause of death; if permission is not granted, the student editors reserves the final say in publication of cause of death. 
4. The school media will treat all deaths in a tasteful, respectful way.
5. An issue, or portion of an issue, should not be dedicated to or in memory of the deceased.
6. Any current student, staff member, faculty member or building administrator who dies during the year will be recognized in the school yearbook if still within press time.
7. The school yearbook will publish factual information (date of birth, date of death, survivors, organizations, hobbies and interests) on one page after the respective grade of school pictures in the reference section.

 REGARDING ILLUSTRATIONS, PHOTOGRAPHS, GRAPHICS, ETC.

1. All captions will record the who and other necessary information in the photo.
2. All photographs must be captioned and bylined, with the exception of mug shots and cutouts.
3. Bylines are required on all online photos and galleries.
4. Artwork represents the interpretations of the artist, not necessarily of the staff or CVHS.
5. The publications will not publish any photos, illustrations etc. that ridicule, demean or misleadingly represent any individual or group unless it is an editorial visual. 
6. Electronic manipulations changing the essential truth of the photo or illustration will be clearly labeled if used.

 REGARDING ERRORS

1. Concerns about errors in the school media may be submitted through the adviser at [email protected]. 
2. The student editors retain the right to determine whether, subjectively, an error has been made.
3. Known and or found errors that are brought to the attention of the school media will be addressed regardless if realized by author, audience or staff member.
4. Staff members will strive to correct errors prior to publication; however, if the student editors determine a significant error is printed, the student editors will determine the manner and timeliness of  a correction.
5. Major corrections are determined by the editors and adviser.

 REGARDING ADVERTISING

1. The publications will not accept advertising for products that are illegal for minors to purchase and/or use.
2. Students not of legal age whose photographs appear in an advertisement of the publications are required to sign a model release form, as well as their legal guardian.
3. The publications will not run advertisements without a proper signature on the advertising contract which explains terms of payment, content, size, publishing dates and includes attached layout.
4. The publications will accept personal or classified advertising.
5. All advertisements need to be approved by the student editors, any advertisement not deemed appropriate by student editors will not run.
6. The publications will cease to publish advertising of any advertiser that does not meet payment obligations specified in school contact.
7. All advertisers will receive a complimentary issue of  Upstream in which their advertisement has run
8. If a published advertisement is incorrect in substantive content, a reduced price or corrected run will be negotiated.
9. Web advertisements appear in a specified section of the website.
10. Advertising that appears in the media is not necessarily endorsed by the media or its staff members, editorial board or adviser.

REGARDING DISTRIBUTION AND CIRCULATION

1. Regular updates will be made to the website throughout the week during the school year. While less frequent, updates may be made to the site during breaks.
2. Advertising revenues and fundraising are to be used to pay for the school media printing costs, supplies and other media expenses.
3. All budget surpluses are to be used for future production of the school media.

REGARDING REVIEWS

1. The reviewer must have experience in the area in which they are reviewing.
2. All reviews will be bylined and all reviews will be expressed opinions of the author, the student editors and newsmagazine staff do not express opinions on the subject matter.
3. All reviews will be to evaluate and inform, not to promote.
4. Evaluative criteria used will be determined by student editors depending on whether the event or item being reviewed is professional or amateur in nature.
5. All reviews must first be reviewed by the opinions editor prior to publishing.
6. All reviews need to be reviewed and printed in a current and timely manner.

 SOCIAL MEDIA

1. Social media will be used to promote CVHS media, to promote published content and to engage the CVHS community.
2. The student editors reserve the right to remove comments that violate this policy, including but not limited to those with profanity, bullying or demeaning language or factually incorrect claims that are potentially harmful. The student editors also reserve the right to remove comments from and block spam accounts.
3. Information posted on social media platforms should be held to the same standard as all other reporting in terms of information gathering and fact checking.
4. The official social media accounts should avoid promotion of events and remain objective, reporting what is fact.
5. Information gained through social media channels should be verified through multiple channels before passing it along to others.
6. Audience engagement through social media should be done in a professional manner.
7. Transparency is important. Mistakes made on social media posts should be corrected as soon as possible.

 

 PUBLICITY

1. The goal of the media marketing is to promote and expand the media viewing audience.
2. The publicity team will work with all aspects of the media.
3. The publicity team will work to attend most major events held by the district or school with the intent of promotion.
4. All events or important dates known by adviser, staff members or student editors will be passed along to the staff.
5. The Social Media Editor will work with the web team to promote the publication through outside sources such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.

PRIOR REVIEW POLICY

1. Sources will be able to have quotes read back at the time of the interview or at the reporter’s initiative.
2. Sources will not be able to arbitrarily demand to read the reporter’s completed story and then perform editing tasks on that story.
3. The media reporters will endeavor to include the name and identity of all sources if reporter believes that doing so will not result in endangerment, harassment or any other form of undue physical, mental, emotional anguish for the source.
4. The media reporters will not, within all boundaries of law, reveal a source who asks to remain nameless.
5. All media interviewers will respect the interviewees’ rights to have information remain “off the record” if the fact is known before giving the information to the interviewer.
6. The media will not be reviewed by anyone outside of the student editors aside from the adviser prior to its release to the public. The adviser is allowed to review the publication, but not required to, for the sole purpose of acting as legal consultant and educator in terms of unprotected speech; the adviser reading content is not considered prior review unless he/she makes changes or directs changes.

 STUDENT & STAFF PUBLICATION POLICY

1. All students and staff of Carnegie Vanguard High School are eligible for publication in the CVHS student media.
2. Any student wishing to ‘opt out’ of being published in the student media needs to fill out the appropriate ‘opt out’ form with the guidance office and alert the student media adviser of plans to ‘opt out.’
3. All efforts will be made to keep students who have ‘opted out’ of coverage from publication in the CVHS Media.
4. All students and staff of Carnegie Vanguard High School may opt to be referenced by a preferred name or nickname in Upstream, provided said nickname aligns with conduct as delineated in CVHS’s editorial policy. The student or staff member must provide express consent and be of sound mind for said accommodation to be made.
5. All students and staff of Carnegie Vanguard High School may opt to be referenced by preferred pronouns in CVHS Media, provided said pronouns align with conduct as delineated in CVHS’s editorial policy. The student or staff member must provide express consent and be of sound mind for said accommodation to be made.

VI: STAFF POLICY FOR SELECTION AND DISMISSAL

 EDITOR AND STAFF SELECTION PROCESS

1. Editor-in-chief(s) and other editor level positions are chosen by faculty adviser, with input from the previous year’s student editors.
2. New and returning staffers are judged by application, previous work, potential and perquisite class work.
3. Applicants are not turned down because of age, race, sex, religion, mental or physical handicap that do not impair editorial responsibilities.
4. The staff and editors are selected each April or May. The adviser reserves the right to make changes to the list as he/she deems necessary.
5. Editor titles and positions are not named until after all media have finalized publication for the previous year.

 REGARDING STAFF DISMISSAL

All individuals involved with CVHS media are considered a team, each member is expected to complete all assigned stories, pages, photos, etc. on or before the assigned deadline. Staff members, including editors, may be asked to be dismissed from their positions and/or the publications’ staff itself if any of the following violations occur:

• Continuously missed deadlines (dismissal procedures will take place by choice of adviser and editor(s)-in-chief)
• Plagiarism
• Quote falsification
• Vandalism or theft of publication equipment
• Continuous negative or pessimistic attitude toward staff member or adviser
• Failing to fulfill job as outlined in the job description

 

1. Major infractions will result in a request for dismissal from staff duties and dismissal from class and staff at the end of semester (major infractions include but are not limited to the following: plagiarism, vandalism, theft).
2. Minor infractions will be given a written warning for the first one. The second one is immediate dismissal from staff duties and dismissal from class and staff at the end of semester.
3. Warnings will be written and signed by the adviser and editor-in-chief(s), as well as staff member in question.
4. An editor will face the possibility of being stripped of her or his title if suspended.
5. First misdemeanor or arrest will result in the loss of editor’s title, and second will result in dismissal from staff.
6. Each member of the student editors and adviser will attend a meeting with potentially dismissed student to discuss the issue, adviser will make the final decision.
7. The academic nature of the school journalism class allows removal of editors or staff members when school and or established media policy is violated.
8. A dismissed staff member may not be allowed to register for any other journalism courses (will not preempt school policy).
9. Dismissal procedures are reviewed and approved by the student editors.
10. The dismissed staff member may appeal their dismissal in writing to the student editors within three school days following dismissal.
11. All dismissal appeals will be directed to the campus counselors and the student editors.

VII. QUERIES

1. Questions or complaints concerning material published in the media should be made to the editor-in-chief(s) who will present the concern at the next scheduled student editors meeting.
2. Resolutions will be made within the limits of deadlines.

 VIII. PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATION

 The CVHS media is a member of state and national scholastic journalism associations, including Texas Association of Journalism Education, Interscholastic League Press Conference, and National Scholastic Press Association.